One hazy afternoon recently I was in the kitchen,  pantry-staring, feeling tired and wondering what the easiest route to something hot and hearty was going to be.

This recipe is the result. No chopping necessary!

It’s as easy as throwing three things into a saucepan: tomatoes,  beans and spices. Then basically all you have to do is walk away and let the mixture slowly simmer into a thick, yummy chilli.

A spare 5 minutes will get this recipe on the stove top and cooking. Make a batch and put it in a sealed container in your refrigerator, seeking refuge in its beany goodness for lunches or nights when you need a quick fix.

If you have any spare beans or dregs of vegetables laying around,  this is a tasty, effort-free way to use them: add up to one cup of extra beans/vege to this recipe. My first time making this, I added some cannellini beans and they worked really well.

 

Flash Gordon Chilli

 

Ingredients:

1 x 400g can kidney beans in brine
1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan, adding olive oil last.

Cover and bring to simmer over medium heat.

Reduce heat to very low and cook, covered, until liquid reduces into a thick sauce, around 40 minutes. Stir occasionally. When chilli is cooked, serve as desired or let cool and refrigerate in a sealed container for up to one week.

Serves 2-3.

Image: Neon Cats sculpture by Pacifico Palumbo / via my Pinterest