Chipotle Black Bean Nachos

Morita chiles are red, fully mature Chipotles. This gives them a unique, medium – hot smokey flavor which is popular in many Southwestern dishes. These can be added to sauces (including Mole) to add smokey flavor and maintain the red color of the sauces. These peppers are about 2-4 inches in length, 1 inch in width, and have a deep brick reddish brown color. The word Chipotle translated to smoked chile. Consider the Chipotle a 6.5 on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the hottest). Scoville heat units 7,000-25,000.

Suggested Use:
Use Morita in enchilada sauces, chili, stews, barbecue ribs, and corn bread. Their smoky quality combines well with poultry, meats and fall squash.

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INGREDIENTS

For the Chipotle Black Beans:
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1-2 chipotles, rehydrated in hot water till soft (reserve 1-2 tsp soaking water)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
2 14-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup water
½ cup fresh salsa
Juice from ½ a lime

For the nachos:
a few handfuls of tortilla chips
a cup or more of shredded cheese (pepperjack is our favorite)
additional toppings (salsa, green onions, tomatoes, sour cream, pickled jalapenos, cilantro, etc.)

INSTRUCTIONS
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, chipotles and soaking water, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and salt. Cook, stirring continuously, for about a minute. Add the black beans and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 7 minutes uncovered until most of the liquid has boiled off.

Smash the beans against the side of the pan with the back of a wooden spoon until it’s creamy and thick. Stir in the salsa and lime juice. Remove from heat.

Spread the chips in a single layer on a sheet pan. Top with spoonfuls of the bean mixture followed by shredded cheese. Broil on high for a few minutes or until the cheese is completely melted and bubbly. Remove from the broiler and top with remaining topping.

Slightly adapted from peachandplenty.com