Recipe: Fresh Tomato Chili

I love a warm bowl of chili on a cold day.  It just warms you up from the inside out.  For this chili recipe, I used fresh Roma tomatoes instead of the canned diced tomatoes.  The reason I decided to use fresh tomatoes......I ran out of canned tomatoes and I didn't have time to run to the grocery store.  I'm glad that this happened though.....because this chili turned out much better than my previous recipe.  My family and I just loved the fresh taste that the Roma tomatoes provided.  You can use ground beef or firm tofu (my favorite kind of chili!) in this recipe, but if you use tofu, you will have to add a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce to the chili.

Fresh Tomato Chili

1 lb. of ground beef or 1 package of firm tofu
1 medium onion (diced)
1 red bell pepper (can substitute a green bell pepper) (diced)
4-5 Roma tomatoes (diced)
3 cups of red kidney beans
2 ears of corn (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons of chili powder
1/2 tablespoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon of black pepper
1 tablespoon of canola oil

-  Heat a large pot on medium heat.  Add 1/2 tablespoon of canola oil.  Add the beef and cook until there is no redness to the meat.  Remove the meat and place to the side to use later.  Drain the fat off.
-  In the same large pot, add the rest of the canola oil.  Heat the canola oil on medium heat.  Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until translucent.  If using tofu, add it to the pot and saute until warmed through.
-  Add the beef back into the pot.  Also, add the rest of the ingredients except the corn.  Stir to combine.  Allow the mixture to cook over medium heat for 30 minutes while stirring occasionally.
-   Cut the corn off of the ears, and add the corn to the chili.  Cook for another 5-10 minutes.
-  Serve the chili with cornbread or crackers.  You can also use these add-ins for extra flavor: cilantro, shredded cheese, hot sauce, fresh lime juice, sour cream.