This is one of my recipes that means I can do other things while it simmers away on the stove. So on an evening where the house is a busy one, I chop up my veg and pop this one on the hob and let it do the rest for me.
Initially I had to use a blender to hide the wholeness of the ingredients like the beans and pepper before my taste buds began to change. So feel free to whizz this up when it's cooked for anyone that might be a little put off by the veggies.
We call this recipe Ron Burgundy sauce as it's a deeper red aka burgundy so the name chilli isn't too off putting. Spice can change a dish from being yummy to over powering and then you don't get to taste what your eating. See my notes on spice below to create the level of heat you enjoy.
Serves: 6
Time to prepare: 10 minutes
Time to cook: 50 minutes
You will need...
1 diced onion
3 crushed garlic cloves
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 chopped pepper*
2 sliced carrots
1 can of tinned tomatoes
2 tbsp of tomato puree/tomato passata**
1 can of red kidney beans in water
1 stock cubed crumbled into 500ml boiling water
3/4 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of paprika
Pinch of Chilli flakes***
Brown Rice
*I like to mix things up and try different colour peppers. The green although stronger in tastes adds colour and flavour to the dish.
**In my house I always have a passata in the cupboard or fridge. When using a jar of passata in other dishes I save the last bit to use in dishes like this or to pop on a pizza.
*** Just the littlest bit of chilli brings a lovely warmth to the pot without the spice but of course add more if you'd like it a little spicier. To do this add a little more chilli, stir, let it be, taste and adjust further if needed.
How to create...
To prepare:
Dice your onion and crush your garlic, with your hands... (heehee or a garlic crusher/knife).
Wash and slice your carrots length ways and slice into half moons (semicircle shapes.)
Wash then cut out the core of your pepper and chop into small chunks.
Drain and wash the kidney beans in a colander.
Pop the kettle on. This will need enough water for the stock (500ml) and the rice.
See my cooking tip on how to dice an onion here.
To cook:
Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Then add the onions and garlic, letting them saute on a medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula. Add a splash of water if your onions are sticking.
Pour 500ml of boiling water into a jug with your crumbled stock cube and stir until dissolved.
Pour the rest of the water into another saucepan for the brown rice.
Check through the ingredients list and add the remaining ingredients, except the rice, into the pan.
Cook on a medium heat for 45-50 minutes and cover with a lid. The pot should gently bubble away.
Wash the rice in the colander, add it to your pan of boiling water and cook checking the packaging for recommendations on cooking tips with the rice you choose.
Stir the pot occasionally to make sure it's still gently bubbling, that it's not sticking to the bottom and there's enough liquid to cover the vegetables. Use a fork to see how soft the carrots are to know when your chilli is ready. I like my carrots soft but with a little bite.
Serve with the rice and some fresh spinach.
The chilli makes great leftovers too. Freeze portions in the freezer for 2-3 months and add a label so you know what it is. You can also add the date to know how long it's been there. By sharing it into portions ready means you won't waste any by defrosting the whole batch. It can also be keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.
I'm having some chilli on my pizza or perhaps in some burritos this evening.
Happy creating,
Emmy x
This recipe is plant based, gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free, vegan and is full of wholesome goodness. All the ingredients I use I try to use organic, local and fair trade where possible and necessary but it’s up to you to choose what you want to use.
Top tip:
Pop all the food ends in the compost. Onion skins and scraps are safe and great for the compost but need to be buried at least 10 inches otherwise their unpleasant aroma might attract pests or wildlife. The smaller the scrap the quicker it can break down too, so you could aid the process by chopping them into smaller pieces. I wouldn't add them in a wormery as they find the smell too off putting. The the acidic nature of onions aren't great for worms.