Quite often, I am happy to go on a leisurely stroll around the farmer’s market, trying to put together a great meal. But, let’s be real. Just because I’m happy to do that doesn’t mean that I always can. Or even want to, if I’m being very truthful. There are those days where I really don’t want to hop in the car to go Palpate Artichokes or Ogle some Eggplant. And those are the days when I rely on what’s in the fridge, the freezer and the cupboards to make a good meal that we’ll both enjoy.
Sometimes, if my Reserve Bench is thin, I can barely pull together a cheese and cracker (yes, singular) smackerel. Fortunately, on this particular day, I my bench was pretty deep. Except for onions. If I were to make this again–and I would–I’d definitely add onions, but I didn’t really miss them. Honest.
Black Bean Chili with Chorizo
Yes, I opened a lot of cans to make this dish. But, as with most of the meals I make, this is only a template. Use fresh if you have it, and change it up however you want.
- 3 12-ish ounce cans black beans, rinsed
- 2 12-ish ounce cans diced tomatoes (I used Muir Glen Organics)
- 1 can Ro-Tel (it’s magic)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 red/orange/yellow bell peppers, seeded and chopped
- cumin, to taste
- lots of hot red chili powder if you like it hot. Less if you don’t
- 1 pound fresh chorizo, cooked and crumbled
- juice of one lime (or two, if your limes aren’t really juicy)
- a couple of teaspoons of fish sauce
- water or some lager, just to make things a little soupy for awhile
- fresh cilantro
After cooking the chorizo, toss everything in a big old pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer for half an hour or so.
Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. Sprinkle on some fresh cilantro and pepper jack cheese and serve over brown rice (which is what I did). Or serve it however you’d like it.
This would be great wrapped up in a burrito or chimichanga. It’d make a great quesadilla filling, or a layer in Mexican lasagna. Or in tacos. I think you get the idea.
I hope this dish inspires you to make a pantry/fridge/freezer meal soon. Do you have a go to pantry dish you like to make? I’d love to hear about it.
Have a lovely day!
