Vegetarian Chilli - a staple to have in the freezer

This is a wonderful dish to serve on a cold winter’s evening with hot buttered toast. I usually whip up a batch and freeze what does not get inhaled! I set my slow cooker going and simmer this for hours.  I freeze the leftovers in portions so that I can easily reheat what I need as required.

You will need:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 ½ cups celery, chopped

1 ½ cups green capsicum, diced finely

1 cup onion, diced finely

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans diced tomatoes

3 cans of beans, rinsed and drained (kidney, white, chick pea etc)

½ cup sultanas

¼ cup red wine vinegar

3 teaspoons chilli powder or any chilli product

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon sugar

A handful of fresh basil or 1½ teaspoons dried basil

A tablespoon of fresh oregano, chopped or 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano

1½ teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground allspice

A decent pinch of vegetable salt

Grounded pepper, to taste

A couple of dashes of Tabasco sauce (if desired)

1 bay leaf

2 cans of beer 0 one to drink while cooking and the other to place into the dish

¾ cup cashew nuts

1 cup shredded tasty or cheddar cheese

What to do:

·  In a large saucepan heat oil. Add celery, capsicum, onion, and garlic. Cover and cook over medium heat about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

·  Stir in untrained tomatoes, drained beans, sultanas, vinegar, chilli, parsley, sugar, basil, oregano, cumin, allspice, salt, black pepper, Tabasco sauce, and bay leaf.

·  Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 1 ½ hours. Stir in the beer. Return to boiling. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes more or until desired consistency. Discard bay leaf. Stir in cashews. Sprinkle cheese over each serving.

HINT: if you are cooking this in the slow cooker;

            - fry up vegetables, and then whack everything into the slow cooker, except for the cashews and cheese. Add these just before serving.