• In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil until shimmering. Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, carrot, celery and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Stir to combine and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the onion is translucent, about 7 to 10 minutes.
• Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika and oregano. Cook until fragrant while stirring constantly, about 1 minute.
• Add the diced tomatoes and their juices, the drained black beans and pinto beans, vegetable broth and bay leaf. Stir to combine and let the mixture come to a simmer. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally and reducing heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, for 30 minutes.
• Remove the chili from the heat and discard the bay leaf. For the best texture and flavor, transfer 1 1/2 cups of the chili to a blender, making sure to get some of the liquid portion. Securely fasten the lid and blend until smooth (watch out for hot steam), then pour the blended mixture back into the pot. (Or, you can blend the chili briefly with an immersion blender, or mash the chili with a potato masher until it reaches a thicker, more chili-like consistency.)
• Add the chopped cilantro, stir to combine, and then mix in the vinegar, to taste. Add salt to taste, too—I added 1/4 teaspoon more at this point. Divide the mixture into individual bowls and serve with garnishes of your choice. This chili will keep well in the refrigerator for about 4 days or you can freeze it for longer-term storage.

Cook the chicken

• In a large pot, add the ingredients from the Cook The Chicken list, chicken breasts, quartered onions, green peppers, carrots, and garlic cloves. Cover with water, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.
• Lower to medium heat and simmer ~30 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked. Adjust and add more chicken bouillon powder, a teaspoon at a time, until the taste is right for you.
• Remove chicken, let cool slightly, and shred with two forks or your hands.
• Strain and reserve 3 cups of the cooking liquid for later.

Make the sofrito

• In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
• Add minced garlic, chopped onions, and sliced red bell peppers. Sauté for 5–7 minutes until softened.

Build the sauce

• Add shredded chicken, half or a little more of the reserved broth, tomato sauce, tomato paste, cumin, salt, pepper, and capers.
• Stir well, cover, and simmer on low for ~10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add extra broth if needed to loosen.

Serve

• Traditionally served with white rice and sweet fried plantains (tajadas de maduro), or black beans and avocado.

• Using a food processor, shred the Brussels sprouts. Add the olive oil, garlic and Brussels sprouts to the pan and sautee for a few minutes until the garlic and the sprouts soften a bit.
• Meanwhile, drain and rinse the noodles, and add them to the pan with the rest of the ingredients.
• Keep stirring every minute or so until all the ingredients blend together to make a creamy sauce.
• If the sauce is a bit thick, add a tiny amount (up to a tablespoon) of water and stir until you achieve a kind of alfredo-like texture. The Brussels sprouts should be soft and the sauce warmed through.