20-Minute Chili

Grocery shopping used to be something I enjoyed. I found it somewhat peaceful and would always find new things and try and build them into my recipes. The reason it was peaceful was because I would shop at Shaws, which was quieter and less chaotic than my local Market Basket. Shaws is also much more expensive. I always said I would pay the extra price to not have to deal with absolute disaster that Market Basket always was.

Then, my town got a super Market Basket, which is the size of Shaws and finally had better food, especially better produce than the old Market Basket. It was built in a new plaza in town, where the planner clearly did not thoroughly think through the plans for parking. I've been there three times, and the store hasn't been so bad. It's busy, but it's a bigger store so people aren't always so crammed together.

Today (and I know..I went shopping on a Sunday afternoon), it was super busy. Not only was there tons of people, but they had employees stocking shelves in every row with giant carts that take up most of the space. They had almost nothing left in their meat section and almost no fresh herbs.

Today, I needed fresh herbs. I almost never buy fresh herbs, but today I needed basil, cilantro and parsley. I finally found cilantro, but in a gigantic bunch that will never get used up. My chili for tonight was supposed to have ground turkey, but they ran out. I ended up buying 93% lean ground beef (which of course cost more).

Once I got everything I needed, I kept telling myself that maybe I should go back to Shaws where it was quieter and grocery shopping didn't make me want to tear my hair out. But then when I saw the total cost of my trip, I remembered why I'm sticking to Market Basket...I spent $40-$50 less than I would have at Shaws.

Ok, end rant.

20-Minute Chili
adapted from Not Enough Cinnamon

1 lb. ground beef (or ground turkey, which is what I wanted to use)
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil for cooking
1 (14.5 oz) can corn kernels
1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
2 tbsp. tomato paste
salt and pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 tsp. chipotle seasoning (or any mexican style season you want)
shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)

1. Heat skillet over medium heat.
2. Add oil, garlic and onions and saute 3 minutes.
3. Add beef or turkey and break into pieces. Brown the meat for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes, corn, beans, and tomato paste. Stir. Add in the red pepper, salt and pepper and chipotle seasoning.
5. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Top with shredded cheese and sour cream if desired.

I forgot to take a picture while I was cooking. I only remembered to once the leftovers were packed into tupperware, so I apologize in advance for the terrible picture below.