Black Bean Chili Cheese Baked Potato

Yesterday, I ran the LA marathon. Yep, yesterday my friend Molly and I ran 26. 2 miles for 5 and a half hours in one of the worst storms LA has had in a long time. I love running, and it was a great route and I did all in all have a great time, but I might as well have stood in a cold shower with the door open in all of my clothes for 5 and a half hours. Needless to say, I'm tired, sore and still cold from the wind and torrential rain. What's better for sore and cold bones than chili cheese baked potatoes with avocado and sour cream?! Nothing. Well, scotch. Scotch will warm you up reeeeeal nice. But I like food. So let's go with that. You can use a russet potato or a sweet potato, either or is delicious with this recipe. It's a super easy vegetarian black bean chili that goes with anything like pasta or potatoes or on homemade wedge cut fries. It's also good as just a big bowl of chili. So enjoy! With or without scotch.

Serves 2 (there will be leftover chili- which is awesome)

2 Russet or sweet potatoes

1/2 cup cheese

3 tbs extra virgin olive oil

1/2 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (or leave in seeds for a lot more heat)

1 15 oz can black beans

1/2 of a 15 oz can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz can of tomato sauce

2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbls chili powder

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450. Wash and dry the potatoes, then take a little bit of extra virgin olive oil and salt and rub all over the skins of the potato- bake for an hour. My mom covers them in foil, I don't because I like the skins to get crispy. Works either way- don't tell my mom I said that.

With about 30 minutes left for the potatoes get started on the chili. Over medium high heat, saute onions, garlic and jalapeno in the extra virgin olive oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Then add the black beans and *their liquid, half the can of garbanzo beans, and the tomato sauce and reduce heat to medium low. Add in spices and stir. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.

Now, you can just cut the potatoes open and put on some chili and cheese and be done, and it's delicious. But if you want to get fancy, then once the potatoes are done, cut open and scoop the flesh of the potatoes into a medium bowl. Add a few large scoops of chili and mix with the potatoes. Then add in a bit of cheese and stir- stuff the filling into the potatoes, cover with cheese, and put on a baking sheet and stick in the oven and let the cheese melt for about 3 minutes. You can also add anything you like to this- if I'm in the mood, I'll add some chopped bell peppers, corn, and zuchinni to the onion mixture and let them get nice and browned before I add in the beans and tomato sauce. You can add in any veggies to bulk it up a little if you want to just have it as chili instead of a topping for potatoes. Any way you make it, enjoy it! (with a beer. or scotch).