Tuesday, September 20, 2016

What do you add to your chilli?


Chilli is one of those warm comfort foods that has become a favourite in our home. It also becomes somewhat of a blank canvas for us to experiment with. A good bowl of chilli is already thick, rich, and full of flavours but we always find ways to make it even more exciting. Common toppings for chilli are grated sharp cheddar and a good dollop of sour cream, as we had last night, but what else could one add? The possibilities are as vast as your imagination.

What you can't see from the photo of my dinner last night is the bed of fresh spinach leaves my wife put in the bowl first (she tends to play the role of my vegetable guardian angel). I then added a layer of rice and then the chilli, before topping it with the cheddar and sour cream. Fresh spinach is so healthy and the warmth of the chilli and rice made it wilt immediately and then was so easy to combine into the dish. It's very versatile like that - we try to add fresh spinach to many dishes for an extra burst of nutrients. Even just a meal of a grilled piece of fish or chicken can benefit greatly by being placed on a bed of fresh spinach. Again the spinach will wilt and make it so easy (and flavourful I might add) to incorporate spinach with every bite of protein.

What do you add to your chilli? Some other toppings that come to mind are: crushed tortilla chips, sliced black olives, and sliced green onions... but what else? What have you experimented with that makes your bowl of chilli even more comforting?

No comments: