Coffee Chili: a Recipe

Coffee, I have no interest in starting my day without at least two cups. I have high blood pressure so I rarely drink more than this but I do enjoy those first and only two cups.

We have read much about the positive health effects of coffee, over the past while and this is good news for the coffee fanatics among us. I drink an organic, dark roast blend, straight, no milk or no sugar between me and my caffeine.

I also use a FrenchPress to make or morning coffee. No automatic time, no drip, just add hot, almost boiling water to the pot, let it sit for 2-3 minutes and then ready to drink.

Coffee is not just for drinking, it can be an exciting ingredient in a number of dishes, chili, for example.

Coffee Chili

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

11/2 lb lean ground beef

1 onion, chopped

2 sweet peppers, such as red and green,

chopped 3 large garlic cloves,

¼ c chili powder

1 tbsp each dried oregano leaves

1 tsp salt ½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

2 bay leaves

2 cans plum tomatoes (28 oz)

1 ½ c dark roast coffee brewed coffee

1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained (19-oz)

2 tbsp vinegar, any type

Preparation:

Heat oil in a large wide saucepan over medium heat.

Add beef and pork and stir to break up meat.

When meat is no longer pink, stir in onion, peppers, garlic, jalapeno, chili, oregano, cumin, salt, cinnamon, cayenne and bay leaves.

Cook for about 5 minutes, until vegetables soften slightly.

Stir in tomatoes with juice, crushing tomatoes to break up.

Stir in coffee, beans and vinegar.

Increase heat, stir occasionally and bring to the boil.

Then reduce heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until chili is as thick as you like, about 1 hour.

Discard bay leaves.

Toppings: grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, chopped avocado, chopped jalapenos and coriander.

Give your chili additional spice by adding extra cayenne pepper, then serve with hot sauce on the side.