Spicy Apple Chili

So, when I talked about this with friends, I got to see all sorts of expressions on their faces! Most people have a really have a hard time envisioning chili and apples in the same meal, let alone in the same bite. But I had found a recipe by Rachael Ray, and I wanted to give it a try.

Let me tell you what I learned:
1. I can only follow a recipe so far and then I become a "chef" (or so I seem to believe), adding a little something here, changing up a little something there.
2. Convincing people to taste apple chili can be challenging.
3. Getting the chili back after they have tasted it is even harder.
4.  Maybe I am not so bad at this "chef" thing.
Well, as you probably have gathered, I only used the recipe as a guideline and then I started out on my own.  Quite a few people wanted the recipe and with the weather as cold as it is, it is the perfect time to make this!

Spicy Apple Chili
Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef (or you can make it with turkey)
1 can of spinach drained
1 can of canary beans drained
1 can of fire roasted Tex-Mex tomatoes
1 Tbsp of tomato paste
1 Tbsp chipotle in adobo paste (Take a can of chipotle in adobo sauce and puree it in a food processor for this ingredient. You can freeze the rest to use later or use some now for delicious Chipotle Poppers that I will talk about in the next edition!)
1 to 1 1/2 apples chopped (I used Fuji apples.)
1 cup of chicken broth
1 cup of apple cider (give or take)
1 Tbsp EVOO
Here you have to play it by taste:
Paprika
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Cumin
Smoked Sea Salt

And the complicated part:
Add all of these ingredients to a 5 quart or so slow cooker, mix it up, and let it do it's magic for about 8 hours. Top with shredded cheese of your choosing, pepita or sunflower seeds, and most importantly some fresh chopped apple. It is awesome!