Shelly's Chili Recipe

We eat chili at least once a month for dinner at our house, and the leftovers are invaluable since it freezes incredibly well and reheats easily. It makes a complete meal by itself, or an especially satisfying dinner with corn muffins (I use the recipe on page 191 of the Food Allergy Survival Guide) and maybe a sprinkling of shredded cheddar for the people who can tolerate it. My version of chili is stuffed with veggies because it's a great way to get everyone to eat them without even noticing, so much so that you could leave the meat out altogether if you wanted and still feel satisfied.

1 lb ground beef or turkey, browned, or 2 cups cooked chicken breast chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 T minced garlic

1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeds and membranes removed and finely chopped (or one can of jalapenos)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tsp ground cumin

1 T chili powder

1 tsp salt

1 14-oz can chopped tomatoes, with juice

1 medium or 2 small zucchini, chopped

2 15-oz cans kidney beans, rinsed

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot and saute onion, bell pepper and jalapeno over medium heat until they're softened – about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, chili powder and salt and stir it all in. Dump in the can of tomatoes and the zucchini, lower heat to medium-low and cook it for 15 minutes. Stir in the beans and meat and simmer for a while longer – at least till everything is heated through, but a longer on the lowest heat helps the flavors meld together.

We get about 6-8 servings out of this recipe. I like to put the leftovers in individual containers and freeze them.