Black Bean Chili

The past weekend we had some of our closest friends and family join us to celebrate Hubby Dear's b'day. It was a surprise party I managed to pull off for him at the very last minute. And that was after I sent him 3 big, fat helium balloons and a box of chocolate covered strawberries to his workplace. Yes, I know, I AM the most awesome wife there is. But don't worry, I more than let him make up for it on my b'day by making sure I am showered with a boat load of presents! Ladies, if you want to know how I do it, it's simple - give him a list of all the things you want and make sure to let him know where to get them at. And if your hubs is super busy trying to get multi-million dollar deals for his company like mine is, then just give him a hand by shopping for yourself. With his credit card. Like I do.

Anyway, where was I? Right, awesome wife! Who gave him a fabulous surprise party! And might I add he had no clue. Even with a fridge full of food. But most importantly, even with a clean, pristine home on a Saturday. With Baby Dear around. Yup, he sure didn't see it coming! Needless to say, it was fun and of course, a tad bit tiring for me too. But to see a large crowd gathered in our home, over delicious comforting food - I'd do it again, in a heart beat!

There was a time when we would have large dinner parties like it was nobody's business! I would cook a lavish buffet of food, making sure there were at least a few of everyone's favourite dishes. I have been told that some skip their lunch knowing that sitting down for dinner at our table would totally be worth it. I have also been told (by Hubby Dear, of course) that when I entertain, I turn into this crazy cooking monster who has all the burners on her stove working at once while the food processor's running and the oven on full steam! Yes, I admit, I do tend to go a bit overboard - most times making twelve different dishes for ten people. And that's not including appetizers and dessert! But alas, that was all pre-Baby Dear.

Which is why I have no idea what possessed me to send out that email ten days before D-day to a collective group of fifteen. And the fact that I actually pulled it off, has me even more stunned. What I have learnt from it though, is that I have in fact, changed. I'm no longer the Kitchen Hitler who shuns away anyone wandering in while she's cooking. I do however, blame that on the tiny apartment kitchen we had. Our kitchen now, in our new home, is literally the center of it all. It's bang in the middle of the main floor, connecting both, our dining and family rooms. It's open, with an island in the middle where Hubby & Baby Dears often sit while I rustle up something yummy. The island is also where some our friends sat and munched while I continued getting dinner ready at the b'day party, all the while making me feel part of the festivity and not a short order cook!

This weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving, and while there will be some among us who won't let anyone tip-toe into the kitchen until all the food is perfectly set in their respective serving dishes on the table, I encourage the rest of you to accept all the help you can get and be thankful for those hands that do. As for me, I'm making a large pot of spicy chili in my beautiful red dutch oven, and serving it up alongside some chips, roast potatoes and fixin's. After all, I've never been one to serve a turkey. It just takes too much time!

BLACK BEAN CHILI
Prep time: 10 min | Cooking time: 30 min | Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
2 can black beans, drained & rinsed thoroughly
1 can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 tablespoon cumin powder
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoon olive oil
fresh coriander leaves, chopped for garnish
water, as needed
salt, to taste

Directions:

Heat oil in a deep pan and saute onions, jalapeno and garlic till onions become transparent and soft.

Season with salt, chili powder, oregano and cumin powder and cook for another minute, stirring constantly. Add in the canned tomatoes and tomato paste, and cook for a few minutes to combine well.

Add in canned beans and about a half cup of water, and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes on low heat.

Garnish with fresh coriander and serve warm.

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