Smoky Veg Bean Chili

    Smoky Veg Bean Chili

    In the Summer, I love the long days, the glorious sunshine, the abundance of fresh salad and fruit, experimenting with ice-cream and times spent lazing on the lawn. In the Summer… I think Summer is my favourite season! 🙂 But now it’s winter I love waking up and hoping there is a frost; that the shed roof is shimmering in the dawn mist; that the grass is crisp and crunchy so a trip to the bird table reveals each step I’ve taken. Now it’s winter I love roasting all the root vegetables, creating new soups and lately experimenting with chili! Aaahhh… maybe winter is my favourite season (so long as I’m in the warm)! 😛

    frosty-wm

    A frosty start…

    Recently one of my friends who grew up eating chili and who would always amaze me at how hot  a food she could eat… couldn’t eat something that I did without her eyes watering! 😛 Isn’t it amazing how you can change your taste buds!? How something you once wouldn’t dream of eating becomes something you cook and eat regularly! 🙂 Chili! Maybe it’s because in the Summer I successfully nurtured a chili plant which produced an abundance of thin green, red and orange chili’s… which of course I had to taste! Maybe it’s because I ate too much of my friends foods 😛 and I gradually got used to the heat in my food? Whichever it is, I’m so glad that I now get to use fresh chili, red chili flakes, chili powder, even hot paprika instead of sweet – it’s amazing how a dish can be changed with just a pinch or a sprinkle which transforms it from simply tasty to utterly irresistible! 🙂

    Chili with corn couscous, coconut yogurt & cucumber
    Chili with cheesey sauce and fresh avocado

    This smoky veg bean chili is more smoky than spicy and the flavours meld and mingle together to create a burst of flavour that is just mouth-watering. Serve it as a quick lunch with tortilla chips, or add some brown rice, salad and sour cream to make a substantial dinner. Or just pinch a spoonful every time you open the fridge. 😛

    I’m sharing this with Deborah and everyone else at the Plant Based Potluck Party this week. Come on over and join in the fun! 🙂

    Smoky Veg Bean Chili (Vegan & Free-From)

    • Servings: 1-2
    • Difficulty: easy
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    Gather

    • Oil for cooking (I used coconut)
    • 1 leek quartered lengthways then sliced
    • 1/2 aubergine cut into small chunks
    • 4-5 chestnut mushrooms diced
    • 2 garlic cloves diced
    • 2-3cm ginger peeled and chopped
    • 1 teaspoon turmeric
    • 1/2-1 teaspoon chili powder
    • 1/2 – 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes
    • salt to taste (I used pink Himalayan)
    • 300ml passata
    • 100ml water
    • 1-2 teaspoons liquid smoke
    • 2 cups cooked black beans
    • 1 cup sweetcorn
    • 5-6 fresh okra chopped

    Prepare

    1. Heat the oil and cook the leeks until starting to turn golden. Add the aubergine and cook until they turn translucent, then add the mushrooms, garlic and ginger. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add the turmeric, chili powder, chili flakes and salt mixing well to combine.
    2. Add the passata, water and liquid smoke, stir, then cover for 10 minutes.
    3. Tip in the black beans and sweetcorn, cover and cook for a further 5 minutes.
    4. Check the thickness of the sauce and add more water if necessary. Stir the okra into the chili and leave to simmer covered for a further 10 minutes.
    5. Taste check and adjust salt and chili as required.
    6. Enjoy!

    Serve & Store

    • Scoop the chili up with crispy tortilla chips.
    • Add your favourite grain – brown rice, quinoa, corn couscous.
    • Serve with salad, sour cream, guacamole.
    • Drizzle with a cheesy sauce.
    • Be adventurous with your chili and vary the intensity – be daring!
    • Store refrigerated for up to 5 days.

    Smoky veg bean chili… yumyum!
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