Red Pepper Chili

Fall is the season for comfort food. When the weather turned brisk this past Sunday, this was the perfect recipe to make use of our bumper crop of Sweet Red Peppers. It warmed us inside and out.

Ingredients:

3-4 Red Bell Peppers, seeded and diced
1 white onion, diced
2 chopped dried or fresh serrano chiles, with seeds
olive oil

1 lb chuck steak, cut into cubes and browned
or
1 lb leftover steak or beef pot roast, cubed

1 large can tomato puree
or
2 cups fresh pureed tomatoes from the garden

1-30 oz. can of pinto beans, rinsed
2 cups water
1 1/2 tbs chili powder
1 tbs cumin
Scant 1/2 tbs dried oregano
Scant 1/2 tbs dried basil
1 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
Sour cream
Chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions:

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Gently sweat peppers and onions with a sprinkle of salt until translucent. Add chiles and beef and stir. Add tomato puree, beans, water, and spices. Stir to combine. Bring chili to a boil, stirring constantly. Lower heat, cover, and simmer gently for one hour. To thicken, remove lid to let liquid reduce and stir occasionally to keep beans from sticking. Taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking.

Serve hot with sour cream and freshly chopped cilantro.

Enjoy!

Great Grandma Mildred's Tomato-Pepper Salad

Great Grandma Mildred worked with a wonderful woman named Brita Saladino in the kitchen of St. Paul Gradeschool. They were great friends, sharing a love of life and plenty of recipes. This salad was one of their simplest, but most satisfying. (When we make it, my husband snacks away at least half the bowl before supper is even served.) As always, this late summer delight is best with produce fresh from the garden or farmers market.



Ingredients:

6 Roma tomatoes
2 green bell peppers
1 small white onion
1 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs. white vinegar (or white wine vinegar, if you prefer)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar

Wash and dice tomatoes into 1/2 inch pieces. Remove seeds and stem from peppers and dice the same size as the tomatoes. Peel and dice the onions. Toss tomatoes, peppers and onions in a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining four ingredients and toss thoroughly.



Enjoy!