A Super Bowl of chili (Go Team!)

Recipes: Chili con carne, Guacamole and chips

It's a big day in American football this weekend - Super Bowl Sunday! Even if your team isn't playing (drat, mine's not), you might still be having a Super Bowl party. Or you might be spending a nice peaceful Sunday afternoon at home, just you and yours, watching the big game on TV with a couple of beers and some good grub. Either way, Super Bowls of chili with guac and chips will be perfect for celebrating first downs and touchdowns in front of the tube.

Here's an easy recipe for two to four hearty partiers that can be expanded to serve eight by doubling. If you add other dishes, or if some of the fans won't be likely to have seconds, a doubled recipe will easily serve 10. Chili is good the next day too - something to keep in mind. And this recipe is so quick you can even whip up a second batch during halftime if demand is high (just be sure to have the ingredients handy, of course).

Chili con Carne

• 1 pound ground turkey (dark meat) or 1 pound uncooked chicken, turkey, or pork sausage meat, taken out of its casing. You can also use a combo of 1/2 pound ground beef and 1/2 pound ground pork.
• Half of a large onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 15-ounce can chopped tomatoes with juice
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup water
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• 2 cans red kidney beans, washed and drained
• Sour cream and lime wedges for garnish

Heat the oil in a heavy Dutch oven and add the meat. Cook, chopping down and stirring with the side of a hevy metal kitchen spoon to break up the lumps.

Add the onions, bell pepper, celery, garlic, oregano, bay leaf, chili powder, and cumin. Stir to blend well.

Add the tomatoes, broth, water, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring often, about 20 minutes.

Add the beans and cook 10 minutes longer. Serve in bowls with a dollop of sour cream and a squeeze of lime.

Also good with tortilla or corn chips and/or grated sharp cheddar cheese crumbled over the top. Or use tortilla chips to scoop the chili like a dip.

Avocados just naturally go with a good bowl of chili. Serve this lucious dip with corn tortilla chips.

Guacamole and Chips

• 2 medium ripe avocados
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and put through a garlic press (or chopped fine)
• Sea salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon (or more) fresh lime juice
• 1/2 green jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped fine
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

Cut the avocados in half and twist the halves in opposite directions to separate. Take the big seed out and discard. Run a paring knife around the inside of the skin and lift out the flesh. Put the avocado flesh in a bowl and mash it with a fork or potato masher.

Add all the other ingredients and mix well. If you are not serving the guacamole immediately, cover it with plastic film pressed directly on top of the guacamole and refrigerate. This keeps it from darkening. Even so, you should use the guacamole within a hour or two.

The Payoff

Red kidney beans help keep your cholesterol low because they are a high fiber all-star, and they also help detoxify sulfites, a common preservative in prepared foods.
Avocados contain the good fats that help maintain low cholesterol and have more potassium than bananas. Potassium is essential for nerve transmission and optimum heart health.

The recipes for Chile con Carne and Guacamole are Gluten-Free if served with corn tortillas that contain no wheat (read the package).