This is one of my favorites because it's full of vegetables, but really smoky in flavor. Very filling, easy to make and modify. My husband doubles the recipe and we have enough for the two of us to take to lunch all week long. I got the recipe from Epicurious.com, who got it from Gourmet. I'm thinking about replacing the pinto beans with black beans--apparently they're less inflammatory and have other healthier characteristics.
- 2 medium dried ancho chiles, wiped clean
- 1 dried chipotle chile, wiped clean (I use chiles in adobo instead of the dried chiles to save time)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
- Rounded 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3 medium zucchini and/or yellow squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 3/4 pound kale, stems and center ribs discarded and leaves coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 1/8 teaspoon sugar (No need to add this)
- 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped (3 tablespoons)
- 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice, drained, reserving juice, and chopped
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 3 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- Accompaniments: rice; chopped cilantro; chopped scallions; sour cream
Slit chiles lengthwise, then stem and seed. Heat a dry heavy medium skillet over medium heat until hot, then toast chiles, opened flat, turning and pressing with tongs, until pliable and slightly changed in color, about 30 seconds. Tear into small pieces.
Stir together cumin, oregano, cinnamon, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.
Cook onions in oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute, then add chile mixture and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Stir in zucchini and kale and cook, covered, 5 minutes. Add zest, sugar, chocolate, tomatoes with their juice, and water and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
Stir in beans and simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt.