SoCal Chili

It's fall! What's better than some chili for those cool breezy nights? Plus, it's an excuse to bake some cornbread. ;) 

My roommate recently bought some black beans that she couldn’t use, so she gave them to me and I needed to come up with a recipe that I could use them in. I also had some bacon ends and bits that I just bought because… because of reasons. All of my housemates are on a health kick so when I shop with them, I tend to buy all veggies and produce and whatnot. But my real self jumped out momentarily and tossed a bag of bacon ends and bits into my cart. I’m glad she’s still around because it really changes everything about this chili! (For a vegetarian take, see below*)

I also had some colourful bell peppers that were just shouting to be cooked. They really are so gorgeous. And the sweetness is INSANE with the smokiness of this chili. And what more could you want other than some fresh California avocado, spring onions, cheese and sour cream to dress it up? Here’s my take on chili!:

Serves 6

What you’ll need:

• 2 medium onions (diced)
• 1/4 olive oil
• 1 handful of bacon bits and ends (you can pick this up from Trader Joe’s for cheap!), and of course, you can leave this out if you're making a vegetarian dish
• 2 med bell peppers (I used 1 yellow and 1 orange) chopped coarsely
• 6 cloves of garlic chopped
• 1/2 tsp of cayenne/red pepper
• 2 tsp oregano (dried)
• 1 tsp of BBQ rub
• 1 1/2 tsp of ground cumin
• 3 cans of black beans
• 1 can (15 or 16oz) of tomato sauce
• 1 ripe avocado (cubed)

Cook the bacon bits and ends in a pot on the stove on medium while you chop the onions, peppers and garlic. Once the smell has properly saturated the room (a few minutes), add the olive oil. Wait about a minute to let the oil heat up and then add the peppers, onions and garlic. Stir frequently while waiting for the onions to turn a bit translucent (5 min or so), bring it down to a simmer, and then add the cayenne, oregano, rub and cumin and stir to allow the spices to meld. After a couple minutes, add the beans with 1/2c of the liquid reserve. Mix in the tomato sauce and let the chili come to a boil (bring it back up to medium). When it starts boiling, bring it back down to a simmer and let it reduce for 15-20 min. Stir frequently. Salt to taste (I didn’t need to add any more flavour, but add it to your liking) and then serve with some grated cheese (I’m partial to Asiago) and top with avocado cubes. Enjoy!