Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Simple suppers: feijoada

Stew. It's a terrible word. Tell a child they are having 'stew' for dinner and they run a mile. But stew has come a long way since the days of the 1980s brown gunge I used to be served up (sorry mum). Heaven forbid, stew can actually be delicious! Still, 'feijoada' sounds much more appealing than 'Brazilian black bean stew' so I'm sticking with that. And, since this is a blog, it doesn't really matter whether or not I can properly pronounce the word.

This is quite possibly my favourite stew ever. I like big flavours. I learned recently that some people have lots of taste buds on their tongue and others have less. For those with lots, they are very sensitive to flavour and therefore their tolerance to foods like chilli is lower. I think I must sit more towards the other end of the spectrum because I like it strong and and chillis are always present in my vege-box.

This is my version of a feijoada - it's a combination of two recipes. The traditional version is made with a mix of beef and pork but in the interests of limiting my meat intake I make it simply with chorizo (and sometimes bacon too if I am feeling naughty). Although the list of ingredients is relatively long, it's all made in the same pot which makes it good for a weeknight dinner and thus worthy of being a simple supper.

Enjoy!


Recipe

1 onion diced
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 chorizo
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp (heaped) ground coriander
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 capsicum (red or green or a mix of both)
1 carrot diced
1 can black beans
1/2 can tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup brown rice
2 cups water
1 small green chilli or jalapenos
juice of 1/2 orange
handful or coriander

Slice up chorizo. Heat oil in a wide pot - add onion and garlic. Saute for a couple of minutes then add the sliced chorizo (and bacon if you use it). Once the oil starts to come out of the chorizo add the cumin, coriander and cayenne pepper. After about 30 seconds add the carrot and capsicum and cook for a couple of minutes (add oil if it starts to stick). Add the canned tomatoes, the bay leaf, chilli and water and combine. Then stir in the brown rice. Put the lid on the pot and simmer on low for about 15 minutes. Add the black beans and continue to simmer on low until the rice is cooked.

Take the pot off the heat and squeeze in the juice of half an orange.

Serve in bowls with handfuls of coriander and wholemeal tortillas on the side.
Serves 2 hungry humans

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