I have a confession to make…last week, while we were on a quickie holiday, I broke my Lenten promise to abstain from sugar! Because we were on vacation, I had ice cream…not once but twice. The children had ice cream too. Waaaahhh!
To make amends, I did not eat the Guinness Gingerbread I made for St. Patrick’s Day. Hmphhh! And, on Mothering Sunday (Mother’s Day), which is coming up at the end of the month, I will refrain from whatever treats and sweets my family try to ply me with. One of my brother-in-laws is a Catholic priest…I guess I will consult with him as to whether I have to go to confession too! Uggghhh!
While I may have slipped in one area of our Lenten promise, I have not in the other: we have stuck with our meat-free Friday meals. Yeaahhh! Truth be told, it’s not all that difficult given the many wonderful recipes available today.
This evening I am serving my family a vegetarian chili that’s been in my recipe box for years. The recipe comes from Elizabeth Buxton and Terence Stamp’s cookbook, The Stamp Collection Cookbook. I started making this chili {donkey’s} years ago, when I was on a wheat-free and dairy-free diet and I always found it easy to whip up {about 20 minutes} and consistently good.
Unfortunately, my photography skills are not finely honed yet and the photo above may not entice you enough to try this recipe. For sure, you’ll have to trust me…this chili is good. Perhaps a few of you brave ones will give it a go. If so, let me know how you get on.
Happy cooking and happy Lent!
Vegetarian Chili
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
1/4 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
6 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
175g/1 cup canned red kidney beans, drained and rinsed under running cold water
175/1 cup canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed under running cold water
200g/1 cup cooked puy lentils
250g/1 cup canned tomatoes with their juice
1 tablespoon tomato purée/paste
55g/1 cup fresh chopped flat parsley (optional)
grated pecorino cheese
Directions
1. Soften the onions, jalapeño pepper and red pepper in 4 tablespoons of the oil for 4 minutes.
2. Add the chili flakes, cinnamon, cumin and thyme and cook over high heat for 1 minute.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, beans and lentils. Stir into the mixture and cook for a couple of minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes, tomato purée/paste and remaining olive oil, cover and simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes.
5. Taste, season with salt and pepper, and more tomato purée/paste, if needed. {I also sometimes find I need to add a bit more water too.)
6. Add the parsley just before serving (optional) and sprinkle with pecorino, as desired.
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