Chili: The first try

Minus the time for soaking beans, this recipe takes about four hours total. But it is great if you have other things to do around the house or are near a lake where you can swim during the simmering time...

Chili

1. Package raw black beans
Soak beans for four hours. Cook for two to three hours simmering. Add enough water so that the beans never burn. (One time I burnt pinto beans and the smell stayed in the house for days. Bad times.) Maybe three or four inches of water over the beans. Add more as needed.

2. Two to two and a half hours into it or about a half an hour before you think the beans are going to be done...
Three pounds chicken, 1-inch cubes
One to two tablespoons butter
Brown chicken. Saute chicken until meat is cooked. Pour off some of excess fat, juices, butter. Brown the meat. Stirring as needed so that meat doesn't burn.
When meat is browned add a little bit of water to get the browned goodness off the bottom of the saute pan. Then add...
One red onion, chopped
One yellow onion, chopped
One head garlic, pealed and diced
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt, to taste (I added celery and garlic salt too so if you don't like it salty, be sure to use the salt here sparingly.)
Simply organic vegetarian chili flavor or something similar
After onions are translucent, add..
Three large carrots, sliced
One green pepper, diced
Cook five minutes, covered if needed.

3. When starting to cook meat, I added straight chili powder, about a tablespoon or so, to the black beans to give them a little flavor.

4. When beans are cooked, add:
28-ounce can diced tomatoes
Stir fry
Four to six ounces of tomato paste
Water (Not too much. You want it to be thick. The black beans will start to break down to add thickness as well.)
Chili powder, to taste, roughly one to two tablespoons or more
Cayenne, to taste (I was once told this was the secret to what makes chili taste like chili.)
Celery salt, to taste
Garlic salt, to taste.
The cayenne and spices will even out a bit as it simmers.
Two 16-ounce cans kidney beans, you can make these fresh two if you want. If not, just rinse them.
Simmer one hour.

Good accompanyment: Cornbread
Topping: Chives and cheddar cheese. Adds a little color.

Feeds: Three grown men, three 12- to 13-year-old boys, three grown women with enough for three servings of chili with fried eggs for breakfast or lunch the next day.