Winter finally settled in New England and it is going to get COLD this weekend. Our friends a little further south were really dumped on with two to three or more feet of snow a couple of weeks ago too! Since then, I have seen lots of crockpot and comfort food posts on my social media feeds and was inspired to do some cooking myself. The kids helped me come up with this recipe’s silly name…it’s our version of using what we had in the house with a little bit of boogie.
Ingredients
2 TBSP olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped red pepper
2 – 3 garlic cloves chopped
1 medium zucchini, ends trimmed and cut into large dice
2 cups fresh corn kernels, about 3 ears
1 1/2 lbs. portobello mushrooms, chopped
2 TBSP chili powder
1 TBSP cumin
1 1/4 TSP salt
1/4 TSP cayenne pepper
1 15 oz. can diced tomato and juices
2 15 oz. cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 small can tomato paste
1/2 can of chipotle adobo peppers, chopped with juices
1 cup vegetable stock
Couple dashes of any hot sauce you have in your kitchen
Optional: 1/4 cup of fresh chopped cilantro, 1 avocado, diced, shredded cheese, fresh chopped tomato
Method
In a large, heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, red pepper, garlic, and chipotle adobo peppers, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes.
Add the zucchini, corn, and mushrooms, and cook, stirring, until soft and the vegetables give off their liquid and start to brown around the edges, about 6 minutes.
Add the chili powder, cumin, salt and cayenne, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and stir well. Add the beans, tomato sauce, vegetable stock, and a couple dashes of hot sauce. Stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes. If can let the chili sit longer, please do. The flavors will continue to meld – and believe me, this is a “better the 2nd day” kind of leftovers meal.
Remove from heat. Adjust the seasoning, to taste. If you are adding freshly chopped cilantro, stir it in now.
This chili is great alone or for a more filling dish, you can serve it over brown rice. I like to eat mine with a hunk of gluten free bread (great for bowl scraping, yum!)
To serve, place 1/4 cup of brown rice in the bottom of each bowl. Ladle the chili into the bowls over the rice. Top each serving with shredded cheese, freshly chopped tomato and a spoonful of avocado.
This chili is good at any time of the year, and is another great way to combine fresh ingredients from your local farmer’s market. My family has always loved chili – stay tuned for a future post of our family chili recipe. You’ll have to make both and tell me which one you prefer!