Period Peace Chili

In many of the hottest places on earth, spicy food is a major part of the local diet. Could it be that all that peppery goodness somehow cools you off? Maybe so, and here’s why: Capsaicin is the culprit! It’s the active ingredient in hot peppers that gets your blood pumping, your tongue burning, and raises your body temp to a smoldering sweat. As anyone who has ever had a hot flash knows, after all that drench-y dew, comes the shivery shakes and a trip to the deep freeze.
Chili, what better way to bring the temperature down on a hot, spicy day? Give it a try and see if our sizzling chili cools you down too!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of canola oil
1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
1 green or red pepper (roughly chopped)
2 onions (roughly chopped)
2 carrots (sliced into ½ inch rounds)
1 jalapeno pepper (cut in half, remove seeds)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons cumin
1 large can of peeled whole tomatoes
1 can of kidney or great northern white beans

Directions

Heat canola oil in a sauté pan on medium heat. Season meat with ¼ teaspoon salt, half the pepper and 1 tablespoon chili powder. Brown meat in pan, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. Once it is cooked through (there is no more pink color to the meat), drain off and discard liquid and put meat into a large sauce pan. Add all vegetables, jalapeno pepper, remaining seasonings and canned tomatoes (with liquid). Simmer for one to two hours, stir occasionally. Then add beans and mix them in (gently so you don’t crush them). Heat for another 20 minutes. Season to taste. Remove jalapeno pepper and discard. Serve with corn bread. Serves 4-6.