Fall Is Here!

Fall has arrived and with it comes some of my favorite foods, namely anything with pumpkin involved. In honor of the new season I'll post a new recipe I've been playing with since the garden produced some good sized pumpkins, bell peppers, and chili peppers.

Usually my Dad was the one that made the chili for our family, but since his passing in January I felt I should learn the magic that is a delicious chili while adding a bit of my own personality into it. 

I used ingredients pictured above as well as

-a larger can of black beans

-1 1/2 medium sized onions

-2 cans of diced tomatoes 

for seasoning the pumpkin I used

-evoo

-salt & pepper

-cinnamon

-brown sugar

-an organic pepper mix I get from a guy at the produce stand. Any pepper or spice mix would work.

I quartered the pumpkin, wiped it down with the olive oil, and seasoned until I felt that it looked delicious. (I usually just wing it with the seasoning by adding about a 3 finger pinch again and again until it tastes how I imagined.)

I put the pumpkin in the oven at 400 for an hour and fifteen minutes. 

While the pumpkin is in the oven doing its thing I gave the bell peppers and onions a large dice while finely chopping the other peppers. 

I coat the bottom of the chili pot with olive oil and start to cook down the onions, after they start sweating a bit add the bell peppers for a few minutes. I then dumped in the cans of tomatoes and the chopped peppers. Let that stew together for a good 45 minutes and add the beans. That can mesh together until the pumpkin is good to come out of the oven. 

All the veggies and beans hanging out

Pumpkin ready to come out and play

Remove the meaty part of the pumpkin from the "rind"? and cut into cubes to puree. Get out the blender and go to town. I only used half of the pumpkin that I baked with the other half to be consumed  in the same dish a few days later. After the pumpkin is all pureed up, just add it to the already delicious party on the stove and cook down for another 20-40 minutes depending on how hungry you are.The longer you let the flavors hang out together on low heat the better, but I am an instant gratification type person and can hardly ever wait. Anyway, without further ado

It was delicious, and I plan on making it again and again. Hopefully my chili gives you some ideas to use in the kitchen for your family.

Be adventurous and creative and make delicious food!