What's Cookin': Gold Rush Chili

This is recipe adapted from Fat Free Vegan (if you decide to stick around and see what else is cookin' you might notice a trend), but with some minor changes.  Both Yousuf and I find it really hard to follow directions (why else would I, a decent brown girl from a good family, end up marrying some white dude with dreadlocks?  Oh wait.  That's a story for another post.) - so we're always fiddling with recipes to make them better.  For us. Most normal people will probably find that following recipes results in a totally amazing culinary experience...but why be normal, when you can be like US? 

Above: Sunday Night Football Never Looked So Good. 

Our Recipe:

1/2 of a package of cleaned and cut butternut squash
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 orange bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon mild chili powder
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes
1/2 cup water

freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 15-ounce cans beans (we used dark red kidney beans and pinto beans), drained and rinsed

Heat a large, non-stick pot over medium-high heat, and add the onion and bell pepper. Sauté until the onion is translucent and the pepper is soft, about 7-9 minutes. (You may add a little water to prevent sticking.) Add the garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes.

Add all the seasonings, and stir well to coat the vegetables. Stir in the tomatoes (and their juice), water, squash, salt, and pepper. Cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes.

Add the beans, and adjust the seasonings, if necessary. Cover and cook until the squash is tender but not falling apart (about 40 minutes). Serve in bowls, garnished with oregano, if desired.  Then negate all the health benefits of this chili by serving with a huge hunk of garlic bread, thereby infuriating Broccoli Boy.  But believe me, it's all worth it.  It always is.

Enjoy!