Tuesday, June 12

Week night dinners - Chilli Beans

Mexico is in my top three countries of food love (Italy and Thailand are its competitors). It's so easy to make the food vegetarian and the flavours are just soooo mmmmmmmm.
And so in my quest to answer that "er what do you even eat?" question I thought I'd start sharing a few more of our regular dinner meals.



You need
* 1 onion, finely chopped
* few cloves of garlic
* 1 chilli (pick the right one for the hotness you like!)
* olive oil
* 1 can red kidney beans
* 1/2 can of baked beans
* 1 can of chopped tomatoes
* 1 carrot, cut into thin discs or semi circles
* 1/2 red or green capsicum chopped into small chunks
* 3 tblsp tomato paste
* 1 tblsp veggie stock powder
* 2 tblsp cumin
* 1 tblsp paprika
* Rice - cooked just how you like it!

This is a super simple meal really - it's all about adjusting it to your tastes with salt, pepper and cumin.

Then:
* In a large, deep fry pan fry your  onion garlic and chilli in the olive oil until the onion is turning clear.
* Pour in your cans of tomatoes & kidney beans (with most of the juice drained) and stir it round and then add your carrot and capsicum. Fill your tinned tomato can up half way with water and swish it around so it cleans out the can and then pour that slightly tomato-ey water back into your fry pan. Add veggie stock, cumin and paprika, mix it all in and leave it to simmer for 10 minutes or so.
* Put your rice on to cook.
* As the water starts to cook off add your tomato paste and baked beans and mix it all in and keep it simmering, stirring occasionally to make sure its not sticking or burning. If it is turn your heat down and add a wee bit more water.
* Now this is when you have a teaspoon ready and you taste - adjust - and taste again! If it doesn't taste 'Mexican' enough add more cumin. Not flavorsome enough add a bit more veggie stock or salt and pepper. Not thick and tomato-ey enough - add more tomato paste.
* When the carrots are just soft, and your dish is nice and thick it's nice to pop in a squeeze of lime juice just at the very end, before serving on top a big bowl of rice with heaps of grated cheese and a sprig of coriander on top!
I also use these beans to put in burritos, tacos and nachos - one dish many meals. Love.

Ps. Some guacamole to go with that?

...And I don't have any pictures for you... next time I'll be more organised and try to remember to take some! This one is from here.

1 comment:

  1. You know, we hardly ever cook with beans as the main protein. (And we've definitely never made Mexican before.) Definitely territory to explore!
    Ronnie xo

    ReplyDelete

Thanks, I love receiving comments! *s*