Chili Con Carne

Yep. It's Cinco De Mayo. Let's make some chili. Once again, most of the amounts aren't exact. You should add and taste until you find a combination that suits your taste. I made mine mild this time because my 2-year-old cousin would be here. My husband added extra hot sauce to his. But really, you could just add more cumin and more chili powder. Also, as funny as it sounds, chocolate is not an unusual addition to chili. Give it a shot (just a bit)...

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1lb+ of ground beef for chili (it's larger than regular ground beef, but both would work fine), already cooked and strained
• cans diced tomatoes
• ground cumin
• chili powder
• parsley
• white corn (I used frozen)
• 2 cans kidney beans, drained
• 2 tsp dark chocolate
• 1/2 cup salsa (any kind)
• shredded cheese (your preference but I'd recommend a mexican mix that includes mad cheddar)

- heat olive oil over medium high heat, add onions & garlic. Cook over med to med-low heat until onions are translucent.

-Add the rest of the ingredients. Turn heat to med. and simmer without boiling too much for as long as you wish.

- That's really it. Keep tasting. Add more ingredients (corn, kidney beans, black beans) to fill it out, or add more seasoning (worchestershire sauce, chili flakes, tabasco, hot salsa, chilies, etc.) to suit your taste. If you want it thicker, stir in some flour.

- Top with as much cheese (and maybe sour cream and some chives) as you wish.

- Chili is like soup - it's lovely because you can taste as you go and make it your own. Mine was a hit. Not bad for a first try. I'll take a picture next time.

HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!

**so the picture isn't mine. But it could have been. Just picture it with white corn. Same damn thing.