VEGETARIAN RECIPES - NEWS FROM THE YOGA SANCTUARY

Recipes from Janine's Kitchen ~ November 2006 Recipe

I've had this recipe for a long, long time and I really don't remember where I got it from or even who I got it from. But I have been finding this year is a year of sweets and decadence. Styles are from the 80's, eating styles are from the 80's ...all outrageous, rich and full of chances to overdo it. So I thought I'd be a voice of sanity and give you an easy recipe to make when you need something nutritious when you're running around all week. You can keep this in the fridge and it will just taste better each day. Also don't be intimidated by the list. Iit's mostly spices!

Black Bean Chili
(not spicy hot)

Difficulty: Easy   Approximately 45 minutes including preparation

1 cauliflower
2-4 cloves of garlic minced
juice of 1 lemon
olive oil
salt & pepper

Difficulty: Even easier and less time consuming if using canned

1 lb of black beans, picked over and rinsed
or 2-3 cans of black beans (approximately 4-6 cups cooked)
12 cups of water if using dried beans or 1-1 1/2 cup if using canned
2 tbsp cumin
4 tsp Mexican chili powder (I have mistakenly used Indian chili powder)
1 tbsp coriander
1/4 tsp cayenne
2 tsp cocoa powder
4 tbsp oil
2 large onions
1 large green pepper chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped canned tomatoes
2-3 jalapenos chopped or up to 1 cup
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp oregano & basil
1 tsp salt (or if using canned, wait until finished to add salt to taste)
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup orange juice
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Optional: This is something I always do because I like the extra texture and protein
1/2 cup of TVP ground bit size
2 cups of broth

1. If using dried beans, place into a large pot covered with plenty of water. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit for 1 hour. Drain beans and return to pot and add cold water. Bring to a boil, then cook on simmer, partially covered for 1 hour or until tender. Remove from heat but do not drain. Or prepare using any other method you use to cook dried beans.

2. In a small bowl, combine cumin, chili, coriander, cayenne, cocoa. If using canned beans, open and rinse off well.

3. Heat 2 tbsp of oil and add onions and green peppers and cook for 8 minutes over medium heat. Add 2 more tbsp of oil and add garlic and spices (mixed from 2.) and stir well to combine and cook for another 2 minutes using slightly lower heat. Then remove from heat.

4. Ladle 1 cup of bean water if you used dried beans. For canned beans, add 1-1 1/2 cup of water or stock water to spice pan and scrape up contents of pan. Either add this mixture to the just cooked bean pot, or if using canned, add the canned beans to your pot.

5. Add tomatoes, jalapenos, tomato paste, brown sugar, oregano, basil, bay leaf and salt and bring to a simmer. If adding TVP and extra stock, add it here. Partially cover and cook for 30 minutes.

6. Add orange juice and vinegar, simmer 10 minutes more. Add more salt to taste.

Enjoy that night or let flavours mellow and enjoy the next day! I love eating this on toast with cheddar cheese.

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Hi all, my name is Janine and I'm excited to share with you recipes that I've collected over the years. Maybe even your favourite recipe! I love to cook and I love to eat. If you would like to share a recipe for consideration into this column please email it to janine_woo@yahoo.com.