Black Bean Chili (Photo posted last night):
Start with 1-1/2 cup dry black beans, soaked overnight, rinsed, then simmered with a couple cloves of garlic for an hour (no salt!) and rinsed again.
Or, just use 2 cans of black beans (but rinse VERY well, to avoid a lot of the bean aftermath)
1 Large Red Onion, chopped
1 Sweet Onion, chopped
4-8 Garlic Cloves, chopped
2-4 Jalapenos, seeded & chopped
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Cups Broth (I use homemade vegetable stock, but store chicken/veg/beef is good)
14 oz Can of Diced Tomatoes
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
Salt & Pepper to taste.
Cook 1/2 the onions in olive oil over medium low heat until tender. *Add the remaining onions and garlic, raise temperature to medium high and cook until veggies begin to brown.
Stir in Jalapenos, chili powder, salt and pepper. After 2-3 minutes, add tomatoes and broth.
If using beans which were soaked & simmered, add now, and simmer for 30 minutes, covered. Remove lid for final 30 minutes, allowing some of the liquid to cook off.
If you're using canned beans, wait until the vegetables have been simmering for 30 minutes before adding, and then just let them simmer for that last 30 minutes.
*I read about staging the vegetables when I was working my way through cajun recipes a while back. I do this with many dishes. (Dirty rice, corn chowder, vegetable curries are examples) You end up with onions/garlic which are sweet from having been started slower, as well as the sharper taste from the batch which browned quickly. It does seem to add depth to the flavor.