Obama chili

This has been cooking in my crock pot all day and it at least smells good. Apparently Obama's secret family recipe for chili was posted on Good Morning America's website during the presidential campaign, and it was adapted by Stephanie O'Dea (Make it Fast, Cook it Slow cookbook and A Year of Slow Cooking blog) for the crock pot.

1 pound lean ground meat (I used ground chicken)
5-6 medium tomatoes, chopped (include seeds and all) (I used 3 huge tomatoes)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, undrained
1 t ground cumin
1 t dried oregano (I didn't have dried so I used ground)
1 t dried basil
1 t ground turmeric
2 t chili powder
1 t kosher salt (I found it needed at least double this; prepare to add salt at the end)
3 T red wine vinegar

With a low-fat meat like chicken, you can just crumble the chicken straight into the crock; if you use a fattier meat, you could brown and drain it first. Add the tomatoes, garlic, onion, bell pepper, and beans. Stir in all the herbs and spices, salt, and red wine vinegar. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours or high for 4-5 hours. (I did some stirring throughout and broke up the chunks of chicken as it cooked.) Season to taste with additional salt. President Obama serves his chili over rice. I like mine with corn or tortilla chips.