Life in DC: Guest Blogger (Emily) - Sausage and Vegetable Chili

I recently revealed to Sofia a secret wish to write a food blog (after spending too much time reading Kath Eats Real Food at Kath Eats again), acknowledging that I have nowhere near enough time to ever do so. Much to my surprise, she invited me to write a guest post here and tell you about one of my meals! While I know my photography skills are seriously lacking in comparison to Kath, I do cook dinner almost every night and enjoy the process, so I'm excited to share a meal with Sofia's readers.

For some reason I can't explain, I rarely cook the same thing twice. It's not that I don't like what I make - quite the opposite in fact - but I read so many recipes that I find myself making something new most of the time. However, this is a recipe that I have now made three different times, which might be a record for me. As a grad student, I like things that save time, and this is the only recipe I've made in a slow-cooker and loved. I originally made it for a big group during the Super Bowl (doubled the recipe), and it was a hit. A disclaimer up front: I found this in a Cooking Light cookbook and have slightly modified it along the way.

Slow-Cooker Sausage and Vegetable Chili

Makes about 4 servings

Chili:

*1 1/2 cup bottled salsa (a little more if it's thick not watery, or you could add some water)
*3 bell peppers (cut in to 1-inch pieces, any color)
*1 tablespoon chili powder (I used New Mexico chili because I'm partial to my home state, but any chili powder works)
*1 (15.5 ounce) can whole-kernel corn, drained
*1 can white hominy (optional, could just use extra corn or leave it out altogether)
*1 (12 ounce) package chicken sausage (with some kind of chiles in it preferably), cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Toppings for the end:

*2 cups hot cooked long-grain rice (I reheated brown rice from the night before)
*crushed tortilla chips
*chopped fresh cilantro
*chopped green onions
*fat-free sour cream

First, put all the ingredients for the chili (salsa, bell pepper, chili powder, corn, hominy, and sausage) in a slow cooker. Keep in mind that the flavor of the salsa and sausage will really influence the flavor of the chili in the end. If you like it spicy, get a hotter salsa. If you like a certain kind of sausage, go with that, even if it's not quite what the recipe calls for or not chicken sausage. Chicken or turkey sausage is probably the healthiest choice. Cover with lid and cook on LOW for 8 hours.