Garden-Style Red Chili

Have I mentioned lately that I have a Vita-mix? Yeah I thought so. I guess I'm a little obsessed with it right now, but who can blame me? It makes dinners (and lunches... and breakfasts... and snacks) so easy. On Saturday I was working in the yard all day long. It wasn't a bad day, but it did get pretty chilly by the time I was done. When I finally made it back into the house all I could think about was a nice warm bowl of hearty chili. Only problem was that it was already almost dinner time and I usually simmer my traditional chili for hours to blend the flavors. But with the Vita-mix my problem was solved! I just pre-blended all my flavors in my tomato sauce. Also this is a great way to use some tomatoes that need to be used before they go bad (not to mention all you're other garden produce- just in case you're burnt out when it comes to canning!)

This really went together pretty quickly; especially since I keep pre-cooked meat mix in the freezer at all times.

Garden-Style Red Chili

8-10 large tomatoes
2 large carrots
4 red or green bell peppers
2 large Anaheim chilis
1 large onion, divided
4 cloves garlic
5 cups pre-cooked ground meat mix
1/2 Tbsp red chili powder
1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
1/2 Tbsp oregano
1/2 Tbsp black pepper
1 Tbsp sea salt
2 cans chili beans
2 cans kidney beans

1:Wash all your vegetables. Remove stems from tomatoes and peppers and remove seeds from half the peppers (2 bells, 2 chilis). Peel onion and cut into quarters.

2:  Cut tomatoes in half and fill Vita-mix wet container about halfway full. Fill the remainder of the container with 1 red bell pepper, 1 chili pepper (both with seeds if desired), 1 carrot, 2 cloves garlic and 1/4 of the onion. Turn machine on Variable speed 2 and gradually increase speed until all the vegetables have been pulled into the blades. Use your tamping stick if necessary to push produce down. Turn speed up to high and process for 2-3 minutes. Pour into a large stockpot or two 5-qt sauce pans.

 {When "sauce" comes out of Vita-mix, it will look a bit pink and frothy, but the air bubbles will dissipate as your sauce cooks, giving you a nice red color.}

3:  Repeat Step 2. You should have 1-2 tomatoes, 1/2 onion, and 2 bell peppers remaining.

4:  Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat until mixture is at a gentle boil or high simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally for 20-30 minutes or until sauce reaches desired consistency.

5:  Dice remaining vegetables and add to tomato sauce base. Also add ground meat mix, beans and seasonings. Stir well. Continue to simmer for an additional 20 minutes.

6:  Serve with freshly grated cheese and saltine crackers. And for my Wyoming friends: This is GREAT with cinnamon rolls!

**To freeze: Prepare through step 5. Place 2-4 cups in quart-sized freezer bags. Allow to cool completely before putting into your freezer. Keeps at least three months in the freezer.

To serve from freezer: move to refrigerator the day before serving. Heat on stove-top; serve. OR run hot water over the bag of frozen chili to loosen. Break it up and add chunks to an appropriate sized slow-cooker (Remember, you want your ingredients to fill your slow-cooker at least halfway for best results). Cook on Low 6 hours or High 3 hours until heated through.