October 22, 2014

Slow Cooking 101: Southwest Fiesta Chili

A meaty, saucy chili topped with scoops of fresh avocado and onion, a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of salty cheese is definitely a Fall favorite. Simple and lovingly prepared, a hot chili is a dish we have many opportunities to share with friends and family.

Whenever Meg and I are out conducting market research, events and tastings, many customers cite chili as their go-to slow cooker favorite especially when they’re catering for larger groups.

Including chili in our Slow Cooking 101 month of recipes was a no brainer. It includes a few ingredients, a little chopping, a little browning, a little seasoning, and nothing onerous.

This year, since Halloween falls on a Friday, it’s perfect for me to make this slow cooker Southwest Chili and host our neighborhood trick or treat posse. We really design our Zen Spice Blends for our own use too. So in addition to our existing 8 Zen Blends, today we launch our 9th – Southwest Fiesta Blend – the smoky, warm flavors of which underpin this American classic Southwest Chili.

To celebrate the launch we have three Southwest Fiesta blends to give away. All you have to do is visit our Instagram page, follow us, and leave a comment! The lucky ones will be picked at random when the giveaway closes, at midnight on Sunday, November 2nd, 2014.

Step 1 Why chili?

Timing – As soon as we get home on Friday afternoon after school at 4pm, I will assemble my chili and cook on high. It will be ready and waiting for 7.30 when we all return from our Halloween festivities. However, chili certainly doesn’t suffer from being cooked and refrigerated a day or two before it’s needed. You can then reheat to bubbling on the stovetop.
Satisfaction – Being able to feed friends without the hassle of last minute preparation.
No Fuss Factor – All I have to do when the chili is cooked, is set up a “chili bar” on my dining room table and voila, friends can fill their bowl and grab a beer.
Texture – This chili is satisfyingly meaty.
Multi Meal yield – IF there’s any left over, freeze it in a ziploc bag.

Step 2 Getting Organized – What do I need?

Seasonal produce – the last of the red bell peppers and fresh corn are still be available.
Pantry staples such as chopped tomatoes.
Fresh meat

Step 3 – Making a Meal

Good bases are warm tortilla, rice or beans
Good toppings are sour cream, avocado, cheese and cilantro.

Step 4 Stocking your Pantry

I keep shelf stable tomato paste and chopped tomatoes in my pantry.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cooking Time 6 hours LOW or 3 hours HIGH
Servings 6

Ingredients

1 tbsp light olive oil
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup red bell pepper, diced
1 lb ground beef
1 bag Southwest Fiesta Spices * or your favorite taco spice blend
1 x 14oz can kidney beans, drained
1 14oz can diced tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup corn
2 tsp flour
1/3 cup water

choice of toppings:

cilantro, chopped
sour cream
avocado
Mexican Cotija or other sharp cheese, shredded

In a skillet, heat the oil and fry the onion and pepper gently for 2-3 minutes.

Add beef to skillet and brown for 2-3 minutes. Drain the fat from the skillet and transfer the beef, onion and pepper to your slow cooker.

Stir in the Southwest spices, kidney beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, corn, flour and water.

Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours or HIGH for 3.