Warming you from the inside out....

10 new recipes this week - but this will probably be slowing down quite a bit with the tear down of the kitchen starting tomorrow. The favorites for us this week were Peanut Butter and Jam Rolls, Baked Sweet Potatoes with West African-Style Peanut Sauce, and Buttery Apple Loaf Cake.

In anticipation of being without the stove, I made a very large recipe for dinner tonight - mainly so we could have leftovers for lunches and dinners this week. For this recipe, Three-Bean Chili with Vegetables, make sure to use a very large pot as my 6 quart was almost full to the brim by the time everything was in! This is in no way a traditional chili, but we ended up liking this thick hearty version quite a bit! Onions, carrots and garlic start the base flavors in a little canola oil - water, corn kernels (I used kernels I froze from the cob in late summer), sweet red bell peppers and zucchini are added followed by a few select spices. Smoky cumin, chili powder, hot chili powder and oregano filled the kitchen with a rustic homey aroma as soon as they hit the pan. Fire-roasted crushed tomatoes, pinto beans, kidney beans and black beans are the bulk of the chili with dense tomato paste helping to thicken. Cooked until the carrots are tender, a splash of rice vinegar at the end heightens the flavors with some chopped chipotles added for a stomach warming heat. Garnished with fresh cilantro, a dollop of luscious sour cream and sharp cheddar - what more can you ask for? Lunchtime tomorrow can't come fast enough!

Recipes
Three-Bean Chili with Vegetables