vegetarian black bean chili with orange and cumin

After the fridge and cupboards were cleaned out, the monthly spreadsheet made, and the slight cheese relapse, I moved on to finding more budget-friendly recipes to make. Sarah had told me about this one a while ago, and then I came across it again while on this kick. I figured it was fate, so I made it. And it's really good. I can say that because I am now on daily heartburn medication and therefor this recipe was not allowed to eat my insides out.

So if you're well-medicated too, or have stock in Tums, then you should make this! After reading everyone's comments on Epicurious I modified the recipe a little and am pleased with the result. So here you go...

Vegetarian Black Bean Chili with Orange and Cumin

Yield: Makes 4 servings (plus leftovers) Active Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes

2 oranges
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, pressed
4 teaspoons chili powder
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
3 15.5-ounce cans seasoned black beans, drained
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes in juice
Hot pepper sauce
plain yogurt
Chopped fresh cilantro

Grate enough orange peel to measure 1/2 teaspoon. Juice oranges. Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté 5 minutes. Mix in garlic and spices. Add beans, tomatoes, and half of orange juice. Simmer over medium heat until heated through and flavors blend, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Mix in orange peel and remaining orange juice. Season to taste with hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Ladle chili into bowls. Top with yogurt and cilantro. Pass extra hot sauce alongside.

hey, did you know?

These past two weeks have not been so hot money-wise. You may have noticed this happens a lot. And you would be right. So I've lately been trying to actually sit down and figure out ways to get around it. I created a budget. I stopped buying fancy cheese (sad!). And now I have eaten almost everything in my fridge and cupboards. In doing so I made use of a handy trick I once read about. If you're unsure if eggs are still good or not, put them in a bowl of water. If they float, they're bad. If they stand upright on the bottom of the bowl, you should eat them in the next few days. If they lay on their sides on the bottom, what the hell are you worried about?

Now you know.