Double Beef Chili

Serves 6-8

Adjust the heat on this basic beef chili by adding more jalapenos or cayenne. I used Rancho Gordo black beans, which are wonderfully creamy and delicious. If you want to use canned beans instead, that's fine, and it will cut down significantly on the cooking time. Use about three 14.5-ounce cans, saving one can's worth of the bean liquid, and draining and rinsing the other two. When you add the beans and bean liquid, also add about 2 cups of chicken broth.

• The beans
• 1/2 pound dried black beans, rinsed and soaked 4-6 hours or overnight
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 bay leaves
• The chili
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large red peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded, and cut into medium dice
• 2 jalapeno peppers, minced
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 3/4 pound top sirloin, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• -- Kosher salt
• -- Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, chopped, with half of the can's liquid
• 1/2 fresh orange, juiced
• -- Cooked black beans (from above)
• 1 14.5-ounce can kidney beans
• -- Chopped red onions, for garnish
• -- Sour cream, for garnish
• -- Shredded cheddar cheese, for garnish

For the beans: Pour the beans plus their soaking liquid into a stockpot, and add additional water to cover by 1-2 inches. Add the smashed garlic and bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 1 hour, until the beans have softened but aren't fully cooked through (they'll continue to cook in the chili).

For the chile: Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes, until onions have softened slightly. Add red and jalapeno peppers, and continue to cook for another 3-5 minutes. Transfer mixture to a bowl and set aside.

Season meat with salt and pepper to taste. In the pot, add the ground beef and top sirloin and saute until browned on all sides, breaking up ground beef as you go, about 4 minutes.

Add onion and pepper mixture back into the pot and stir to combine. Add the 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and the cayenne pepper through the cinnamon, and stir until the spices are evenly distributed.

Pour in the tomatoes and juice, fresh orange juice and cooked black beans plus 3 cups of bean cooking liquid (add chicken broth or water if you don't have enough). Stir well, and simmer over medium-low heat for about 1 1/2-2 hours, until meat is tender, liquid has thickened, and beans are fully cooked through. If you are using canned black beans, cooking time will be less. Add kidney beans, with the bean liquid, in the last 30 minutes of cooking. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with chopped red onions, sour cream and shredded cheese.

Per serving: 327 calories, 26 g protein, 34 g carbohydrate, 10 g fat (3 g saturated), 47 mg cholesterol, 501 mg sodium, 12 g fiber.

Sweet Potato, Mushroom & Black Bean Chili

Serves 8

I used Rancho Gordo black beans for the recipe, which really enhance the chili. If you want to use canned beans instead, however, that's fine, and it will cut down significantly on the cooking time. Use about three 14.5-ounce cans, saving one can's worth of the bean liquid, and draining and rinsing the other two. When you add the beans and bean liquid, also add about 2 cups of vegetable broth.

• The beans
• 1/2 pound dried black beans, rinsed and soaked 4-6 hours or overnight
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 bay leaves
• The chili
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 jalapeno peppers, minced
• 2 red bell peppers, cut into medium dice
• 1 pound mixed chopped mushrooms (oyster, crimini, portobello)
• 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper + more to taste
• 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, chopped, with half of the can's liquid
• 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice
• -- Cooked black beans (from above)
• 1 14.5-ounce can pinto beans
• -- Chopped green onions, for garnish
• -- Chopped red onions, for garnish
• -- Sour cream, for garnish
• -- Shredded cheddar cheese, for garnish

For the beans: Pour the beans plus their soaking liquid into a stockpot, and add additional water to cover by 1-2 inches. Add the smashed garlic and bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 1 hour, until the beans have softened but aren't fully cooked through (they'll continue to cook in the chili). Remove the garlic and bay leaves and discard.

For the chili: Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes, until onions have softened slightly. Add jalapeno and red peppers, and continue to cook for another 3-5 minutes.

Add mushrooms, and saute until mushrooms have softened and released some of their juices, another 5 minutes.

Add the chili powder through the black pepper, and stir until the seasonings are incorporated into the mixture. Add the tomatoes and liquid, sweet potatoes and cooked black beans plus 3 cups of bean cooking liquid (add vegetable broth or water if you don't have enough). Stir well to combine and simmer over medium-low heat for about 1-1 1/2 hours, until sweet potatoes have softened but still retain their shape, liquid has thickened, and beans are fully cooked through. If you are using canned black beans, cooking time will be a bit shorter.

