Thursday, November 12, 2015

Everything Left in the Garden Chili #recipe @LucyBurdette #giveaway


LUCY BURDETTE: First of all, as a pre-holiday giveaway, I have a copy of the brand new Level Best anthology to give away. It's called RED DAWN and it includes my Key West short story, LAST MANGO IN PARADISE. Leave a comment with your email to be entered in the drawing. Contest ends at midnight on 11/14!

 Now to the recipe... Here's the thing. In the past, if I wanted a quick pot of chili, I used ground beef, onion, beans, peppers, a jar of Pace picante sauce, and part of an envelope of chili seasoning. It was fast and delicious, and loaded with sodium. (I'm guessing 3000 mg in the seasonings alone!)

Rather then skip the chili all together, this time I made a different kind. Not quite so easy but if you make the sauce ahead of time, and pop it in the freezer, you can add the beef and beans and seasoning later. 

I have been reading a cookbook and blog by Jessica Goldman Foung.  Because of a kidney problem she can eat almost no sodium, but she loves to cook and offers many good suggestions. 

My sauce is tweaked considerably from her version, but I did love the instructions about grinding the vegetables in a food processor. No peeling tomatoes! No chopping!

Basic everything left in the garden sauce


5 to 6 fresh tomatoes, or one large can diced, no-salt tomatoes
Three carrots, peeled
One red onion
Three cloves garlic
Quarter cup fresh Italian parsley
Quarter cup basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, if desired
2 to 3 green peppers
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
16 ounce can tomato paste


Peel the carrots and grind them in the food processor. Cut the tomatoes into halves or quarters and add them to the carrots. Scrape these vegetables into a large pot and bring them to a simmer. 

Next mince the onion with the garlic in the processor, and add the chopped green peppers. (I did these by hand in order to avoid them turning to mush.) Sauté this group of vegetables in a couple tablespoons of nice olive oil. When they are soft, add them to the pot, along with the chopped parsley and basil, the oregano, pepper flakes, and the red wine vinegar. Simmer everything together for half an hour and then add the tomato paste and taste for flavor. 

I ended up adding a couple of teaspoons of sugar and a quarter teaspoon of kosher salt.

This makes a lovely vegetarian spaghetti sauce on its own over pasta, with the addition of some grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

 

To make the chili, brown half a pound of ground beef and drain the grease. And 1 to 2 tablespoons of chili powder and 1 teaspoon of cumin. Sauté the spices with the drained beef. Rinse two small cans of beans thoroughly (I used one black beans and one light red kidney.) And the beef mixture and the beans to the tomato sauce. Simmer for another half hour.  Serve with grated cheese and onions and sour cream, if desired.

(The sodium count in this version is tomato paste, 75 mg, 1/4 teaspoon salt Kosher, 450 mg, two cans beans, 910 milligrams, and probably less, because I rinsed them well. Those are the amounts in the entire pot--not counting the incidental and small amounts in the fresh vegetables



Ugly chili picture--we started eating too fast!




KILLER TAKEOUT is coming next April, but available for pre-order today!

And you can follow Lucy on Facebook,
Twitter,
Pinterest,
and Instagram


 

40 comments:

  1. I am looking forward to checking out RED DAWN. Thank you for the chili recipe and the giveaway.
    myrifraf(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Here is a dumb question. We do lots of cooking and canning and would like to attempt our own butter and cheese. We have never used a food processor but am considering getting husband one for Christmas (I am such a romantic). What is a good kind to get that is sort of heavy duty but not crazily expensive? And are they nice to have?

    The sauce sounds really yummy! I am up to book 3 in the Key West series!!! So much to read; so little time!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jody, here's a link to reviews of food processors--you'll be able to figure out what you need it to do, and how much you can spend. I love having one!
      http://bestreviews.com/best-food-processors

      Delete
    2. Thank you. That is very kind of you!

      Delete
  3. This really sounds tasty and a great way to sneak carrots into someone diet :)

    harbingerdc(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  4. I always make my own spice mixes. I never liked all of the strange things in those spice packets. Who needs anti-caking agents in their food?
    sgiden at verizon(.)net

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love your addition of carrots to the chili and the tip for using a food processor. Thanks for the chance to win! kimdavishb@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great way to use up left over vegetables.
    anne.maceneaney@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for the recipe and a chance to win Red Dawn.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I like the idea of carrots added to the chili---will have to try that next time. Thanks for the giveaway
    suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. I add a bit of cocoa powder to chili. It adds a depth without tasting like chocolate. Think of it as a Mexican mole.

