Recipe: Homemade Chili

Nothing better then a hot bowl of chili on a cold winter day.

There is something so comfortable about having a meal like this ready for the reheat on a whim and the recipe can be easily changed up to accommodate your available ingredients.

You can also play around with your spice comfort. I enjoy a kick- my partner however.. He has prominent Dutch genes when it comes to his taste-buds it seems- no spice tolerance at all.

Something like chili can also take any type of protein- the spices will flavor anything whether it be beef, pork or even a soy ground- once it’s all stewing in that pot it tastes the same. In a world where food prices are skyrocketing or some things simply aren’t available it’s nice to have a recipe with some wiggle room.

Homemade Chili:

1Lb of ground beef/pork/turkey

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced or chopped fine

1 onion, chopped

1 3/4 Tsp chili powder

1 can of kidney beans

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1/2 a green pepper, chopped

1 can of tomato soup

1 15oz can of diced tomatoes

1/3 cup of water

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vinegar

a pinch of cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp oregano

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp sugar


  1. Fully cook the meat along with the garlic, strain any excess fat.

  2. Combine the meat along with the remaining ingredients into a large pot.

  3. Bring to a boil at medium heat and let simmer for 1 hour.

You can garnish the top with some cheddar cheese and fresh microgreens.

Recipe: Cabbage Stir Fry

Cabbage is one of those funny foods. They are easy to grow, grow in less then perfect conditions but on their own they are a chewy tasteless mass.

Thankfully when cooked they take on whatever flavor they are grouped with- especially chili spice.

Change up your winter staples with this cabbage stir fry! It’s rich in seasonal veggies and hardy enough to get you through even the coldest days.

Trying to eat local in Nova Scotia during the winter can get hard, you can only do so much with potatoes, carrots and cabbage for that feels like months until we hit spring again but there’s still lots of opportunities to have fun.

Cabbage Stir Fry:

3 Tbsp butter or olive oil

1 small cabbage, chopped

1/2 an onion, chopped

1 1/2 Lbs Sausage, sliced (meat or vegetarian)

1 15oz can of diced tomatoes

1/2 a green bell pepper, diced

1 cup of vegetable broth

4 Tsp Cajun or chili seasoning

2 tsp of salt & pepper

  1. Cook the cabbage an onion in the oil/ butter for ~5 minutes

  2. Add the sliced sausage to the cabbage and cook fully.

  3. Add the remaining ingredients to the cabbage/meat mix and cook at medium low heat for ~10 minutes or until the cabbage is good and tender.

When you are serving the meal it can be garnished with some chopped green onions.