Lentil Chilli (and Burrito Snacks)

A basic lentil chilli served with rice and pitta breads on day one and then as burritos for lunch for the next few days.

Ingredients-

For the Chilli -

250g Green Lentils

2x Onions, finely chopped

200g Mushrooms, sliced

1x Green Chilli, finely chopped

1x Sweet Red Pepper

1x Tin of Kidney Beans, drained

1x Tin of Chopped Tomatoes

1tsp Smoked Paprika

1tsp Chilli Powder (or Chilli sauce, simply add more for a spicier dish)

Basmati Rice

Salt and Pepper to taste

For the Burritos -

8x Fajitas

Left over Chilli

150g Mature Cheddar, grated

Tin foil, for wrapping

Method - For this recipe I actually used split green peas which were pre-soaked for several hours prior to cooking. In hindsight though, I do believe that previous attempts where I have used lentils instead produced tastier, more successful dishes. It should also be noted that I generally use a lot more smoked paprika in my chilli than is stated in the ingredients but I feel it is better to err on the side of caution as you can always add more whilst cooking or even when reheating the chilli again.

To begin, cook the lentils in boiling water for around 20 minutes until soft but do not allow them to turn mushy. Drain and set aside for later. Next, add the onion, garlic, chilli and spices to a large frying pan with a little oil and salt and fry over a medium heat for around 5 minutes until the onions start to brown slightly. Next add in the mushrooms and pepper, continuing to fry for around 10 minutes until the mushrooms are cooked. 

Add in the cooked lentils and stir into the mixture in the frying pan for around 2 minutes in order to give the lentils the chance to take on the flavours of the chilli, onion and garlic. Now, add in the kidney beans and tinned tomatoes, stirring well and leave the chilli to cook over a low to medium heat for around 15 minutes whilst you prepare the rice and pittas.

Once cooked, serve on a bed of Basmati rice with a sprinkling of cheddar cheese and toasted pitta breads.

Chilli Burritos - Generally, the amount of chilli made from this recipe could serve 4 to 5 people in one sitting. However, I prefer to re-use the left overs in making individually wrapped burritos that can be kept in the fridge for several days to be reheated or enjoyed cold.

Burrito wrapping for dummies 

Preheat the oven to 180°c and follow the above guide to wrapping burritos. Start with a generous dollop of chilli and a helping of cheddar cheese. Roll, wrap, rinse, repeat. Cook for 20 minutes and enjoy straight away or allow to cool before storing in the fridge. For a vegan alternative you can substitue the cheddar with a vegan cheese or simply swap it out for some guacamole.

I should probably try and make my own fajitas.

JAB

Normal Service to Resume Shortly

After Christmas and New Year, things have been a little quiet on the cooking front. I did however receive  'Anjum's Indian Vegetarian Feast' by Anjum Anand from my Sister, some great recipes and a whole bunch of stuff that I'll be experimenting with over the coming months. So last night I made my first curry from scratch and was pretty pleased with the outcome. After a few tweaks I should have this recipe up on Rocket Bean.

Paneer and Pea Masala (Naan bread not homemade)

Over the coming weeks I'm also looking to attempt a few things in my new Tagine, a Veggie Burns Supper and some Veggie Poutine.

Watch this space!

JAB

Quesadillas and Homemade Guacamole

First up on Rocket Bean is an awesomely tasty recipe for quesadillas and homemade guacamole that serves 4 people. This also makes a great snack that can be eaten cold.

I'm currently looking at ways to make this recipe vegan friendly without the use of vegan cheese (not a huge fan of it) so watch this space. As with any recipe using fresh chilies, increase/decrease the quantities to your own personal taste and leave in the chilli seeds if you want it really spicy. Also, fresh coriander makes a huge difference to the taste of the guacamole and so it's worthwhile seeking out.

Guacamole
Ingredients-
2x Avocados
10-12 vine ripened cherry tomatoes, chopped
½ bunch of coriander, finely chopped (or 2tsp of dried coriander leaf)
3x cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1-3 chillies, finely chopped
1x lime, juice only
Salt and pepper, to taste 
Note: you can also add spinach to make the mixture go further.

Method - Very quick and easy to make. Halve and stone the avocados and spoon out the flesh into a blender (or a container suitable for use with a hand blender), add in the rest of the ingredients, squeezing the lime juice over the top of the contents. Now blend and the guacamole is ready to serve. Salt and pepper can be added after blending to taste. 

You can also simply mash all the ingredients together using a fork if you prefer a more chunky dip.

Finely chop the garlic and chillies before adding to the blender.

Chilli Mushroom and Bean Quesadillas
Ingredients-
8x flour tortillas
1x onion, grated
2x garlic cloves, grated

chilli powder

olive oil for frying
1x can of kidney beans, drained and mashed
1x can of butter beans, drained and mashed
1x chilli, finely chopped
1x red pepper, sliced into strips
200g strong cheddar, grated
250g mushrooms, sliced
tin foil

Method - Add the olive oil to the pan and heat to a medium temperature.

Next, add the grated onion, garlic and chilli powder to the pan with a little salt and fry gently for 10 mins, allowing to brown over the heat. Add the chopped chilli and mushrooms and continue to cook for around 5 mins until the mushrooms soften.

Preheat the oven to 180°c.

Drain the beans and mash together in a pan. 

Canned beans will generally not need to be cooked for this recipe and will be soft enough to mash straight from the can. Dried beans can be used instead but will need to be soaked overnight before being cooked and mashed. 

Once cooked place a tortilla onto a sheet of tin foil and then layer on the mashed beans, chilli mushroom mix, peppers and grated cheese spreading evenly across the tortilla and top with a second tortilla. Now place another sheet of foil on top of that tortilla repeating the layers until you have used all tortillas and filling (making a stack of 4 quesadillas).

Place the stack in the preheated oven for 15-20mins until the cheese has melted and the tortillas have started to go crisp around the edges. Remove from the oven and cut into quarters, serve with guacamole and side salad.

Enjoy, and feel free to leave feedback or let me know your thoughts should you try any recipes out!

JAB