CEiMB: Confetti Chili

This week's Craving Ellie in My Belly is from Lauren of I'll Eat You. She chose for us to make Confetti Chili from The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life by Ellie Krieger. I hadn't made chili yet, and since it is finally getting cold around here, I was looking forward to this making this. The recipe on the Food Network is slightly different than the recipe in the book. Basically, instead of one of the cans of beans, 1 1/2 cups of corn was added to the chili instead. I like the idea of corn in chili because it adds some nice sweetness to balance the heat. I used black beans and pinto beans, because I like the texture and flavor of those beans better than kidney beans. I also added 2 teaspoons of chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika, and one clove of minced garlic to the chili. I really think those additions boosted the flavor of the chili considerably. I didn't have a red bell pepper on hand, but I did have some poblanos from my garden that I had roasted and frozen this summer, so I used that instead.

I really liked this chili. There is a nice smokiness to it due to the chipotle pepper and the smoked paprika, and a slight bit of heat. Next time, I might add some jalapeno or some cayenne pepper to boost the heat a little. The carrots and and corn balance the smokiness and the heat by adding sweetness. Overall it is a very balanced dish. Black beans and pinto beans have much better texture and flavor than kidney beans, and I think I will use both of them chilis I make in the future. Another good recipe from Ellie.