warm up a little

It's dark and gloomy and the weather is always threatening rain, but this simple meal really hits the spot. This recipe originally comes from Martha Stewart's little magazine, Everday Food. I've made it several times and have played with the ingredient list so many times, that I think I've truely made it mine. You can increase the heat all you want (I usually do) and it's best served with a really good hunk of crusty buttered bread. A nice pumpkin ale (or ipa) would also be totally delicious and very seasonal.

chicken & bean chili

1 T olive oil
3 lbs ground chicken
2 onions, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 large red pepper, chopped
1/2 head of garlic, minced or chopped
2 medium fresh jalapeño chiles, minced
3 T chili powder
4 T unsweetened cocoa powder
4 t ground cumin
1 t ground chipotle powder
2 cans (28 ounces each) whole tomatoes, broken with a spoon
3 T unsulfured molasses
salt & pepper to taste
hot sauce to taste
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Heat olive oil in a heavy 5-quart pot over medium heat. Add ground chicken, stirring and breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes. Add onion, red and green peppers, garlic, and jalapeños; cook until soft, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Stir in chili powder, cocoa powder, and cumin; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes. Add molasses, salt, pepper and hot sauce if using; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer; cook, partially covered, 30 minutes. Add beans; continue cooking, uncovered, until meat and beans are very tender, and chili is thick, about 30 minutes more.