Basic Black Bean Chili on a Rainy Night

When it’s looking like this (above) outside I think about preparing something like this (below) for dinner. 

So, basically, I do something like this:

BASIC BLACK BEAN CHILI

• 1 onion (8 oz.), peeled and chopped 
• 1/2 T  pressed or minced garlic
•  olive oil
• 1 lb grass fed ground beed
• 3 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) black beans, rinsed and drained 
• 1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 Chipotle Chile in Sauce, chopped  (don’t forget this little step!  It adds a nice little bite!)
• Pepper and Salt to taste
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 Avocado, chopped
• Preparation

1. 1. Swirl olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat.  Add onions and garlic, cooking until onions are soft.  Add ground beef to pan along with chipotle pepper and cook until the meat is browned.  
2. 2. Add beans, tomatoes and their juice, water, cumin and chili powder. Heat and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat, stir and let simmer.  
3. 3. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Guess What?  You are done!  Now all you have to do is call in the troops, scoop some lovely, hot, comforting so good in your belly chili in a bowl, add a dollop of sour cream if you like and a bit of avocado and you have yourself a nice little rainy night supper.  Now I have to tell you that my boys would be perfectly happy if I just served up a bowl of meat and sauce minus the onions, beans and all the other stuff that makes it so good, but that’s just not how it’s done.  They seem to be able to eat it and enjoy it even with all the extra stuff they don’t really consider necessary. . . .