Secrets to the Best Chili

Everybody needs a good chili recipe—especially in the colder months. Chili is really more diverse than simply a “bowl of red.” You can certainly serve it in a bowl—just make sure you provide lots of toppings for everybody to personalize their chili. Some suggestions for toppings include shredded cheese, minced onion, green onions, sour cream, cilantro, diced avocado, crushed tortilla chips, and minced jalapeno. If you have leftover chili, make chili dogs, or add some frozen corn kernels and make a tamale pie with a cornbread topping. 

I have two big secrets for the best chili—first, use a variety of peppers. I like to use red bell peppers, poblano peppers, and a jalapeno. Sometimes I roast a red pepper and/or a poblano and after peeling them, add that to the pot. The other secret is to use a little unsweetened cocoa powder—this just gives your chili that little somethin’ somethin’ that keeps people wondering what that flavor is. 

World’s Best Chili

1 ½ pounds ground beef or bison, preferably grass fed

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 onions, chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 poblano pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 tablespoons chili powder, more to taste

1 teaspoon ground cumin, more to taste

¼ teaspoon cayenne

2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 (28-ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes, with their juices

1 can dark red kidney beans or black beans, rinsed and drained

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

In a large pot, cook ground beef or bison until done. Drain off fat. Add olive oil, onions, red pepper, poblano pepper and jalapeno and cook until vegetables are very soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, and tomato paste and cook another minute. Sprinkle in chili powder, cumin, cayenne, unsweetened cocoa powder and dried oregano and stir to combine. Pour in fire roasted tomatoes, beans, salt and pepper to taste. If you like your chili spicier, add more chili powder and cayenne—again, taste for seasoning. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 45 minutes. Alternatively, you can pour the whole pot of chili into your slow cooker and cook it on low all day until dinner. If the chili is too thick, add some water. 

Home Matters Tip:

All chili powders are not created equal, which is why I say start with a little and add more to taste. You can also find interesting chili powders in most grocery stores now such as Ancho Chili Powder or Chipotle Chili Powder. Be on the lookout and experiment. 

Classic French Onion Soup

Classic French onion soup is a far cry from what you often see in restaurants. Most places serve a bland, canned soup tasting broth with minced onions along with a topping of soggy bread and stringy mozzarella cheese. Yuck. The real thing is a truly a thing of beauty—a rich broth, plenty of caramelized onions, a toasted baguette topped with nutty Gruyere cheese, broiled until melted. Perfect. 

There are a few important things to remember. First, begin with plenty of thinly sliced onions and take the time to properly caramelize them. I am talking 45 minutes to an hour. You don’t need to stand over them that entire time—just give them a stir every now and then and make sure the heat is not too hot. You are looking for slow caramelizing, not just browned onions. Using a good broth is also important. Preferably homemade, but if you are buying broth, look for organic bone broth. Many recipes call for dry sherry, which you can certainly use. I prefer the flavor of brandy, but its great with either one. Finding good quality French bread is also worth it and of course, real Gruyere simply cannot be beat—sorry Swiss cheese! 

Classic French Onion Soup

4 pounds onions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

Pinch of sugar

½ cup brandy or dry sherry

5 cups chicken broth

3 cups beef broth

6 sprigs fresh thyme, tied together with kitchen twine

1 bay leaf

1 French baguette, sliced

2 cups Gruyere cheese, grated

Heat butter and olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy bottomed stock pot. Add onions, a sprinkling of salt, pepper and pinch of sugar. Stir so that onions all get coated in butter and oil. Cook over medium heat for 45 minutes to an hour, until onions are golden brown and cooked down completely. Carefully pour in brandy or sherry, scraping up the onions. Pour in chicken broth, beef broth, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, toast baguette slices on both sides until golden brown. Remove thyme bundle and bay leaf and discard. To serve, ladle soup into oven proof bowls. Top with one or two toasted baguette slices and plenty of shredded Gruyere cheese. Place bowls on a rimmed baking sheet and broil until cheese has melted.

Best Slow Cooker Whole Chicken and Overnight Chicken Stock

One of the easiest meals you can prepare is a whole chicken in the slow cooker. I say “prepare,” rather than “cook” because all you do is throw everything in the slow cooker and let it do all of the cooking. When dinnertime comes around, use tongs to get the chicken out of the slow cooker because it will surely fall apart as you remove it. Serve alongside twice baked potatoes and a crisp salad and voila, dinner is served. 

But wait! Don’t throw that chicken carcass/bones away. After dinner, toss all of that back into the slow cooker, add a few ingredients, fill the pot up with cold water, and turn it on low and allow to simmer all night. In the morning, your entire home will smell like chicken pot pie (can you say yummy?) and you will have lots of homemade chicken stock to make the best soups you have ever had. 

