First, I just want to say a quick thanks to everyone who commented yesterday- it really was nice to hear what everyone had to say,and it was really encouraging to see that I am not the only one trying to refocus and do better this year. I wish all of you the best in your endeavors! A congrats to fellow Wisconsinite Jewel, who won the cookbook. Jewel can be found over at the blog Sleepless In Wisc, where she has a great tip this week on storing leftovers.
Yesterday on Kids Cuisine I wrote about this fantastic chili and I decided that because it was so good, it deserved another shot at stardom here at Tummy Treasure. One of my favorite soups last winter was a pumpkin and black bean soup, so when I saw this Black Bean-n-Pumpkin Chili in the November/December issue of Taste of Home, I knew I had to try it. Even better, the day I decided I was craving chili, I had a can of pumpkin in the pantry, dried black beans, and everything else the chili called for on hand. Now, had I read the directions and pulled out the issue earlier in the day, I would have totally used the crockpot to cook this chili. As it was, I pulled it out around 3:00 in the afternoon, which meant it was going to be a stovetop chili. As the recipe indicates, I sauteed my onions, peppers and garlic, and then proceeded to simply dump everything else in the pot. When all was said and done, I think I used double the cumin called for, but other than that, I made the recipe exactly as it was written.
The chili was wonderful. The pumpkin gave the chili a fantastic color and a wonderful velvety texture. The flavor of the pumpkin all but disappeared, but that did ensure that the kids would eat the chili, being none the wiser about the pumpkin lurking in their bowls. We topped our chili with a dollop of sour cream and a touch of salsa verde to give it a finishing tang- a squirt of lime juice would also do the trick. This is an instant keeper and will definitely be made again very soon, and will be added to my regular chili rotation.
Black Bean ‘n’ Pumpkin Chili
1 medium onion — chopped
1 medium sweet yellow pepper — chopped
3 garlic cloves — minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups chicken broth
2 cans black beans — (15 ounces each) rinsed and drained
2 1/2 cups cubed cooked turkey
1 can solid-pack pumpkin — (15 ounces)
1 can diced tomatoes — (14-1/2 ounces) undrained
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin ( I doubled)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions:
In a large skillet, saute the onion, yellow pepper and garlic in oil until tender. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker; stir in the remaining ingredients.
Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until heated through.
Yield: 10 servings