Three Bean Chilli

It’s always handy to have a good vegetarian chilli recipe and this one is a winner, we have it with a dollop of sour cream and a little grated cheese with rice or I thicken the sauce and use it as an enchilada filling, yummy!

If you can’t find tinned cherry tomatoes then tinned chopped tomatoes work just the same and I buy big jars of fire roasted capsicums as I’m lazy, you could char the capsicums over the barbecue and peel them yourself if you are that way inclined!

Serves 8-10.

Ingredients

A good splash of olive oil

1 large onion, finely diced

4 garlic clove, crushed

2 red chillis, deseeded and finely diced

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

4 Fire roasted capsicum, finely sliced

2 x 400g tin borlotti beans, drained and rinsed

1 x 425g tin black beans, drained and rinsed

1 x 400g red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 x 400g tin cherry tomatoes in tomato juice

500mls vegetable stock

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons maple syrup

salt and pepper

Method

In a wide pan, heat the oil and cook the onion until soft.

Add the garlic and chilli and cook for one minute.

Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring up to a gentle simmer, uncovered, simmer for 45 minutes until thickened.

 

Bacon, Beans and Eggs

A slightly deceptive title!

This is super for breakfast, lunch or dinner served over toast or a baked potato for a gluten free option.

You can make the bean mix the day before, refrigerate and then warm through gently before continuing with the eggs.

Serves 6.

Ingredients

400g bacon, diced

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, sliced

2 x 420g kidney beans, drained and rinsed

750mls passata or sieved tomatoes

400mls water

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder

1 tablespoon maple syrup

salt and pepper

6-12 eggs

Method

In a large frying pan, cook the bacon over medium to high heat until it is a little crispy. remove bacon but leave the fat in the pan.

Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook until softened.

Return the bacon to the pan and add the  beans, passata, water, tomato paste, maple syrup, smoked paprika and cayenne. Season with salt and pepper

Bring up to the boil and then let gently simmer for 30mins until the sauce is thickened. Check the seasoning.

Make slight wells in the bean mix and crack an egg in, repeat for each egg.

Cook the eggs until the white is set and the yolk is still runny.

Serve over toasted bread or a baked potato.

Red Rice Chilli with Beans

I often make this rice as a filling to go in burritos with grated cheese, grated egg, avocado and chopped tomatoes for our vegetarian meals, it also works well with some shredded chicken or left over smokey chilli, recipe in the blog.

For the gluten free free option I use corn tortillas and to make it dairy free use oil instead of ghee.

To use as a make ahead meal I fill the burritos, wrap in foil and reheat gently in the oven later in the day, I also freeze the burritos in their foil, deforst when needed and reheat in the oven.

Makes enough for 12 burritos or serves 6-8 as a side dish.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons ghee/butter

2 brown onions, sliced finely

3 medium tomatoes

2 chipotle chillies in adobe sauce

6 cloves of garlic

juice of 1 lime

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons cocoa power

2 teaspoons brown sugar

400g basmati rice

750mls water

2 x 400g tins kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 teaspoons salt

Method

Heat the ghee/butter in a large heavy based pan with a well fitting lid.

Add the onions and cook until golden and very soft, this can take 30mins plus.

While the onions are cooking, using a stick blender or processor, whizz the tomatoes, chipotle chillies with adobe sauce, garlic and lime juice to make a paste.

Once the onion is cooked add the paste to the pan with the smoked paprika, oregano, cocoa and brown sugar. Simmer for 5mins.

Add the rice and stir for 30 seconds, add the beans and water, stir and cover.

Bring up to the boil, covered,  reduce heat and cook for 15mins covered.

Turn heat off and allow to sit for 10mins, stir well to combine and check seasoning.

 

 

Black Bean and Chorizo Soup

The  entire family loves this soup, smoky with a little chilli it reminds me of a bean chilli and with that in mind I serve it with a little grated cheese and a dollop of sour cream with corn chips on the side, possibly why the boys like it so much!

I use the stock from the Lime, Oregano and Smoky Chipotle Chilli Roast Chicken recipe in my blog, this stock instantly gives a hint of chilli to the soup.

If you are using regular stock add 2 teaspoons chipotle chilli powder and 1 tablespoon smoked sweet paprika at the same time as adding the ancho chilli.

To make this vegetarian, omit the chorizo, use vegetable stock, 2 teaspoons chipotle chilli and 5 teaspoons smoked paprika.

Serves 8-10 so, I freeze the leftovers for another day.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, chopped finely

100g chorizo, skinned and chopped finely

1 large dried ancho chilli

1 x 800g tin, chopped tomatoes

1.5l chicken stock

2 x 425g tins black beans

1 x 400g kidney beans

3 tablespoons tomato paste

Method

Bring the kettle to the boil.

Pop the chilli into a heat proof bowl and pour the freshly boiled water over.

Allow to stand for 30 minutes.

Remove the chilli, I take the skin off and deseed at this point and chop it finely. Set aside.

In a large pan, heat the oil over a medium heat, add the onion and garlic and cook until softened.

Add the chorizo and cook for a further 5 minutes until it has released its fat.

Pour in the tomatoes, ancho chilli, beans, tomato paste and stock, bring to the boil.

Allow to simmer for 30 minutes.

Serve with grated cheese, sour cream and avocado slices with tortilla chips on the side

Mexican Bean Cakes with Fresh Salsa

Gluten free, wheat free and vegetarian deliciousness!

These truly hit the mark with a wonderful fresh flavour from the coriander and chilli and the squishy ness of the beans.

They are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

I love these served with a wedge of lime, lots of fresh salsa and some avocado possibly dressed with lime. The boys eat them broken up in a tortillas with fresh salsa, recipe to follow, and sour cream, sometimes they even add an egg and as they eat with their hands they love these!

Makes 16.

Ingredients

2 x 400g tins of kidney or black beans

1 420g tin creamed corn

2 eggs, beaten

100g fresh coriander, leaves and stalks, rinsed

1 medium carrot, peeled and finely grated

1 small onion, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1-2 jalapeño chilli, deseeded and chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin

150g chickpea/besan flour

2 teaspoons salt

pepper to taste

Method

In a food processor grate the carrot.

Change the blade to the cutting blade and add the coriander, onion, garlic and chilli, process to a rough paste.

Add the beans and pulse, just enough to begin to break them up.

Pour this mix into a large bowl.

Add corn, eggs, cumin, chickpea flour, salt and pepper.

Mix well.

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat with enough sunflower oil to cover the base.

Once hot spoon cakes onto the oil, spread them out a little to around 8-10 cm, allow to cook for 3-4 mins until browning.

Flip the cakes over and repeat cooking time.

Set aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain and continue cooking the rest of the bean cakes.

Serve with salsa.

Fresh Salsa

This salsa is so quick to prepare we have it with most Mexican or TexMex meals.

As this was for the boys there is no added chilli, if it was just for the adults I would add 1 jalapeño, deseeded and chopped and 1 avocado, cubed.

6 roma tomatoes, deseeded and chopped

1 shallot, peeled, halved and cut into fine slices

a few stems of coriander, leaves and stems cut roughly.

1 lime, juiced

salt and pepper to taste

Combine the ingredients and serve at room temperature.