One-pot chili for one: Halloween-week dinner on one burner and 30 cm of counter
Open two cans and let the pan do the work. Soften half an onion, stir in garlic and spices for a minute, then add half a can of tomatoes, half a can of drained beans and a mug of water and leave it to bubble for about 12 minutes. Grate the cheese while it simmers and park it in a mug on the windowsill. One knife, one board, one onion: that is all the chopping there is.
1 serving · 1 burner · 30 cm of counter · about 25 min
Halloween dinner: pair it with no-drill pumpkin decor for a small space.
The order: what comes out when
With one free surface you cannot take everything out at once. Each line is one round: out of the fridge or cupboard, onto the board, into the pan, and the counter is free again.
- Out: pan, oil, onion → Board: Dice half the onion and slide it straight off the board into the pan. → Pan: 1 tbsp oil, diced onion → Waits: the other half of the onion, wrapped, to the fridge (4 min)
- Out: garlic, chili powder, cumin → Board: Slice the garlic on the same board; no need to rinse it after the onion. → Pan: garlic, 2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin (1 min)
- Out: can of tomatoes, can of beans, mug → Pan: 200 g chopped tomatoes, half the beans, 100 ml water → Waits: the rest of the tomatoes and beans, covered, to the fridge (2 min)
- Out: frozen sweetcorn (optional) → Pan: 2-3 tbsp sweetcorn (12 min)
- Out: cheese, sour cream or yogurt → Board: Grate the cheese into the rinsed mug. Spoon the sour cream into mug 2. The board goes to the sink. → Waits: grated cheese in mug 1; sour cream in mug 2 (while it simmers)
- Out: salt, pepper, tortilla chips (optional) → Pan: salt and pepper to taste, grated cheese (1 min)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive or vegetable oil · cupboard
- 1/2 small onion, diced onion · cupboard
- 1 clove, sliced garlic · cupboard
- 2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin chili powder and ground cumin · cupboard
- 200 g (half a 400 g can) canned chopped tomatoes · cupboard
- half a 400 g can canned kidney or black beans, drained · cupboard
- 100 ml (about half a mug) water · tap
- 2-3 tbsp (optional) frozen sweetcorn · freezer
- to taste salt and black pepper · cupboard
- 15 g, grated cheddar or other melting cheese · fridge
- 1-2 tbsp sour cream or plain yogurt · fridge
- a handful, to scoop (optional) tortilla chips or bread · cupboard
Gear
- One burner: One hob ring or a plug-in single induction burner. Induction needs a pan with a magnetic base.
- One deep pan or small saucepan: 24-26 cm (10 in) across, or a 1.5-2 litre saucepan. A lid helps but is not required.
- One cutting board: About 30 x 20 cm, the only work surface.
- One knife, one spoon, two mugs, a can opener: One mug measures the water and then holds the cheese; the other holds the sour cream or yogurt.