Chilpotle and Black Bean Chili

I used this recipe without the meat and beans to create a great chili starter, canned in pint jars and accompanied by a small packet of ground hot peppers, made it a great gift for friends and neighbors.

Ingredients

1. 1.5 lbs. ground beef or turkey
2. 2 Tbs. vegetable oil
3. 3/4 c. diced onion
4. 3/4 c. diced green pepper
5. 1 Jalapeno Pepper, minced
6. 3 cloves Garlic, minced
7. 2 Tbs. chili powder
8. 2 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
9. 2 tsp. ground cumin
10. 2 14 oz. cans of chicken broth (reduced sodium)
11. 1 16 oz. jar of Chunky Salsa (I like Pace, medium)
12. 1 15 oz. jar of black beans, drained and rinsed
13. 1 15 oz. jar of white hominy, drained and rinsed
14. 1 6 oz. can of Tomato paste.
15. 1-2 chilpotle peppers prepared as described below
16. 1 tsp reserved adobo sauce prepared as described below
17. 2-4 Tbs. fine ground cornmeal or masa harina.

Preparation of the "Chilpotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce":  The peppers come in a small cans (7 oz.) and can be found in most markets including Walley World. You may want to wear gloves for this step as the chilies are very hot. Open the can and remove 1 or 2 of the chilies. Split them lengthwise and scrape out the membranes and seeds as best you can - they are the really hot parts. The peppers will be soft and in a dark sauce so work carefully. Take the peppers and mince them very finely. For the Adobo sauce, just use a small teaspoon to dip out the needed amount from the can. Place the remaining peppers and sauce in a small tupperware container and save the fridge.