The Simple Bare Necessities feat. Gratitude & Recipes

Good evening :hello:

Thank you so much for supporting my diary v.3. I greatly appreciate it.



So, today was indeed a nsd :j we'll gloss over the fact that there ain't nowt in the coffers to spend anyway......... *ahem*.

Baby Greying and I did get out and about for some fresh air and exercise. Perhaps we should have walked a little further than we did, but no matter, we enjoyed ourselves.

I have still been unable to track down the actual recipe that prompted me to write 'Pumpkin & black bean chilli' on the planner. I am a numpty. I know that it was a couple of ingredients, that I knew that I had (pumpkin being one of them) that made me think *oooh, I'll make that*. But I am blowed if I can source it now I very nearly gave up on the concept altogether. It is 'lucky' that I bought 2 pumpkins from mrL. I tried preparing the one earlier this afternoon, it was a 'crown prince' type pumpkin. I have actually grown them myself in previous allotment-holding days, and like them very much. However, they can be deceptive in their ripeness. This one wasn't mature enough, and was very green on the inside (the flesh is orange on a mature pumpkin). I tried cooking it (microwave) and tasted it, but it was vile - I'm sure you all know what I mean when I say 'too vegetal'. The pumpkin is now residing on the compost heap Luckily, I had also bought a........ I think they are called harlequin pumpkins - they are the shape of a hazelnut, ribbed and are a splodge of colours - beige, orange green etc. Luckily, this was lovely and ripe, so we were 'on' again for pumpkin 'something'.

In the end, I plumped for a recipe which I know can't of been the one I originally had in mind, but a) it used yellow pepper - thereby giving me the excuse to use up my 10p barginacious specimen that I got from mrW last week, and b) it is in fact a slow-cooker recipe, and whilst I don't own one, I thought it may be of use to some SC owners on here.

What I did do though was to intentionally keep the pumpkin out of the chilli - as I didn't find the chilli too liquidy, and I steamed the pumpkin first and then sauted it off in a frying pan - to try to achieve a different texture. It crisped up and some went roasted colour, but I don't think the picture picks that up too well.

I know it sounds daft to do that ^, but I was after a buddha bowl rather than a bowl of chilli, so.........

The recipe that I followed (but cooked on the stove top, not in a SC) is HERE, picture here;



I served it with brown basmati from the freezer, steamed brocolli, an avocado half, a tahini, miso, citrus (lime) & coriander dressing, with dry-roasted pumpkin seeds and chipotle chilli flakes scattered on top. I did also add both smoked paprika and chipotle chilli flakes into the chilli (not in the recipe).

Was it the best chilli I've ever had? No. would I make it again? Perhaps. I think I would use passata rather than chopped tomatoes - and if I was making it 'as' a chilli, I would incorporate the pumpkin in with the beans, possibly without sauteing it. Also, in line with Cheery's 'full-disclosure', I forgot to put honey in the tahini dressing. To say it was a bit zwingy is an understatement.....

I wonder how it would fair in the SC. I'm sure that the chilli officianados amongst you would perhaps be looking to add a mole or some worcestershire sauce........

I have now used the last of the frozen avocados from mrT that greenbee put us all onto. I liked this product. I am miffed that they have discontinued it. It didn't discolour (greenbee said it didn't), tasted OK cooked or 'fresh' and whilst a little pricey at £2.50, was actually worth the money. As, in the time that I have had those in the freezer, I have composted at least 4 'fresh' avocados that have gone rotten from the inside out That is at least £1.25's worth of produce that is inedible I would defiinitely buy a bag again if mrT re-stocked them.


Today i am grateful for these 3 things;

that today was indeed another, and a better, day for, and with, Baby Greying

for listening to, and learning things from, MSE contributors

for changing to a more appropriate, rightful track....... here's to full-steam ahead

I will have another look for the 'original' pumpkin chilli recipe. I'm intrigued as to where it has disappeared to and what was in it that sparked my interest! :rotfl:Thank you for taking the time out of your day to support me here. It is appreciated, probably a great deal more than you realise.

Greying X