A good friend of mine is a vegan, and she is also a really good cook. After having breakfast with her a couple weeks ago, I decided that I want to try eating some meatless options (beyond mac and cheese and other likewise fairly basic fare) on a more regular basis.

So, last night I made a black bean/poblano/butternut squash chili recipe that I found on the Mpls StarTribune website, and it was really good! It was also the first time I had ever eaten squash-looked like cantaloupe chunks in the chili, but was, to me, pleasantly not mushy.

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 medium poblanos, seeded and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. cumin seeds
• 2 (15-oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes
• 1 small butternut squash (about 1 1/2 lb.), peeled and cut into 1/2-in. cubes
• 2 c. vegetable stock
• 1 to 2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped (see Note)
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Heat oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, poblanos and garlic and cook, stirring, for about 6 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened. Add the cumin seeds and continue to cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, butternut squash, stock, chipotle chiles and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and re-season, if necessary.

Sounds good. What does the "see note" say? I'm guessing chipotle peppers in adobo are freaking hot, use caution. I put one with some of the sauce in the chicken for 40 tamales and they were significantly hot. My mom used to use more, so I learned my lesson. Almost no one could eat them, but her.

Freeleo1: "Sounds good. What does the "see note" say? I'm guessing chipotle peppers in adobo are freaking hot, use caution. I put one with some of the sauce in the chicken for 40 tamales and they were significantly hot. My mom used to use more, so I learned my lesson. Almost no one could eat them, but her. "
"Canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce can be found in the global aisle of most grocery stores. Each can contains several chiles. While this recipe calls for 1 to 2 (they can be hot, so adjust to your own taste), the remaining chiles can be frozen for future use."

Interesting, as the ones I have used I do not consider all that hot.

We use San Marcos brand Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce. I don't know why they seem so much hotter than jalapenos. There may be more cayenne or hot chile powder in the sauce than some of the others. I never thought to try another brand to see if they are milder. I just went with limiting the volume of sauce and using 1 pepper. It's about the right amount of heat and flavor so I just used the amount I knew would work.