Add pinto beans plus their cooking liquid in the last 30 minutes of cooking. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with chopped red and green onions, sour cream, and shredded cheese, for garnish.

Per serving: 262 calories, 14 g protein, 43 g carbohydrate, 5 g fat (1 g saturated), 0 cholesterol, 537 mg sodium, 13 g fiber.

Wild Boar & Tomatillo Chili

Serves 6-8

Wild boar is a little richer and gamier than pork, but that would be a fine substitute if you can't find the wild boar at your local butcher. We ordered ours a day in advance from Golden Gate Meats in the Ferry Building Marketplace in San Francisco, and asked the staff to grind some of the meat for the chili as well.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 pound ground wild boar
• 1 1/2 pounds wild boar shoulder, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• -- Kosher salt
• -- Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large Anaheim peppers, cut into small dice
• 2 jalapeno peppers, minced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 12-ounce bottle dark beer
• 1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husked and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 14.5-ounce cans pinto beans, drained
• -- Juice of 1/2 lime
• -- Chopped red onions, for garnish
• -- Sour cream, for garnish
• -- Chopped cilantro, for garnish

Instructions: Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Season the wild boar meat (shoulder and ground), with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Brown in two batches for about 3-4 minutes, remove and set aside.

Add remaining tablespoon olive oil to the pot, turn heat to medium, and add onions and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes, until onions have softened slightly. Add Anaheim and jalapeno peppers, and continue to cook for another 3-5 minutes. Put meat back into the pot, and add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, the chile powder, cumin, oregano and smoked paprika, stirring until the spices are evenly distributed. Pour in the beer to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom.

Add tomatillos, crushed tomatoes and chicken broth, and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the pinto beans and continue to cook for another 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the lime juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with chopped red onions, sour cream and chopped cilantro.

Per serving: 423 calories, 27 g protein, 27 g carbohydrate, 22 g fat (7 g saturated), 71 mg cholesterol, 705 mg sodium, 8 g fiber.

Cheddar & Scallion Cornbread

Serves 8

This is best served warm with a little soft butter, and goes well with any of today's chili recipes.

• 1 3/4 cups cornmeal
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions

Instructions: Preheat the oven to 375°. Butter an 8x8-inch square baking dish, and set aside.

Place the dry ingredients in a large bowl, and whisk to combine. Stir in the buttermilk and eggs until moistened, then add the melted butter, stirring just until combined. Fold in the cheddar cheese and scallions, and pour into baking dish, smoothing top.

Bake for about 35 minutes or until lightly golden and the top springs back when pressed.

Per serving: 412 calories, 12 g protein, 48 g carbohydrate, 20 g fat (11 g saturated), 127 mg cholesterol, 739 mg sodium, 3 g fiber.

Chicken & Poblano Pepper Chili

Serves 4-6

I got the inspiration for this recipe from my friend, Karin Appelbaum, who first found it several years ago in Bon Appetit. She changed it to incorporate pureed beans for added thickness and less cream, and uses fresh chiles. I've made a few more changes. Here is the result, but the beauty of chili is that you, too, can adapt it to suit your tastes.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper + more to taste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon aniseed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
• 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
• 3 14.5-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed, 1 cup set aside
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 3/4 pound poblano chiles (about 3 large), roasted, peeled and seeded, and cut into medium dice
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• -- Chopped green onions for garnish
• -- Chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)
• -- Grated cheddar cheese, for garnish
• -- Sour cream, for garnish

Instructions: Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and all of the spices. Saute until onion has softened and spices are incorporated, about 5 minutes. Remove onion mixture to a bowl and set aside.

Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to the empty pot. Saute until mostly cooked through and white on all sides, about 5-7 minutes. Add the onion mixture back in and stir to combine.

In a blender, puree the 1 cup of beans that you have set aside with 1/2 cup of the chicken broth. Add the remaining broth, pureed beans, whole beans, chiles and cream to the pot. Cook for about 20 minutes, until chicken is tender. Season to taste.

Serve with chopped green onions, cilantro (if using), cheese and sour cream to pass at the table.

Per serving: 378 calories, 27 g protein, 39 g carbohydrate, 12 g fat (4 g saturated), 67 mg cholesterol, 699 mg sodium, 10 g fiber.