Pineapple Chili

I found this recipe in a free magazine from Wegman's many years ago. The original instructions say to use a slow cooker, but I usually make this chili on the stove top. This way, in under an hour, dinner is ready. If you prefer to use the slow cooker, brown the meat and then throw everything in. Set on low and cook 8 hours, or cook on high for 4 hours.

You can purchase most of the ingredients for this chili pre-chopped, either frozen or fresh. Trader Joe's carries a frozen pepper and onion mix which will be perfect in this chili. If you prefer, you can buy everything whole and do your own chopping. Either way, the end product will be delicious.

I usually make this chili with either grassfed beef or ground venison. You could substitute ground turkey, ground lamb, or even ground chicken. Keep in mind that venison, turkey, and chicken are all very low fat so add enough fat (coconut or olive oil) to keep the chili from sticking and burning on the bottom of the pot. Fat is flavor, so don't hold back.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground venison (or ground beef or lamb)
2-3 TB coconut oil (or olive oil)
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
2-3 large jalapenos, chopped
8 oz. white mushrooms, chopped
10 baby carrots, chopped
3 large cloves of garlic, chopped
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
20 oz can crushed pineapple
1-2 teaspoons salt (to taste)
2 teaspoons (or more!) chili powder
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds (or ground cumin)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
15 oz. can kidney beans
15 oz. can black beans

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, warm the oil over medium heat. Saute onion for several minutes, until translucent. Add peppers and cook another 5 minutes. When peppers are soft, add venison and cook, stirring, until chunks of meat are no longer pink. Add the remaining ingredients, except the beans, and place lid on pot. Cook at least 30-40 minutes. Remove lid, add beans, and cook another 10 minutes or until everything is heated through. (Leave the lid off to let excess moisture evaporate if your chili seems too watery.) Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, sliced avocado, tortilla chips, or whatever you like! Chili is even better reheated the next day. Makes at least 4-6 large servings.