Easy Chili

2 T Olive Oil
1.5 lbs Ground Beef (*or substitute, 1/2 ground turkey and 1/2 ground beef is a good combo. If you use all turkey, you lose a lot of flavor and it just doesn't taste quite the same)
1/2 Medium Onion, finely chopped
3 Cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
4 Stalks of Celery, finely chopped
2 Carrots, very finely chopped
1 Bell Pepper, finely chopped
1 Small Can of Tomato Paste
1 Big Can of Stewed Tomatoes
1 Can of Dark Red Kidney Beans

Oregano, dried or fresh
Basil, dried or fresh
Cayenne Pepper
Paprika
Chili Powder
Ginger, dried
Salt & Pepper (I use freshly ground)

Toppings (optional):
- Fage Greek Yogurt (tastes just like sour cream!)
- Light sour cream (for those of you who are skeptical of the previous suggestion)
- Roughly chopped fresh cilantro
- Finely chopped red onion
- Light shredded cheese
- A handful of crushed Fritos or tortilla chips

1. Heat up the olive oil in a large pot. Once it gets hot enough, add the meat and brown until thoroughly cooked. Meanwhile, chop up the veggies: garlic, onion, celery, carrots, bell pepper. Empty the can of beans into a colander and rinse well.
2. When the meat is done, add the veggies and cook for about 5 minutes, just to soften.
3. Add the tomato paste, stewed tomatoes, and rinsed beans, gently stirring it all together. Add some water if it is a bit too thick for your liking. I like mine thick. (That's what she said.)
4. Time to spicen it up! I don't exactly measure what I throw in the pot, and I just add spices until it "smells right" so all these measurements are approximate. Please add/subtract to your taste:

2 T Oregano
2 t Basil
1 T Cayenne Pepper
2 t Paprika
5 T Chili Powder
1 t Ginger
4 turns of the salt grinder, about 8 of the pepper grinder

Bring it to a boil and boil for a minute or two, then turn it down to a simmah and let it gurgle for about 25 minutes, or until the veggies are soft.

Ladle a hearty serving into a bowl and add any variety of suggested toppings (or make a "chili bar" and have people add their own toppings). This is great served on top of rice or spaghetti noodles as well!

Don't be afraid to tweak this recipe to sneak in as many different types of veggies and beans you want! Chili is the type of recipe where anything goes (at least that's the way I look at it), and you can just throw in whatever's hanging around the cupboard or starting to wilt in the veggie drawer of the fridge. I really like adding a can of black beans, a can of cannellini beans, a can of corn, and some frozen spinach if I want to make it a lower-carb meal and not put it over rice.

Lemme know whatcha think! Thanks!

Serving Size: 8 Hearty Bowls

Number of Servings: 8

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user HAVEAPEPPERMINT.