Mexican-Inspired 'Chicken' and Black Bean Stew

Hi, this recipe is from Tesco's free in-store magazine, October 2021 issue, page 44, or find online here.

This stew was more of a chilli than a stew for me and would've been nicer if we had used a tin of tomatoes (and a tinful of water) to make the broth, rather than just water as it would've been thicker and more chilli-like in texture as well as flavour. Or, even just used 500ml of stock, as this would've further boosted flavour.

Also, the stew was nice with the harissa paste in it, instead of the chipotle chilli paste / paprika, so if you have some leftover like I did from 'The Perfect: Vegetarian Tagine' by Felicity Cloake, then you can use some of it up here. I added an extra 1/2 tbsp of harissa to the stew though, plus 1 tbsp of tomato purée, as the sauce looked a bit diluted and thin. However, once simmered, it looked alright. 

I used the 'What the Cluck' Vegetarian Butcher pieces, but you could use chickpeas, tofu pieces or another vegetarian 'chicken' substitute. Alternatively, if you are not veggie or vegan, use white fish or chicken or turkey too. I also think that wilting some spinach into the stew would be nicer than serving it on the side like I did. 

Enjoy!

Hazel :)

Dietary Info:

-Vegan

-Vegetarian

-Dairy Free

-Gluten Free

-No Nuts

-Main Meal {When served with rice or potatoes.}

***

***

Serves 4

Takes 50 mins {However, I would recommend making it in advance and leaving it to cool so that the flavours have longer to develop.}

Ingredients:

-2 tbsp vegetable oil​ {I used extra virgin olive oil.}

-160g pack The Vegetarian Butcher What the Cluck

-1 red onion, thinly sliced​ {So not diced; cut into thin strips.}

-1 red pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced {So not diced; cut into thin strips.}

-2 tsp ground cumin​

-1 tbsp chipotle chilli paste or 1 tsp smoked paprika {I used 1 tbsp harissa paste + 1 tbsp tomato purée as it didn't look very tomatoey.}

-400g tin black beans, drained and rinsed​

-1 lime, juiced​ {I was going to add a splash of lemon juice (from a bottle), but I forgot. However this would've worked fine too.}

To serve:

-4 sweet potatoes or long grain rice, to serve {I served with rice, carrots, sweetcorn and spinach. Also, if not vegan enjoy with cheese and Greek yogurt.}

-30g sliced jalapeños in brine, drained​

-4 tbsp vegan coconut yogurt ​

-1/2 x 30g pack coriander, roughly chopped​ {At the end of cooking, I stirred through 1 - 2 tsp dried coriander.}

IF YOU DON'T HAVE RED ONIONS, TRY USING WHITE, BROWN OR SPRING ONIONS

Method:

1: For the sweet potatoes (if using), preheat the oven to 220°C / fan 200°C / gas 7 / 425°F. Prick the potatoes with a fork, wrap in foil and bake for 30-35 mins until soft. Alternatively, cook the rice according to packet instructions. {I didn't start to cook the rice until step 4 was completed as it only takes 15 - 20 mins for ours to cook.}

2: Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Add the What the Cluck and fry for 3-4 mins until lightly golden. {Ours came in reasonably big chunks, so I halved a few of the larger 'chicken' pieces.} Tip into a bowl and set aside.​ 

3: Add the remaining oil to the pan and cook the onion and pepper for 4-5 mins until softened and lightly charred. 

4: Return the What the Cluck to the pan, along with the cumin, chipotle paste (or smoked paprika) and beans. Give everything a good stir, then pour in 500ml freshly boiled water and bring to the boil. ​{I think that 400g tin tomatoes and some boiling water would've been nicer as I had to add in 1 tbsp tomato purée to it as well, just to make it a bit more red. Otherwise, the sauce looked very diluted.}

5: Reduce to a simmer and cook for ​15 mins, {Cover your pan with a lid if you have one to prevent too much water evaporating.} mashing the beans slightly with the back of a wooden spoon until the sauce starts to thicken. If you prefer a runnier sauce, add a splash more water. Season to taste with lime juice and freshly cracked black pepper. 

6: Serve with sliced jalapeños, yogurt and chopped coriander, alongside the sweet potatoes or rice.

TIP:

The bean stew will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. To serve, reheat until piping hot.

TO FREEZE:

Cool the stew fully and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost fully in the fridge overnight and reheat with a splash of water until piping hot.​ 

    

While you're here...

I have a Pinterest for all my recipes, where you can save them to boards for the future and categorise them into different types of recipe e.g Sunday Dinners, picnic ideas etc. My account is @hazellikestocook, or find the link below. Also, I have a whole blog post explaining this in more detail here and https://hazelscookingandbakingblog.blogspot.com/2021/02/pinterest.html. 

https://pin.it/5xDvARk - my profile

This recipe:

https://pin.it/6nFpTVK