Spicy Romance and a Spicy Chili by Shirley Jump

 

It’s fall here (and given the record lows we’ve seen, some would call it winter!) and that calls for two things—a dinner to warm your belly and a story to warm your evening. I love, love, love food, and love cooking, and have had a ton of fun combining my love of cooking with love stories in my Sweet and Savory Romances series.

Out now, THE GROOM WANTED SECONDS is a prequel to the popular and fun Sweet and Savory Romances series (check out THE BRIDE WORE CHOCOLATE, THE DEVIL SERVED DESIRE and THE ANGEL TASTED TEMPTATION). Each of the books has recipes written by the characters—tried and tested recipes, as evidenced by the extra pounds I gain writing each book!

In THE GROOM WANTED SECONDS, Jeremy Hamilton is desperate to reunite with the one who got away. When Rebecca returns from a summer in Indiana, Jeremy decides he’s going to win her back, and make up for his earlier clunky marriage proposal gone awry. Though there are still sparks between the two of them, Rebecca is hiding a secret that has her keeping her distance from Jeremy. His determination to win her back sends her diving for the cookie jar—and a little homecooked comfort food!
Rebecca’s recipe for chili is the one I use in my house (I change it up sometimes and used chunks of steak instead of ground beef). It’s a hit here with my family, and I hope it’ll be a hit with yours too!

Check out THE GROOM WANTED SECONDS for a great love story, and some tasty dishes to enjoy while you read!

 

Rebecca’s Regrets Burn Spicy Chili

 

 

 

 

 

2 pounds ground round

1 green pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 8-ounce can tomato sauce

8 ounces water

1-3 tablespoons chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 16-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed, optional

 

 

You’ve made a few bad choices over the last few months, and now all that regret is giving you indigestion. Try something spicy to take your mind off things you can’t change. You’ll wake up your palate, and get your metabolism roaring (which means more room for Girl Scout cookie calories later!). In a Dutch oven, brown the ground beef with the onion, pepper and garlic. Drain off fat (you don’t need those calories to add to your guilt, now do you?).

 

Add remaining ingredients, except for the kidney beans. Simmer slowly for about 45 minutes (or you can put it in a crock-pot for 4-6 hours on low if you have all day to wait). Add beans and heat through. If you have a lot of regrets to sweat away, increase cayenne pepper and/or chili powder until the heat level is enough to get you out of your seat and moving forward again.

 

What’s your favorite dish for a chilly fall night? Do you have a secret chili ingredient? Share below and be entered to win a digital copy of THE BRIDE WORE CHOCOLATE (U.S. residents only. eBook provided via Amazon or Barnes & Noble).

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For more information about Shirley and her books, visit www.shirleyjump.com. And, for this weekend only, THE GROOM WANTED SECONDS is available free at Amazon!