Plate expectation: Black bean vegetable chilli baskets

This is a tasty, warming dish is ideal for Succot entertaining. It’s vegan, easy to make in large quantities and the baskets add a little finesse to the finished dish.

I love Mexican food and first made it for my daughter’s engagement party.

Use drained, rinsed tinned beans to reduce cooking time.

Method

1. 1 Cook the black beans in simmering water for one hour, or steam at 100°C for 50 minutes in a steam oven or until soft. Drain and set aside.
2.  Heat a deep frying pan with olive oil.  Add the carrots, onions, peppers, chillies and garlic. Cook for three minutes and then add the tomatoes, oregano, cinnamon, chocolate, tomato purée, brown sugar and stock.
3. Bring to the boil and simmer covered for 20 minutes. Add the black beans. Check seasoning and spoon into the prepared baskets.

For the baskets

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/ Gas mark 6.
2.  Using a pastry brush, lightly coat the inside of an 11cm ramekin / glass ovenware dish with rapeseed oil.
3. Brush the tortilla on both sides with a little oil and mould into the ramekin.
4. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until golden. Remove immediately and set aside on a rack to cool.  (These can be made three to four days in advance and stored in an airtight container).

Ingredients

• 200g dried black beans or you can used 2 x 400g tinned black beans
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 carrots – peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 red onions – peeled and roughly chopped
• 3 red peppers – deseeded and roughly chopped
• 2 green chillies – deseeded and finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves – peeled and roughly chopped
• 10 large plum tomatoes – roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 25g dark chocolate – roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato purée
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 150ml vegetable stock
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tortilla basket:

• 6 tortilla wraps (wholewheat or plain)
• 2 tablespoons rapeseed oil

• Preparation time: 30 Mins. Cooking time: 2 hours 30 minutes. Serves: 6 people