Black Bean, Sweet Potato, & Guinness Chili

It was winter. Then it wasn't. Then it was again. 

Welcome to Nebraska.

The winter has been so strange here. We had a really nice long, warm Autumn, then it got cold for awhile, followed by unseasonably warm weather for several weeks. Like 50's and 60's. Crazy. 

And, now it's suddenly back to being winter again. 

This "change of the season" has left me craving chili. So I came up with a recipe today for Black Bean, Sweet Potato, and Guinness Chili.

Can I get an Amen!

What made this chili making experience even more exciting, was that I received a late Christmas present last night in the form of a cast iron dutch oven. It's a beautiful red color and is the most glorious thing I've ever seen.

Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!

It will not be leaving my stove. Ever. 

Get this stuff for your chili:

ONION. GARLIC. CANNED WHOLE TOMATOES. GUINNESS. TOMATO PASTE. CHILI POWDER. CUMIN. BLACK BEANS. SWEET POTATOES. JALAPENOS. RED BELLS. CILANTRO. CORN TORTILLAS. 

Then do this:

~ saute' 1 large diced onion and 2 cloves of garlic in a bit of olive oil until caramel-y brown. About 10 minutes. De-glaze your pan with 1 Cup of Guinness. 

~ Add a 28 oz can of whole tomatoes and break up with the back of a large wooden spoon. Fill your can up with water, and add that too.

~ Stir in 2 palmfuls of chili powder, 1 palmful of cumin, **2 T. tomato paste, a 28oz can of black beans, and 2 peeled and diced sweet potatoes. Bring to boil, reduce heat & simmer uncovered for about 25 -30 minutes or until potatoes are soft and sauce is thickened. S&P to taste.

~ Meanwhile roast 3 red bell peppers and 2 jalapenos. I do this by cutting the peppers in half, drizzling with olive oil, and baking in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Remove most of skins (they should be charred) from red peppers when done baking. Chop up peppers and them to the chili right before serving. (Next time I make this, I think I might also add a can of fire roasted tomatoes near the end of the cooking time as well.)

~ I garnished my chili with chopped cilantro, sliced fresh jalapenos, and crunchy tortilla strips (You can make these by cutting up a corn tortilla into slices, spray with olive oil, season with salt and maybe a little cayenne if you like a good kick in the ass, then bake them in a 350 degree oven for 15ish minutes)

** I Completely forgot to put tomato paste in the recipe (I used it!) when I wrote the post last night. I'm such an amateur. Haha

Seriously, this is all one big experiment for me. I'm just making this shiz up... and I like it that way. I find there to be much fun in winging it. So feel free to wing it with me. I'd love to hear any ideas you may have to make any of these recipes better or heck, extrapolate and come up with new ideas for yourself, or for me to try. I'd love to hear them!!

What kind of foods do you crave in cold weather?

Oh, and if you're a black bean lover like I am, you should probably make these Orange-Mango Black Bean Tacos sometime too.

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