Chili con Carne

This is really just a big old vegetable stew with a little meat for flavoring--especially if you add all the optional vegetables. 

1/2  lb. ground beef

1 onion, chopped 

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 large tomato, chopped

1 15 can tomato sauce

1 tbl. chile powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. oregano

salt and pepper to taste

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup red wine

2 cups kidney beans, cooked and drained. I suppose you could use canned beans, rinsed and drained) but the kind you cook from scratch are better for you.

Brown the onion with the garlic, add the meat and cook until all the red is gone. Add the celery, green pepper, and tomato. Stir well. Add the tomato sauce and seasonings. 

Add the water, red wine, and kidney beans and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn down heat and cover pan. Simmer for 2 hours, stirring every once in a while and adding water, if necessary. OR in Instant Pot, 20 minutes on chili/beans setting.

Optional additions: Chopped green chiles that have been roasted, peeled, and seeded; chopped carrots; additional chunked up fresh tomatoes.