Vegan Chilli con carne

Serving suggestion

Dinner for 2

Ingredients:

·         1 tin of kidney beans - rinsed

Some of the ingredients for the dish

·         1 tin of tomatoes

·         1 medium onion - chopped

·         4 cloves of garlic - chopped

·         ½ a red pepper and ½ green pepper – roughly cut

·         1 teaspoon of cumin powder

·         1 tea spoon coriander powder

·         A bit of black pepper

·         2 small chilli peppers

·         Thyme

·         Small bunch of parsley

·         Rapeseed oil

·         1 stock cube melted in 250ml of water

·         20 medium soya meatballs

·         1 cup of barley

 

Method:

Start by soaking the meat balls in boiled and salted water for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes squeeze out the water and cut them as they would have doubles size.

 

In a hot pan with 3 table spoons of rapeseed oil fry the chopped onion with thyme for 2 minutes and add the meatballs with garlic, salt and black pepper and fry until the meat has absorbed the flavours. This should take 5 minutes.

 

When the meat is brown, add the green and red peppers, the tomatoes, the cumin and the coriander. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes. Now add the kidney beans with the chillies and 250ml of vegetable stock, stir, cover and let the beans absorb the flavours for 15 minutes. Don’t forget to stir from time to time so the bottom of the pan don’t burn. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary

 

In the meantime, rinse the barley and to remove the starch covering it. Please it in a pan and cover with water. Barley can be hard to cook. So, water is 2 measures for 1 measure of barley. Here we’ve got 1 glass of barley so, 2 glasses of water will be needed to cook it. Also add 1 teaspoon of oil and a bit of salt. Then, leave the pan open and let the water evaporate for 15 minutes on high heat. There should be a little bit of water left. After 15 minutes stir the barley, put the heat to low and cover the pan. This will allow the barley to finish cooking with steam mainly for another 10 minutes. Just before serving, add the finely chopped parsley.

 

Note: Did you know that parsley is a great source of antioxidants, folic acids, vitamin K and C? I didn’t know that, but I love parley!

 

Yummy!

Red Kidney beans cooked in Garlic and Ginger

for 2 potions

This dish is one of the simpliest you will find on this blog. It is simple quick and tasty.

Ingredients:

Dry kidney beans

1. 1 tin of kidney beans
2. 3 garlic cloves
3. ½ small onion
4. ½ tea spoon of fresh grated ginger
5. 3 tablespoons of Olive oil
6. 1 barely ripen plantain
7. Spring of thyme
8.  ½ vegetable cube
9. Salt and pepper

If you prefer your beans slightly firm, I’d recommend that you use dried kidney beans and boil it in salt water for 30 mins.

Preparation:

Rinse the kidney beans, set aside.
Peel and chop garlic & onion.
Cut the plantain in half and cover with water in a deep pan.

Method:

Yellow plantain

Bring the plantain to boil for about 20 minutes, remove the skin, scrape the spongy looking layer on the plantain, rinse and set aside in a bowl with boiling water.

While the plantain is boiling, Fry the chopped onion in a very hot pan with 3 table spoons of olive oil and a spring of thyme. Fry for 2 minutes.

Add in the ginger and crushed garlic, then add the kidney beans, salt, pepper and crushed half of stock cube.

Stir fry for 2 minutes then add 50ml of water mix, cover and let the water reduce on medium heat for 5 minutes so the beans will absorb the seasoning. Do not let the water dry completely as this dish needs moisture.

It is ready to serve.
This dish isn’t great reheated. Since it takes about 10-15 to get the beans ready, it is better to just cook the quantities needed.
If the plantain the beans were to be cooked simultaneously. The whole dish will take 20 minute to get ready!

Next time, make it with some soya chunk and chopped tomato then serve with chips or rice or just a toasted slice of bread.

Enjoy!

Did you know that Kidney beans reduced cholesterol and that plantain contains vitamins A, potassium and calcium? now you know!