No Wrong Way to Make Chili

If you like chili, this is the recipe for you.  The best part?  It's so easy to add/change any of the ingredients to your liking.  Add more spicy peppers or enhance with some fresh corn.  Add beans.  Change up the spices.  This was a creation that I made with my husband this weekend in our 6 quart Dutch oven on the stove top.  You can also use a slow cooker (a.k.a. crock pot) but it will just increase the cooking time by a few hours.

The chorizo added a nice smoky flavor, but we may have added too many hot peppers!  Our fingers were numb for hours after cutting them into small pieces (note to self: use gloves next time!) I usually eat this with GF spaghetti, but you can also serve this with corn chips or GF corn bread.

Ingredients:

2	lbs. ground beef
1	package chorizo (about 12 oz.)
1	yellow onion, chopped fine
4	garlic cloves, diced fine
1	yellow pepper, chopped medium
2	green peppers, chopped medium
3-4	Jamaican hot peppers, diced
2	cans diced tomatoes
1-2	chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2	cups GF beef broth
1/4	tbsp. chili powder
1/4	tbsp. cumin
1/4	tbsp. cayenne pepper
1/2	jar tomato sauce
2	tbsp. tomato paste
1/2	cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. In a large Dutch oven, brown beef over medium heat by breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon.

2. Remove when brown and reserve for later use. Cut chorizo into bite size pieces and add to pot. Brown for about 2-4 minutes.

3. Remove chorizo and drain grease.

4. Add onion until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.

5. Add in green and yellow peppers, and cook for a few minutes, then add in the hot peppers, cook for about 2-3 minutes.

6. Add in 1 cup beef broth, spices, and cover cooking until softened about another 4-5 minutes.

7. Add the beef and chorizo back to the pot and stir. Add in the crushed/diced tomatoes, stir and cover. Reduce heat to medium/low.

8. In separate saucepan, add in the tomato sauce and paste, stir until combined.

9. Heat until smooth and add to Dutch oven with other cup of beef broth.

10. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.

11. Add in chipotle peppers and 2 teaspoons of adobo sauce.

12. Cover and simmer for 2 hours.

13. When you are ready to eat, prepare the GF spaghetti following the directions on the box. Add into the bowl with chili and add shredded cheddar cheese on top before serving.

Lick the Plate Good: Gluten-free Pot Roast

I absolutely LOVE my Mario Batali Dutch Oven.  It is so easy to make hearty Gluten-free recipes. I made this pot roast last weekend and it came out so good, I literally licked the plate clean!! 

I used Herb Ox bouillon packets to make the beef broth and Pacific chicken broth.  I also added potatoes to the pot when I put the meat back in, and let it cook for about 4-5 hours in the oven.  The meat was so tender it just fell apart on the plate. Serve with gluten-free biscuits or bread and it's a meal to warm you up this winter!

Ingredients

1	chuck-eye roast (about 3 1/2 pounds), boneless
2	tablespoon vegetable oil
1	medium onion, chopped medium
1	small carrot, chopped medium
1	small rib celery, chopped medium
2	medium cloves garlic, minced
2	teaspoons granulated sugar
1	cup low-sodium GF chicken broth
1	cup low-sodium GF beef broth
1	sprig fresh thyme
1 1/2	cups water
1/4	cup dry red wine

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Thoroughly pat roast dry with paper towels; sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
   
2. Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Brown roast thoroughly on all sides, reducing heat if fat begins to smoke, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer roast to large plate; set aside. Reduce heat to medium; add onion, carrot, and celery to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and sugar; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken and beef broths and thyme, scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Return roast and any accumulated juices to pot; add enough water to come halfway up sides of roast. Bring liquid to simmer over medium heat, then place large piece of foil over pot and cover tightly with lid; transfer pot to oven. Cook, turning roast every 30 minutes, until fully tender and meat fork or sharp knife easily slips in and out of meat, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
   
3. Transfer roast to carving board; tent with foil to keep warm. Allow liquid in pot to settle about 5 minutes, then use wide spoon to skim fat off surface; discard thyme sprig. Boil over high heat until reduced to about 1 1/2 cups, about 8 minutes. Add red wine and reduce again to 1 1/2 cups, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
   
4. Using chef’s or carving knife, cut meat against the grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices, or pull apart into large pieces; transfer meat to warmed serving platter and pour about 1/2 cup sauce over meat. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.