Today there was winter storm that came through San Diego, our first winter storm of 2018. I knew we’d be getting rain and wind because I’d been watching it on the news for the last few days. I know it was nothing like the storms in the East, but when it rains in California, there are many problems that can be associated with it. As I watched the news tonight, they were talking about mudslides in Santa Barbara County. Many of you probably saw the news reports coming from that area just last month regarding the Thomas Fire. I’ll definitely be saying a prayer for all those affected by these mudslides today. In San Diego, the freeways were experiencing flooding in some areas. If you live in Southern California, please be careful driving.

Below is a picture I took driving past the Pacific Ocean today. It was a beautiful sight, for sure. Kylie and I went to see the Disney movie “Coco” today. After rearranging and cleaning all the drawers in my kitchen, I decided we deserved a treat and I knew Kylie had really been wanting to see “Coco”. I wanted to thank her for her help in my reorganization project. Dennis was even able to take a little time off this afternoon to meet us at the theater. It was a good day to cozy up in the movie theater. If you get a chance to see “Coco”, please do. It was so good.

Knowing that we were expecting this “winter” storm, I had been planning to make chili for dinner. There’s nothing more comforting than chili for dinner when it’s stormy out.

For my chili, I started by sautéing a white onion in olive oil. To the white onion, I added a mix of seasonings which consisted of chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, cinammon, dark brown sugar and kosher salt. I let the onion cook together with the seasonings for about 7 minutes and then added 5 minced cloves of garlic. I stirred the garlic into the onion and seasonings and let it cook for about 20 seconds.

Next, I added a pound and a quarter of lean ground beef, breaking it up and cooking it for 10 minutes. To the meat, I added 2 cans of dark red kidney beans that I had drained and rinsed. I then added diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, as well as another 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt. I placed the lid on my chili and let it simmer for 45 minutes.

I served our chili with garlic bread and topped it with sour cream, diced red onion and shredded white cheddar cheese. I love a white cheddar that I buy at Trader Joe’s called Unexpected Cheddar. It is so good, I thought it would be perfect as a topping on my chili.

Ingredients

1 medium white onion, diced

5 garlic cloves, minced

5 tablespoons olive oil

1-1/4 pound lean ground beef

1/8 cup chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon cinammon

1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 14-1/2 ounce cans dark red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)

2 14-1/2 ounce cans diced tomatoes

2 14=1/2 ounce cans tomato sauce

Directions

1. In s small bowl, mix together chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, cinammon, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and dark brown sugar.
2. Heat olive oil in Dutch oven.
3. Add onions and seasonings to oil and cook for 7 minutes, until onions start to soften.
4. Add minced garlic, stir, and cook for 20 seconds.
5. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink (7-10 minutes), breaking meat up.
6. Add drained and rinsed kidney beans and stir.
7. Add diced tomatoes and tomato sauce as well as 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.
8. Combine well and bring to a simmer. Place lid on pot and let simmer for 45 minutes on medium-low.

Enjoy!

Until next time, Kris