It's a texture thing
I was a surprisingly picky eater when I was a kid. I say surprisingly for a few reasons, namely that I am now a nutrition professional who eats pretty much anything and everything (with one exception), and that Mom had (and still has) mad cooking skills. There were certain things that I just didn't really enjoy eating. I would only have one meatball when we had spaghetti and meatballs. I would have a very tiny piece of meatloaf. I had to have the "special" blueberry muffin made in the custard cup from the leftover batter that didn't contain any blueberries. I would stay away from big chunks of cooked tomatoes in anything. And I most certainly did NOT eat kidney beans in any form, including three-bean salad or in chili.
Most of these things gradually went away, and by the time I was in high school, I happily ate most of the food items that I previously disdained, with one exception: the kidney beans. The kidney bean phobia has extended over into another varied food category: chili. I have never been a big fan of chili, even of kinds where there were no kidney beans.
What's particularly strange about the chili thing is that I have definitely made my mother's chili recipe for several people who enjoyed it - and yet, I never ate it. Never. But because the recipe was that good, there were never any leftovers - at least, not any leftovers not easily handled by cynic51.
The chili-avoiding days are no more, thanks to the most recent edition of Eating Well Magazine. Their Meatless Monday recipe in the February 2011 edition is a lovely Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili. I made it a little on the spicy side, thanks to some extra Aleppo Pepper, and it was delicious over homemade cornbread. I had enough for lunches this week, as well as some for the freezer. Very easy, and very delicious!
Ingredients
* 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 medium-large sweet potato, peeled and diced
* 1 large onion, diced
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 tablespoons chili powder (omitted)
* 4 teaspoons ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile (This is where I used the Aleppo)
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 1/2 cups water
* 2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
* 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
* 4 teaspoons lime juice
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Preparation
1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato and onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion is beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, chipotle and salt and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add water and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the sweet potato is tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Add beans, tomatoes and lime juice; increase heat to high and return to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.
I still don't eat kidney beans. Ever.
Most of these things gradually went away, and by the time I was in high school, I happily ate most of the food items that I previously disdained, with one exception: the kidney beans. The kidney bean phobia has extended over into another varied food category: chili. I have never been a big fan of chili, even of kinds where there were no kidney beans.
What's particularly strange about the chili thing is that I have definitely made my mother's chili recipe for several people who enjoyed it - and yet, I never ate it. Never. But because the recipe was that good, there were never any leftovers - at least, not any leftovers not easily handled by cynic51.
The chili-avoiding days are no more, thanks to the most recent edition of Eating Well Magazine. Their Meatless Monday recipe in the February 2011 edition is a lovely Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili. I made it a little on the spicy side, thanks to some extra Aleppo Pepper, and it was delicious over homemade cornbread. I had enough for lunches this week, as well as some for the freezer. Very easy, and very delicious!
Ingredients
* 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 medium-large sweet potato, peeled and diced
* 1 large onion, diced
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 tablespoons chili powder (omitted)
* 4 teaspoons ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile (This is where I used the Aleppo)
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 1/2 cups water
* 2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
* 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
* 4 teaspoons lime juice
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Preparation
1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato and onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion is beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, chipotle and salt and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add water and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the sweet potato is tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Add beans, tomatoes and lime juice; increase heat to high and return to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.
I still don't eat kidney beans. Ever.