Chipotle Chili w/ Sweet Potatoes and a Secret Ingredient!

Hooray for rest days!

Today was a good day. Traffic wasn't too bad. Work wasn't too hard. Nick changed the oil. (Finally!)

So I thought I'd take a little extra trouble with dinner tonight. That's right, I'm actually making cornbread along with the chili. I don't do side dishes often. Heck, as a vegetarian, side dishes ARE my main entree! So it always feels a little luxurious when I do it.

Chipotle Chili w/ Sweet Potatoes (w/ a secret ingredient)

 -1 tsp olive oil
-1 red onion diced
-4 garlic cloves minced
-1 Tbsp coriander seeds, crushed
-2 tsps dried oregano
-3 chipotles in adobo, chopped
-2 average sized sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
-12 oz Brussel sprouts, quartered lengthwise
-2 tsps ground cumin
-1 Tbsp chili powder
-1 (28oz) can Crushed Tomatoes
-1 cup water
-1 16oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
-1 1/2 tsp salt
-Fresh squeezed lime juice

-First, chop onions, and sautee in 1 tsp of olive oil for 5-7 minutes in a big saucepan.

-Add in minced garlic, coriander and oregano. Stir around and cook for about a minute.

-Add the rest of the ingredients. Chopped tomatoes, water, beans, chopped sweet potatoes, and chopped chipotle.

-Stir in. Drain and rinse beans. Add beans, salt, chili powder and cumin.

-Here's what we've got so far. Ready for the secret ingredient?

-Brussel Sprouts! Chop them up lengthwise. It didn't say to use fresh or frozen. But I couldn't find fresh. So I used the frozen ones. They're a little tricky to slice frozen, so be careful! Use a big knife you can lean on.

-Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for about a half hour.

-Turn the heat off. Squeeze 1/2 the lime into the pot and let it rest for about 10 minutes.

Enjoy with cornbread if you've got the time and inclination.(Yes, the cornbread is vegan, too!)

I really like this chili. It's got the smoky chipotle flavors, with the lime citrus kick and I like the brussels sprouts in it. It gives it a certain something. Of course, I love brussel sprouts on their own. So I asked Nick if he liked the chili and he said 'Yeah, it's really good!'. He doesn't not like brussel sprouts, but he won't eat a whole pan of them roasted or anything. This may have something to do with the fact that I'm the one removing the roasted brussel sprouts from the oven, though. (I beat him to them!) :)