1yellow or red capsicum, (bell pepper) finely chopped
1 ½teaspoonground cumin
2cans chopped tomatoes
1can black beans, rinsed and drained
1can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
¼cupquinoa, (I used red quinoa, any colour is fine)
1cupvegetable stock
1bay leaf
½teaspoonsalt
1-3chipotle peppers, finely chopped (canned, in adobo sauce)
For the fries:
4large floury potatoes, (I used agria potatoes)
2tablespoonolive oil
For the cajun spice mix:
2tablespoonbrown rice flour, (or regular flour if not gluten free)
2teaspoonsmoked paprika
1teaspoongarlic powder
1teaspoondried oregano
1teaspoondried thyme
½teaspoononion powder
½teaspoonblack pepper
½teaspoonsalt
¼teaspooncayenne pepper
For the avocado sauce:
1avocado
1cupcoriander leaves, (cilantro) loosely packed
2tablespoonlime juice
¼cupwater
¼teaspoonsalt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 210C (410F).
Get the chili underway first.
Heat 2 tablespoon olive oil in a large frypan (skillet) or saucepan.
Add onion, garlic, capsicum and ground cumin and cook over a low to medium heat for 5-10 minutes, until everything is softened, fragrant, and starting to colour a little.
Add tomatoes, black beans, kidney beans, quinoa, vegetable stock, bay leaf and salt. Stir to combine, and turn down heat a little.
Depending on how spicy you like your chili, add 1-3 chopped chipotle chilis. Adding one will result in a mild chili that still has a little kick, and adding three will make it pretty spicy.
Cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the quinoa is cooked and the chili is thick, glossy and smells amazing. If it gets too thick while cooking, add a splash of water.
Discard bay leaf before serving.
Chili can be made ahead of time and reheated to serve, if desired.
For the fries:
Begin by making the cajun spice mix - mix everything together in a small jar or dish. This recipe will make enough spice mix for two meals, or one meal if you're cooking extra potatoes.
Wash and dry the potatoes well, leaving the skin on. Trim away any blemishes.
Slice lengthways into large wedges. I cut mine in half, then into quarters, then cut those in half again to get eight wedges from each spud.
Use a plastic bag or a large mixing bowl to coat the wedges. Put chopped potatoes in and drizzle over 2 tablespoon olive oil, shake or stir to coat all surfaces. Then add a few tablespoonfuls of the spice mix, and shake or stir again to coat the wedges evenly in spice mix.
Tip the wedges into a large roasting dish or tray, and put them in the oven to bake for 30-40 minutes. Turn the wedges every 15 minutes to ensure even cooking, and leave them in for an extra few minutes if necessary. When done, the wedges should be darkly golden brown, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
For the avocado sauce:
While everything else is cooking, make your avocado sauce.
Scoop avocado flesh into a blender or food processor.
Add coriander (cilantro), water, lime juice and salt.
Blend until smooth.
Taste and adjust seasoning with more lime juice or salt, if required.
Add a little extra water to thin the sauce to your desired consistency, if required.
The sauce can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to serve, but is best made and eaten on the same day.
To serve:
Pile a good scoop of chili onto a serve of fries, drizzle with avocado sauce, and sprinkle with extra coriander (cilantro) and chopped spring onions (scallions).
Notes
Nutrition estimated (I didn't weigh the potatoes).