Sweet and Smokey BBQ Bean Chili

Perfect for warming cold hands (and stomachs)

So, I am officially back from volunteering at Food Blogger Connect 2015 and my God... There are just not enough words for how amazing the entire experience was. Not only did I get to EAT an almost illegal quantity of incredible food and gain a huge amount of knowledge from experts in the food blogging industry, but I also got to hang out with an incredible group of people who made me feel both welcome and inspired at the same time. I can honestly hold my hands up and say that despite being more nervous than a prostitute in church when I first arrived, I enjoyed every moment (even the hard work) and would happily do it all over again.

Plus, the goody bag that I got to take home was so outrageously crammed full of treats that it made the ones that the Oscars do look like something you put in a park bin after your dog has been *ahem* busy.

I promise that I'll write another post in the very near future going into a bit more detail about my time at the conference, including some of the mouth-watering foods I fell in love with, the fantastic people I worked alongside and all the most memorable moments. However, at this precise moment in time I am going to share another recipe with you, 'cos I knows ya loves the food.

I also promise to work on improving my photography skills (thank you David Frenkiel).

I made a version of this chili for my brother a few months ago and despite being a little dubious at first (he likes his chili with meat) he actually suggested that I make it again in the near future. Praise indeed! Luke's a tough critic and getting anything that doesn't consist of either a witty criticism or a grunt/shrug combo is very flattering.

This chili is smokey, sweet and conceals a nice little spice kick to power-charge your cold bones and warm up your tum. Not only is it packed full of nutritious ingredients but it also tastes like something you could coat pulled pork in and serve up in a steaming, juicy hoagie. What's more. it's the perfect time of year to enjoy this dish as whilst the sun is still holding out pretty strong during the day (making me crave BBQ food), the evenings are starting to get a little chillier (making me crave something hearty and warming). Bing, bang boom! BBQ chili time!

Ingredients:

2 cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (can use other bean varieties or a combination of your favourites)
1 onion, peeled and diced
1-2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp garlic granules/powder (or use 2-3 cloves of minced garlic)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/2 tsp dried, crushed chilli flakes
500ml passata
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (regular vinegar will work)
1 tbsp truvia (can sub for another sweetening agent such as molasses, brown sugar, coconut sugar or honey but I don't know how these will taste - never hurts to experiment though!)
Optional add-ins: 1 cup of spinach and 1 cup of frozen sweetcorn.

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat and add in the onions. Fry for a couple of minutes or until they start to turn translucent. 

Add in the smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, mustard powder and chilli flakes. Stir and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes or until the spices become fragrant.

Pour in the passata and turn the heat to medium-low. Bring the contents to a simmer (takes around 5 minutes) before adding in the beans, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar and truvia. 

Stir to combine the flavors and leave (covered) on a low heat for a further 10 minutes.

Stir in the spinach and sweetcorn and leave to cook (uncovered) for 5 minutes more. 

Ensure the chili is nice and hot to your liking before dishing yourself out a bowl of this hearty soul fire. Best enjoyed sitting around a family-sized table with some helpings of brown rice/corn bread (additional family members are optional but recommended).  

Serves 4

Bonus point - it makes great sweet potato chili cheese fries! Who said eating well was boring?