Three Bean Vegetarian Chili

This is the fastest, tastiest chilli you will ever make.  Super cheap and you can generally keep the pantry items on hand and throw this baby together last minute.  Because it's meatless, there is no meat browning, or long simmering time.  I suppose you could throw the ingredients in the slow cooker if you wanted, but there's really no need when it cooks up in about 20 minutes.

I have to credit my sister for this recipe, she really came through with this one. I've made some adjustments from her original (more garlic, more spice, extra Serrano chilis!), but not because I didn't like the original, mostly because I can't ever stick to a recipe when I'm just throwing things in a pot.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp Veg Oil (I used canola)
1 medium yellow onion
2 peppers (red, yellow, orange, green - your choice) seeded and chopped
2 Serrano chilis (I don't seed mine, I love spice.  If you don't, seed them and cut it down to one chili)
4-6 cloves of chopped garlic
1 cup of water (veg stock can be used)
1 can of crushed or diced tomatoes (the big can)
1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can of kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can of refried beans (THIS is the secret to an incredible chilli!)
1 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp (or more) cayenne
Salt and Pepper

Optional finishing toppings:
Grated Cheddar Cheese
Chopped green onion
Sour cream
Chopped fresh tomato
Chopped fresh avocado

Basically this is a chop and drop recipe.  Use a large pot and add the oil.  Chop onions and sauté for about 5 min.  Add chopped garlic and stir for 2 more minutes.  Roughly chop peppers in large pieces and add once the onion and garlic have softened.  Add Serrano chilli (or Jalepenos are fine) if using.

After the peppers have had about 3 or 4 minutes to sauté, add your dry spices now.  This allows the spices to toast slightly and will give you a better flavour.  However, watch the pot carefully, it can quickly burn.  Have your liquids ready to add once you put the dried spices in the pot.  Let the spices cook for about 1 minute and add the whole can of diced tomatoes and the cup of water.  Stir well to mix in the spices with the tomatoes.

Rinse the kidney and black beans together in a colander. Some recipes suggest not to, though I read once that rinsing beans helps to remove some of their gaseous after effect.  I'm not sure if it makes a huge difference, but I figure every bit helps.  Once the beans are rinsed under water add them to the pot.  Season with salt and pepper and simmer until you're ready to eat.

With about 5 minutes before you're ready to eat add the can of refried beans.  This adds a wonderful creaminess to the chili and really brings the whole thing together.  Don't skip this step, it's incredible.

Serve the chilli over rice (I used brown basmati) and top with your choice of cheddar cheese, green onion, sour cream, fresh tomato, or avocado.  Or hey, throw 'em all in there, all of those toppings are fantastic.

Kimchi Stew

Kimchi Jiggae (aka stew) is a popular Korean dish.  I ate this stew nearly daily when I lived in Seoul and it is honestly one of the only dishes on earth I could eat everyday for the rest of my life.  It's hot, spicy, and comforting, usually served with white rice and a variety of side dishes.

Because I am attempting a meat free Monday I will be skipping the pork or tuna options that are typically prepared.  My favourite way to do this was always with a full can of tuna stirred in known as Cham Chee Kimchi Jiggae.

Kimchi stew is best prepared with older, "ripe" kimchi.  Perfect for using up the rest of the jar that's been sitting in your fridge.  However, it's fine to make with fresh kimchi as well and won't make a huge difference to how it turns out.

Ingredients:
2-3 cups kimchi (pickled spicy napa cabbage)
1tbsp sugar
1tsp korean hot pepper flakes (optional)
1tbsp hot pepper paste (gochujang) (optional)
1/2  package of medium firm tofu cut in cubes
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
5 cloves of chopped garlic
Drizzle of sesame oil
Salt and Pepper
Water

Directions:
Put the kimchi in a medium sized pot and cut with kitchen scissors into bite sized pieces.  Alternatively, chop the kimchi before adding to the pot. Fill pot with water, approximately 6 cups.  Add onion and garlic and bring to a boil.  Cook stew for about 20 minutes, adding tofu, sugar, and hot pepper flakes and paste if using. This is also where I would normally add a can of tuna, so if you are eating fish or it's the weekend and you're a weekday vegetarian  Continue cooking for 5 more minutes.  Season with salt and pepper and add chopped green pepper for garnish.  Just before serving drizzle with a small amount of sesame oil and stir in.

Serve with steamed rice. White, short grained rice works best here, but brown short grain is a fine substitute.  I really enjoy eating this with a package of toasted seaweed, wrapping the seaweed around the rice as a nice salty, crunchy addition.

This meal is incredibly cheap.  The kimchi is probably the most expensive thing on the ingredients list, but it lasts FOREVER.  It doesn't go bad, but will sit in the back of your fridge and ripen until you're ready to make the next batch.

I have enjoyed my weekday vegetarianism.  I have had moments of disappointment during the week, particularly at work when I was offered some Pakistani Palau (Spiced Chicken and Rice) on Friday and was starving, but decided to eat around the chicken and leave the chicken-ey rice bits for Saturday afternoon. Other than moments such as these, I'm feeling happier and much less sleepy-full when my meals are finished.  I actually have the energy to go out and do things and have been biking, swimming, and heading the the beach as these summer days dwindle. I really do enjoy the challenge of finding really good tasting food that's not trying to be meat (read: no veggie patties or meatless chicken bits) and making it taste incredible.  I can only imagine that my cooking will get better with time and I'm really enjoying saving money on not buying meat and eating at restaurants during the week.

Life, simplified.