After taking a few months off from my monthly food group, I seem to have come back at the perfect time – cooking with alcohol!
My assignment: beer.
While I’m not exactly a beer connoisseur, I think I did a fairly good job. I decided to make a beer-based chili – mostly because almost all of my cooking tools are currently in storage, and I only have easy access to one pot…it was also quick and easy, and I don’t seem to have a lot of extra time on my hands these days…it was also really nice to cook something that wasn’t cookies 😉
So here’s the recipe. Like I said, quick, easy, painless. The original recipe recommended using a Belgium Dark Ale, but I couldn’t find one…or I just have no clue what I’m doing when it comes to beer. So I used an organic (of course) nut brown ale, which worked just as well (I’m assuming):
- 2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, drained and minced
- 2 Tbs. olive oil
- 2 Tbs. ground cumin
- 1 large onion, finely chopped (1 ½ cups)
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced (1 cup)
- 5 cloves garlic, minced (5 tsp.)
- 2 14-oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- 24 oz. dark beer, such as New Belgium 1554
- 1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn
Heat oil in 3-qt. pot over medium heat. Add chipotles and cumin; season with salt, if desired. Cook 1 minute, or until fragrant. Stir in onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Sauté 5 to 7 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Stir in beans, beer, tomatoes, and corn. Bring chili to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, uncovered, 45 minutes, or until thick.
I also topped mine with scallions and avocado – a nice addition.
april dechagas 