I have really enjoyed this morning. Got the kids to nursery/ school in the snow, made it back home and then decided what I was making and had a morning of cooking… all in the warmth of my kitchen while it lightly snowed outside.

This morning I felt I wanted something warming so looked at making a bean chilli, but then saw a sweet potato in my veggie box that looked lonely so chopped him up and added him to my recipe… a good choice as the sweetness of the potato helped slightly cut the heat of the chilli. I’ve also wanted to try a vegan gluten free cornbread for some time now, so had the perfect opportunity and found a great recipe to try which did not fail.

Sweet Potato Bean Chilli

Ingredients:-

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 red sweet pepper, chopped
• 1 large sweet potato, chopped into approx 1″ cubes
• 1 tbsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp spicy paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp black papper
• 1/2 tsp onion salt
• 1/2 tsp cayenne powder
• 400 g tin chopped tomatos
• 400 g tin red beans
• 400 g tin chickpeas
• 400 g tin butter beans
• 400 ml boiling water

Method:-

1. Heat the olive oil in a pan, and add the onion, garlic, sweet peppers and sweet potato. Cook for 10 minutes or until the onions are soft.
2. Add in all the spices – chilli powder, spicy paprika, salt, cumin, black pepper, onion salt and cayenne powder. Saute for 2-3 minutes.
3. Stir in all the tinned ingredients – chopped tomatos, red beans, chickpeas and butter beans.
4. Add the boiling water to the pan and mix together well.
   
5. Bring to boil, then lower the heat and add a cover. Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the sweet potato is cooked.
   

Cornbread (vegan and gluten free)

Ingredients:-

• 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flaxseeds + 6 tbsp warm water)
• 180 g gluten free flour
• 170 g course cornmeal
• 50 g sugar
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 250 ml oat milk (or any other non-dairy milk)
• 60 ml vegetable oil

Method:-

1. Preheat over to 220^oC
2. Grease a bread tin with some coconut oil, and line with grease proof paper (my bread tin was 5 x 9″).
3. Mix the flax eggs by adding the ground flaxseeds with water and set aside for a few minutes.
4. In a medium size bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients – gluten free flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt.
5. Add in the flax eggs with oat milk and vegetable oil.
6. Blend together until smooth.
   
7. Pour into the bread tin, and bake in the over for 25-30 minutes or until you can put a toothpick in and it comes out clean.
   
8. Take the cornbread out of the bread tin when baked, and let it cool on a wire rack.
   

The cornbread taste great when eaten warm with some non-dairy butter.

Enjoy!

This recipe is an adaption from the Genius Kitchen website.