comfort food thursday

does anyone have trouble making a recipe when you don't have a photo to look at? i certainly do. photos are so helpful in not only the process, but also in making your mouth water for the finished product. so i nearly died when i came across the site foodgawker, which helps organize recipes and food photography by subject, ingredient, etc! so you will NEVER have to make an imageless recipe again.

first on this list: this scrumptious bowl of chili. photo included.

black bean and chicken chili with butternut squash & swiss chard

what you need:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2-1/2 cups chopped onions
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2-1/2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled butternut squash
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 3 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2-1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles with juice
• 3 cups packed coarsely chopped Swiss chard leaves (about 1 bunch)

what you do:

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until tender and golden, about 7 to 9 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add squash; stir and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in chili powder and cumin. Stir in beans, broth and Rotel; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered until squash is tender, about 20-25 minutes. Turn off the heat. Stir in the chard and allow the heat of the mixture to wilt the chard so that it is tender and bright green, about 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve with toppings such as cheese, red onion, cilantro and crushed tortilla chips.