Chimayo Red and Hatch Black Bean Chili

Coming home today after being on a business trip in Washington DC for the past five days I felt the need to cook something.  Eating out three meals a day gets old after awhile and I enjoy my own cooking a lot more than many restaurant meals.  I wanted to make a spicy soup but I ended up making more of a chili and it was really different and tasty.  I made half of it with no meat and half with organic chicken sausage.  Both were equally good.  It may not look all that great in the photo but it was wonderful.  My version is in the photo but my husband's had shredded cheese and chips.

3 cans Westbrae Organic black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 small onion, diced
2 small carrots, diced
1 medium potato, diced
3/4 cup diced Hatch green chile* (mine was from fresh, roasted Hatch chile, frozen last month)
2 tablespoons Masa Harina
1/3 cup spice mixture
1 box Kitchen Basics unsalted vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste
(Chicken sausage version:  12 ounces Pedersen Farms Organic Mild Italian Chicken Sausage, removed from casing and diced)

Spice mixture
1/4 cup fennel seeds, ground in spice grinder
1/4 cup ground cumin
1/4 cup New Mexico red chile powder ** (I used my Chimayo chile powder I got last year in Chimayo and keep in the freezer.)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt

Drain and rinse beans and set aside.  Heat oil in large pot, add the onions, carrots, and potatoes and saute until the onions are translucent.  Add the green chile, masa harina and spice mixture.  Stir well until smooth.
Add the beans and vegetable stock and stir until mixed well. (If using chicken sausage, add now.)  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook until potatoes and carrots are tender.  Adjust taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle into bowls and top with a dollop of Mexican crema or sour cream and any of the following: diced avocado, scallions, chopped cilantro, salsa, shredded cheese, crumbled tortilla chips.

*My Hatch chile is mostle mild with some hot mixed in, so adjust if you don't like it too hot and use mild only.
**Reduce red chile by half or less if you don't like things too spicy.