    This sounds so fresh and good.
    Now, if south Florida would just cool off.
    I can always lower the thermostat!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Chili recipe looks very yummy.
    Lady (dot) Janel at hotmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  11. It looks and sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe! bobandcelia@sbcglobal.net

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thanks for all the sodium things you have shared. I try to watch what I use but it isn't easy. We have one gluten free person in the house so are always looking at labels. Thanks for the advice about a food processor. I am looking into it some more. As always, thanks for the chance to win. doward1952@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. The chili sounds yummy! I would love to read Red Dawn...thanks for the chance to win. cking78503@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  14. Both the chili and the book sound great. Prentissg@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thanks for your effort to help us all eat healthier. Good reminder about the sneaky sodium. Fresh is best. bobbipad at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  16. The recipe sounds so good! lkleback@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. The vegetables really add substance to a sauce. I used to make one like this and freeze it. Have to start doing that again. All that extra sodium creeps up on you. Thanks for the giveaway, and of course can't wait for Killer Takeout!
    sallycootie@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  18. I love chili...my mom made a great one. Adding vegetables is a great idea; I included roasted corn in my recipe. Lucy Burdette is a fav author, and look forward to expanding my personal library. kat8762@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  19. Awesome recipe Lucy, we love chili!

    dblaser(at)windstream(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thanks for the post. I'm going to pass on the blog info to a friend who also has kidney issues. suefoster109@netzero.net.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Thank you for the chance to win Red Dawn! Today is a good day for chili - it's rainy and raw outside. Mfg20A@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  22. I just love your key West series I started to read them this year and I'm almost done with the series. Hope I win I'd love to read that short story!
    Echolodge5@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  23. Thanks for the post and the offer of the book. I do something very similar, but no red wine vinegar. Will have to try that. Make my own taco and chili spices already. I use a bit more cumin, since I love that smoky flavor. sjones1592@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  24. I love, love, love anthologies so am really looking forward to Red Dawn. Will be trying the chili recipe tomorrow. Supposed to turn cold (well, cold for Florida) tomorrow.
    ksarginson@tampabay.rr.com.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I can't believe you had anything left in the garden! Gardens around here have been dead for a month! This looks wonderful. I'm a big fan of beans. I was wondering if there aren't some beans canned without salt. So how did it taste? Did you feel like you wanted to add salt?

    ReplyDelete
  26. That looks so good! We haven't had chili yet this fall. I pinned the recipe. Thanks so much!

    ElaineE246 at msn dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My dad couldn't have sodium the last few years of his life. My mom did such a good job of cooking for him and still making things taste good. I rarely felt the need to add salt to things she made for him.

      Delete
  27. Thanks for this great recipe and the giveaway. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  28. Your recipe is so healthy and lovely. I would enjoy this greatly. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  29. The chili sounds good (so does the book). Thanks for the recipe.
    lkish77123 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  30. Thank you for the recipe and this chance to win! areewekidding@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  31. You've made me hungry for chili and mangos . . . and eager for the new book ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  32. My chili recipe is similar to yours, so eager to try your recipe using fresh ingredients. Looking forward to your new book. dbahn@iw.net

    ReplyDelete
  33. Thanks for the recipe and a chance to win your great giveaway.
    babemomara@att.net

    ReplyDelete
  34. This garden-fresh chili sounds absolutely delightful, Lucy; thanks for sharing the recipe with us. Adding carrots is a clever way to sweeten the sauce a bit.
    Like Libby, I always add unsweetened cocoa powder to my tomato sauce. And fennel [a many-years-ago tip from a chef in a little downtown Los Angeles restaurant where John and I ate shortly after we were married].
    If time is not an issue, I often use dried beans instead of canned to keep the sodium level low.
    I’m looking forward to reading your Key West story in “Red Dawn” . . . thanks for the giveaway!
    [AE215jfe@aol.com]

    ReplyDelete