Fall is my favourite season. The air is crisp, allowing one to breath comfortably after a summer of humidity. Gardens are full of seasonal bounty and the colours are remarkable.

With the cooler evenings here, I love taking full advantage of being able to make cook without heating up an already hot kitchen.
During my last grocery trip I picked up a small cooking pumpkin, intent on using it for something special, but not knowing just exactly what that may be at the time. After a few days of mulling, I was inspired to make a seasonal chilli from scratch.

As most may already know, I have a hard time following the rules, the same is true when it comes to cooking. 😉 I look to recipes for inspiration (mostly just the visuals), but I thrive off cooking with no recipe to specifically follow. Most often, it turns out quite well.

To add even more flavour to your chilli, make sure to bbq your corn and pumpkin. The results will be worth it, trust me.

And always make sure you have some company in your kitchen if you can, makes the process all the more enjoyable. 😉
The recipe below is the result of some very delicious chilli. I hope you give it a try for yourself and enjoy!

Honey’s Pumpkin Chilli

Ingredients
– 1 Medium Cooking/Yellow Onion
– 3 Stalks of Celery
– 1 Large Carrot
– 5 Medium Mushrooms
– 1/2 Red Bell Pepper
– 2 Cobs of Corn
– 1 Small Pumpkin
– 1 Can of Black Beans
– 2 Cans of Diced Tomatoes
– 1 tsp of Salt (+ more if desired)
– 2 tsp of Epicentre Chipotle Chile Spice
– 2 tsp of Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Optional
– 1 Small Jalepeno Diced
– Epicentre Smoked Paprika
– 1 Small Jar of Tomato Paste

Directions
1. Before beginning to prep any of your vegetables, turn your bbq on for preheating. Bring the temp up high, then after a few minutes bring the temperature down to maintain a consistent temp of 400.
2. Cut your pumpkin in half, then proceed to do the same to those two pieces, resulting in having 4 pieces all together. Peel your corn. Using a kitchen brush, apply oil generously onto the corn and pumpkin pieces.
Leave your pumpkin and corn to cook on the bbq, ensuring the temperature is at 400 or below. Continue to check on your vegetables (to avoid having your food become burnt) as you being prep for the remaining ingredients.
3. Take a large stock pot, placing it on the stove and setting the temp to low-med. Drizzle some oil in the pot. As your oil begins to warm, take your cooking onion and dice up the item. Drop the pieces into the pot, sprinkle salt and pepper in with it.
4. Begin chopping up the remaining vegetables in the following sequence, adding each group to the pot before moving on to the next; mushrooms, celery, carrot, pepper. Ensure you use a wooden spoon after adding each ingredient to stir everything up. This will avoid your items from sticking to the pan and burning. Adjust the temp to a lower level if needed.
5. Don’t forget to check on your corn and pumpkin! Rotate these items on the bbq if you haven’t already, you may also need to add a bit more oil if they seem too dry.
6. Open your can of beans and tomatoes, adding both ingredients to the pot. Bring the pot to a higher temp (medium, 6/7) to bring to a boil.
7. Add your spices that your prefer. I used Chipotle Chile Spice from Epicentre. If you wish for something with a bit more heat and flavour, jalepenos and paprika make an excellent combination. This amount of spice and flavour added during this step is entirely up to you and your tastebuds.
8. By this time your corn and pumpkin should hopefully be cooked. Turn off the bbq and bring your items inside. Be cautious when it comes to adding these ingredients as they will be very warm to touch. Scrape out your pumpkin, mashing it with a fork and cut the corn off the cob then add both to your chilli. Don’t worry if your corn has a few “scorched bits”, it won’t ruin the flavour. If anything, I find it enhances it 😉
9. For a thicker chilli, stir in tomato paste if preferred. I skipped this bit and found the pumpkin made the chilli just the right texture.
10. Once all your ingredients are in your chilli and has reached a boiling point, bring it back down to low, allowing it to simmer for 30-4o minutes or whenever you are ready to eat.

If you happen to have leftovers, it is amazing the next day as the flavours become more intense overnight.
Ideal for eating on its own, served with rice or on pizza. Try garnishing with a bit of cheese/daiya and avocado for an even richer taste.

Please feel free to send in pics if you make this, I would love to see how it turns out.
Enjoy!