My plan to empty the fridge to make room for groceries for a large holiday gathering brought about this wonderful chili that Carolyn decided should be called Minestrone Chili. As you know, a minestrone was originally put together with all of the week's leftovers in Italian families so nothing went to waste. Paired with some coarse ground venison as a special treat, this chili turned out so good that it deserves a spot on the blog. Feel free to use beef, of course, if you're not a hunter. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
Except for the base of beef or venison, tomatoes and my seasonings, the composition is largely dependent on what is in your fridge. I will list the things I added, but I really just grabbed what was there without regard for quantity. Rule of thumb: just cut everything to bite size as this will be a spoon dish.
- 1.5 lbs lean ground venison or beef
- 2 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes in thick puree
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp Chef Michael's "The Good Stuff" Seasoning - click link or see below
- 1 red bell pepper
- couple stalks celery
- asparagus
- 1 leek stalk - dismantled and thoroughly washed
- broccoli
- 2-3 scallions
- 1-2 shaved carrots - I just use the veggie peeler
One tablespoon “Good Stuff”:
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Fry the chop meat in a bit of olive oil. Add the canned tomatoes. Carefully break each one open and then coarsely mash with potato masher. Leave them chunky. :-)
Next add red bell pepper and celery, and then the asparagus. Blend.
Take your time cleaning the leek to remove all dirt. Cut up and add to the pot.
Blessed be... and happy cooking!