First-Time Contest Entry A Second-Place Winner

Betty Jean Blackman believes that just about anybody can win a cooking contest even a 71-year-old first-timer, like herself.

Blackman’s Spicy Black Bean and Beef Chili took second place in the recent Washington State Beef Cook-Off, the first recipe contest the Spokane Valley woman has entered.

“It’s such a simple thing, I never would have guessed it,” Blackman says of her eight-ingredient, half-hour entry. “But I guess that’s what people are looking for these days.

“It’s kind of a healthy one, too,” she added. “I’ve been making it for quite a while. Everyone has always liked it.”

Maybe you will, too. Here’s the recipe:

Spicy Black Bean and Beef Chili

1 pound extra-lean ground beef

1 (1-1/4-ounce) package dry taco seasoning mix

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, undrained

1 (15-1/4-ounce) can whole-kernel corn, undrained

1 (14-1/2-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, undrained

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1/4 cup sour cream

In a large kettle over medium-high heat, cook ground beef 8-10 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles. Drain off fat and stir in taco seasoning mix.

Add beans, corn, tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Serve in bowls, garnished with a sprinkling of cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

Yield: 4 servings.

, DataTimes