Chipotle Black Bean Chili

5 Servings.

Use a large skillet or dutch oven that will be big enough to hold all of the eventual ingredients.

olive oil onion garlic		Saute 1 large onion, cut into small chunks. Add 6 cloves minced garlic and saute a few more minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
meat 3 T chili powder		Meat: I usually use uncooked lamb or chicken thighs, cut into small pieces. Leftover meat works well too. Add as little or as much as you want - I usually use somewhat less than the amount of onion. Add a little more oil, the meat, and chili powder and saute till meat is browned and chili powder is well distributed. Add the onions/garlic back in.
chipotle chile**    in adobo sauce		Remove 1 chile and a bit of sauce from the jar. I cut the chile in half lengthwise, and return half to the jar. Scrape off the ribs and seeds and discard. Chop the chile together with the sauce, and add to the skillet.
2 cans diced tomato 2 cans black beans black pepper		Add 2 (~ 15 oz) cans of diced tomatoes (with liquid) to pan. Drain 2 (~15 oz) cans of black beans, rinse well, and add to pan. Add ~ 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (I never measure) Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes to meld the flavors.
(cilantro)		Can be served in bowls or on plates, garnished with cilantro as desired.

Best made a day ahead. It also freezes very well, though seems to get spicier with age. I often increase the recipe - using 3 cans of beans and tomatoes, and increasing the other ingredients accordingly.

** Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce come in small cans and can be found in the Mexican section of some grocery stores. When you first open the can, transfer the contents to a glass jar (I usually remove the can label and tape it on the jar)

Adapted from a vegetarian version from Cooking Light - 1995.

Connie Clark