I love coming home to a new issue of Runner’s World that is just waiting for me to open and read the fresh pages. I wanted to start reading it right away but making dinner came first. So, I cracked open my cookbook that my sister and bro-in-law bought me for Christmas, The Best of Chef at Home by Chef Michael Smith.

I opened it up and found a recipe called, Southwestern Black Bean & Corn Chili. The only problem was I didn’t have all of the ingredients I needed. And I wanted ground beef in my chili for iron. So, I freestyled the recipe into a bowl of delicious heaven. 

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons of any vegetable oil (I used Extra Virgin Olive Oil or EVOO as Rachel Ray likes to call it) 2 large onions, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 chipotle pepper, packed in adobo sauce (I did not have any)
1 tablespoon of chili powder
1 table spoon of ground cumin (I used cumin seeds)
1 tablespoon of dried oregano
One 28 oz can of whole tomatoes (I used a can of diced tomatoes)
Two 16 oz cans of black beans, drained and rinsed (I used mixed beans)
2 cups of frozen corn (I one 16oz can of corn)
A sprinkle or two of sea salt
4 green onions, thinly sliced (I didn’t have any)
A bunch of chopped cilantro (I didn’t have any)
I added extra lean ground beef

DIRECTIONS:

Splash the oil into a saucepan and brown the extra lean ground beef.
In a separate saucepan, splash oil into a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrot, bell peppers and garlic. Saute until the onions are golden and the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes.
Add the chipotle pepper, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Continue cooking, stirring constantly for a few minutes longer.
Add the ground beef, tomatoes, black beans, corn and salt and bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat so it’s just high enough to maintain a simmer. Continue cooking without a lid, stirring frequently, until the flavours are blended and the chili thickens, about 30 minutes.
Taste and add some more salt if you like. Just before serving, stir in the green onions and cilantro.
I also like to serve chili with a whole wheat baguette.

And- bon appetite, friends!

While I waited for my chili to simmer, I whipped out my new Runner’s World and stretched while reading my new mag. It’s the best way to multi-task!