Pineapple Chocolate Chili

Oh yeah, that's no typo...Pineapple Chocolate Chili.  Wait!  Before I lose you, seriously this is SO GOOD!  I mean think about it.  There is chocolate in a mole sauce and if I said I'd made, say, chicken in mole sauce with a side of pineapple salsa, you'd probably think "Yummers!"  Well this is yummers too, I promise.

The idea came to me because my mom bought this spicy chili chocolate bar and gave it to Adam because she found it too spicy.  Adam tried it and even HE found it too spicy so he suggested I cook with it.  I thought it would dress up what would otherwise be a pretty standard vegetarian chili and it worked magically, elevating it to out of this world.  The pineapple adds a lot of sweetness, the chocolate more of a complexity to the overall flavour.  A bit of cider vinegar, smoked paprika, cumin seed and chili powder round it out.  Adding additional cayenne pepper to boost the heat factor is optional. 

By the way, this is the chocolate that is so freakin' spicy:



I used a mix of sprouted beans and canned to get both some chewy and creamy textures, but you can use all canned if you prefer.  I left the veggies large because I like it that way, but feel free to dice everything down small if you prefer.  This makes a large amount so its great for a crowd or to have for several meals in a row.  Or just freeze for a future time.  You can serve it on its own, or over rice or another grain, or stuffed into a burrito.  It's very versatile!

Pineapple Chocolate Chili

1 cup sprouted bean mix
2 cups water
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2-3  cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cumin seed (or ground cumin)
Cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)
1 onion, sliced or diced
1 red onion, sliced or diced
2 red bell peppers, sliced or diced
2 green bell peppers, sliced or diced
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 jar pineapple chunks with juice (or 1 whole, ripe pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into chunks)
1 can tomato paste
About 50g dark, spicy chili chocolate, melted

Place sprouted beans and water in deep skillet or pot.  Bring to a boil and then turn heat down to low and simmer for about 20 minutes until liquid is reduced.  Add vinegar, spices, garlic, onions, peppers,  and pineapple and simmer until veggies are soft.  Add tomato paste and melted chocolate and continue cooking for at least another 10 minutes.  Keep on low heat until ready to serve.

This recipe has been shared with Gluten-Free Friday and Wellness Weekend.