Crock pot magic!

As my mom discovered back in the 70's, crock pots are made for busy working women. Here's my latest favorite -- add the following to your crock pot:

2 pounds skinless/boneless chicken, cut up into bite-sized chunks
1- 16-oz can black beans (rinsed)
1 medium-sized onion, cut up into pieces (bite-sized or smaller)
1 green pepper, seeded and cut up into pieces (bite-sized or smaller)
2 large carrots, peeled and cup into bite-sized or smaller chunks
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
a shake of red pepper flakes, or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Pour 1 16-oz can crushed tomatos on top, and 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar. Rinse out the tomato can with about 1/4 cup water and pour that on top, too.

Brew the crock pot on low all day, covered (although 3-4 hours is usually sufficient if you have less time). Taste it -- does it need some salt? Add salt to taste if it does (1/2 to 1 teaspoon generally does it for me).

This is terrific served up in a bowl with grated cheese, ketchup, or salsa. Yum! Hot n tasty! Perfect for fall.

*** Please note: you can add a can of corn, more beans (or different beans) and any other veggies you might want. You could also substitute beef cut up into 1/2" chunks instead of chicken, too. ****