Chili Princess Redux

w00t! Won third place in the church youth group's annual chili cookoff again! Last year's recipe, Not-So-Dumb Blonde Chili, was an outgrowth of a family-favorite white chicken chili I've been making for awhile. This year's entry was a totally new thing. As in, I made it up as I went along this morning and prayed. Looks like everything turned out okay, considering one of the judges was Heather McPherson, the Food Editor of The Orlando Sentinel!

If it's cold up your way, you're welcome to mix up a batch for yourself and warm yourself up, Florida style. Here's the recipe:

mimi's Black Magic Chili

1-1/2 lbs. chorizo
1 onion, diced
1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, divided
1 T garlic (2-3 cloves, minced)
1 can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes and green chiles
5 cans black beans, drained (leave some liquid)
4 T sofrito
2 T oregano
1 T Everglades Heat
1-1/2 T cumin
2 T key lime juice
olive oil

In a large frying pan, simmer the chorizo in a cup or so of water until cooked through. While chorizo is simmering, dice onion and four of the chipotle peppers (with their sauce). Store remaining peppers for another recipe. Remove chorizo from pan and cut into bite-sized slices. Drain pan, drizzle with olive oil, and return to heat. Sauté onion, pepper, and garlic until onion is transparent; add Ro-Tel and chorizo; cook until well-blended and chorizo is starting to crumble. In 5-qt. Crock Pot. combine beans, sofrito, spices, and lime juice. Add chorizo mixture and stir to combine. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high for 4 hours. Yummy with shredded cheese, sour cream, and blue corn tortilla chips.