Mexican Bean Stew

Another one of those recipes that seems too simple to put on Grubbed Up! since it's so quick and has some cheats, and it's just a staple midweek meal for us (and there's usually some leftovers for a work lunch the next day).  But I've also served this a few times to friends, and they always want to know how it was done.  It's also one of those dishes that can be served in lots of different ways... It's delicious by itself, but also fantastic when served with either rice or Fried Cauliflower Rice.  It works well on a baked potato.  If you can afford the carbs, my favourite way to have it is in wraps with some southern fried chicken goujons, sprinkled with a little grated cheese.

In the picture, I've chosen to add Quorn vegetarian steak strips to the stew.  A lot of people seem to hate Quorn, and I think that's mainly because they've had it badly cooked and ended up with a dry, chewy disappointment.  For me, Quorn only works if you cook it in a sauce, as it's when it soaks up flavours from your cooking liquid that it becomes super tasty.  Try it!  (Or if you really can't bring yourself to use Quorn, add some cooked chicken pieces instead).

Ingredients

250g chopped onions
250g sliced peppers
150g sweetcorn
400g can butter beans
400g can kidney beans
400g can chopped tomatoes
100g tomato puree
1x35g pack fajita seasoning (I use Old El Paso Smoky Barbecue)
Optional ingredients:
1 tbsp sunflower oil
300g pack Quorn chicken style pieces/vegetarian steak strips or 300g cooked chicken pieces

Method

1. Heat the sunflower oil (if using) in a wok or pan on a high heat.  Add the onions, peppers and sweetcorn (I use frozen vegetables for convenience).

2. Cook the vegetables until the onions and peppers are soft and cooked through.

3. Add the beans, tomatoes and tomato puree.  Sprinkle over the fajita seasoning and stir through.  Keep heating this until the sauce starts to bubble, then reduce the heat to a low simmer.

4.  If you are using Quorn or cooked Chicken, add it now.  You can cook these from frozen if required.

5.  Simmer the stew for 10-15 minutes and serve. (If you used frozen Quorn/Chicken, make sure it is fully heated through).  Don't overcook the stew, as the beans may start to break down and mush a bit.