Home Matters Tip:

Keep a “stock bag” in your freezer. When your carrots or celery begin to look like they have seen better days, put them in your stock bag in the freezer. You can also toss in herbs, mushrooms, onions, etc. Just don’t use super strong vegetables such as broccoli or cabbage in your stock as they can take over the other more subtle flavors. 

Best Slow Cooker Whole Chicken

1 whole chicken, preferably organic

1 large onion, cut into chunks

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

3 sprigs fresh thyme

½ cup dry white wine or chicken broth

Rinse and dry chicken and remove any giblets or plastic packet inside cavity. Place the onion chunks in the bottom of the slow cooker and pour white wine on top. Toss in the thyme sprigs. Pat chicken dry with paper towels—you can do this with the chicken already in the slow cooker. Rub the olive oil onto the chicken. In a small bowl combine the spices and sprinkle them all over the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours. 

I remember when one of our daughter’s said, “Mom, why is your soup always so good?” Well, this is the secret to all good soups—homemade stock. This overnight chicken stock could not be easier or more delicious. There is no hard and fast recipe—think of this as a guide. If you don’t happen to have any celery on hand, your stock will still be terrific. 

Overnight Chicken Stock

1 leftover carcass/bones from a roasted chicken or slow cooker chicken

2 carrots, cut into large chunks

1 onion, cut into chunks

2 stalks celery, cut into chunks

1 head of garlic, cut in half lengthwise

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons sea salt

3 sprigs fresh thyme

Add all ingredients to the slow cooker, cover and cook on low 10 to 12 hours, or overnight. Strain, refrigerate and use within a week, or freeze in 2 to 3 cup portions. 

Dark Chocolate Cashew Sea Salt Bark

Everybody knows sugar is bad for you—and it’s really hard to avoid because it’s in almost everything. Luckily, event the strictest health experts say dark chocolate is actually healthy for you—just use common sense and don’t overindulge. 

My favorite way to enjoy decadent dark chocolate is to take a few good quality chocolate bars, melt them, spread the chocolate out on some parchment paper or a silpat, and sprinkle with some toasted cashews and a light sprinkling of sea salt, preferably Maldon salt from France. Refrigerate and then when it is cold and hardened, break the bark into small pieces. Store in a glass container in the refrigerator and whenever you need a fix, take a few small bites of this addictive bark. Yum! 

Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Bark

6 ounces or so of good quality dark chocolate (75 % to 85% 

cacao)

½ cup cashews, lightly toasted and chopped

½ teaspoon sea salt, preferably Maldon sea salt

Melt chocolate in glass container in the microwave in 10 second intervals, stirring after each until melted. Pour the melted chocolate onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet, or one lined with a silpat. Spread the chocolate out with a rubber spatula in an even, thin layer. Sprinkle with toasted cashews and then with the sea salt. Refrigerate until cold, about an hour or so. Break into small pieces and store in a glass container in the refrigerator.

Cooking with Fresh Herbs

What if I could give you a single tip to catapult your cooking to a higher level and cause almost everything you cook to taste better? I can! Cook with fresh herbs! Take scrambled eggs, for example. Plain old scrambled eggs are, well, a little boring. If you stir in some fresh dill and smoked salmon, suddenly you are a rock star. Even a sprinkling of fresh chives on top of your scrambled eggs makes a huge difference. 

Plain old boneless skinless breasts are just that—plain. But if you marinate them with herbs, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and then grill or bake them and finish with a drizzle of that same marinade, everybody will think you are a gourmet cook. 

Mashed potatoes suddenly become elegant when you stir in some fresh tarragon and Italian parsley. And is there anything better than pesto made with fresh basil, parmesan, toasted nuts and good quality olive oil? Only when you toss it with some hot pasta! 

Plain green beans become a fancy salad when tossed with an herb vinaigrette and cherry tomatoes. Add some parmesan cheese slivers (just use your trusty vegetable peeler) and people will start calling you a chef! 

Growing herbs is easy—all you really need is a super sunny spot. While most herbs can successfully be grown in pots, I have always had much better luck when they are grown in the ground. I have a raised bed devoted entirely to herbs. In the summer time, almost every night I snip fresh herbs to use when making dinner. The more you experiment with fresh herbs, the more deft you will become at using them. 

Hot Tip: After making a batch of basil pesto, freeze the leftovers in ice cube trays. Once frozen, pop the basil cubes into a plastic baggie and label before putting into the freezer. Add a cube to vegetable soups to boost the flavor, toss with pasta, or stir into mashed potatoes.