What do you do when you need to use up the veggies in your fridge, you’re a little sick of rice/noodle-and-veg dishes, and it’s 90˚ out? Make chili!

Heh. Maybe it wasn’t the most obvious choice for a hot summer day, but it worked with what we had in the fridge. Steven whipped this sucker up on the fly and it was ready when I got home from work — always a treat! He used black beans, red pepper, a shallot, corn, and jackfruit, along with the standard tomato base. He also added some chipotle peppers, giving it quite an unexpected kick. (So much for my resolution to avoid super-spicy foods!) But you can’t really complain when someone is cooking for you., right? Plus, we had a bit of leftover cheesy sauce, which we mixed in to temper the spice. (Not pictured because it was not very visually appealing.)

Do you have a favorite chili recipe or do you always wing it? I usually make it up as I go, but when I want a tried and true recipe, I go for my smoky black bean chili. It’s one of my favorites!