How To Survive the Winter in Kansas with Venison Chili

I must start this one with the immense gratitude for the open skies out here on the prairie. The mountains are beautiful, and they do bring breath taking views, yet Kansas has a special place in my heart. It is after all abundant with a lot of greenery and in our area, we have the Flint Hills.

I have been passionate about the prairie since I was a child. I was once terrified of storms and learned to embrace their beauty as I got older. You don’t get that type of storm anywhere else. You can see a one-hour lightning shows and beautiful sunsets every spring, summer and fall, with the occasional thundersnow in the winter. This brings me to my next topic, the cold and windy winters we experience here. When out-of-state, I’ve been asked “does it snow in Kansas?” and while it does, I have to say the unique trouble of our winter is the high winds and icy roads. This is when I have the most trouble, because I love the outdoors. I love to garden and walk on our farm. Then winter comes with its unacceptable freezing temperatures, and I am suddenly hiding indoors wanting nothing to do with the outdoors.

This winter, I’ve made up my mind to have a positive experience. The trendy terms taken from the Danish is called “Hygge” and as a farm living person, I can’t help but obsessed and adopt this mindset. I’m bringing you these classic recipes, that encompasses the feeling of Hygge and the life of a Kansan in the country.

This recipe is filled with warmth in mind, bringing you the feeling of comfort.

Spicy Venison Chili

Ingredients:

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• 2 lbs. ground venison
• ½ small onion diced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 tbs. Adobo chipotle chili ( I purchase Goya or La Costeña) *Be careful, a little goes a long way!
• 2 Cans Pinto beans
• 1 Can of Spicy Tomato Sauce or Rotel
• 1 can tomato paste
• ½ Tbs Cumin
• 1 Tbs Oregano
• 1 tsp Ceylon Cinnamon ½ tsp if you have regular cinnamon
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 10 tbs Cayenne pepper
• 8 tbs Paprika
• 1 cup beef broth
• 5 tbs olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 1 Cilantro bunch
• ½ cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Instructions:

I like to cook my meat in our cast iron before adding everything else into a pot. Venison is best cooked to a medium temperature. I caramelize half the onions first with olive oil and then add the venison, adding half a cup of broth until the meat is cooked. You can salt and pepper to your liking.

Meanwhile, I add all the other ingredients to a large pot with a lid and let is simmer 10 minutes in medium heat. Once the meat is ready, I pour it into the pot and let it simmer for 20 minutes in low heat.

Serve yourself a bowl and add cheese and cilantro to taste!

If you are like me, I like to add corn bread to my chili. Making corn bread is easy and relatively fast!

All you need are:

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• 2 farm fresh eggs
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup sugar
• 4 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup butter (I recommend grass-fed butter)
• Olive oil to butter your 9-inch pan

Directions:

Preheat over to 425 degrees and in a large bowl mix the ingredients together until combined. Pour the batter into your 9-inch pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until done. (I use a knife to test if the bread is done, simply slide the knife in and out, and if the knife is clean, your bread is done!)

Once the bread is done, cut it up into pieces and break-it-into piece to add to your bowl of venison chili!

Cozy up with a Hot Toddy and enjoy this comforting meal!