Instant Pot Chili Beans, Tempeh and Greens Burrito Bowl

I love Rick Bayless and the interesting Mexican dishes he recreates.  Every time I connect in Chicago, I eat at Fonterra Grill.  I am still trying to get my hands on huitlacoche (a fungus that infects corn).  His restaurants serve it.  I sounds like something you would want to avoid, it infects corn after all.  However, if you like mushrooms as I do, it is another type that I haven’t tried.  If I ever get to try it, I’ll report back. 

The recipe for this week is from, of course, Rick Bayless.  This one is relatively simple.  Just beans and greens made into a taco filling.  I am starting off with his recipe for Red Chili Beans and Greens.  It’s as the recipe says, beans and greens.  I will not be using these in tacos, even thought I think they would be great like that.  I am making burrito bowls which are more freezer friendly.  These are a little bit low on the protein scale, so I will need to beef that up a bit.  I will also be adding some veggies to bulk up the nutrients.  As is, the recipe is pretty healthy.  I wouldn’t fault anyone making it as is.  I would love it.  But, to fit better in our diet, I need to make changes. 

Here are the original stats:

Here’s what I changed:

• I swapped out the tortillas for brown rice to make this freezer friendly.
• I deleted the cheese to reduce the sodium.
• I reduced the amount of salt to reduce the sodium.
• I replaced the canned beans with dry beans to reduce the sodium and to infuse the beans with added flavor.
• I reduced the servings by half to increase the calories.
• I added some red bell pepper to increase the vitamins A and C.
• I added some tempeh to increase the protein.

Here are the final stats:

Here is the final recipe:

Instant Pot Chili Beans, Tempeh and Greens Burrito Bowl

Serves 8

• 3 dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded and torn into flat pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 200g dry black beans
• 2 red bell peppers, chopped
• 2 7.5 ounce packages of tempeh, chopped
• 1 cup dry brown rice
• 2 quarts chicken broth
• 8 loosely packed cups (about 8 ounces) sliced greens- about 1/2 inch slices-lacinato/black kale, Swiss chard, spinach, wild lambs quarters, amaranth greens (quintoniles), full-grown spinach

Make the red chile sauce.   Heat a very large (12-inch) skillet over medium.  Lay the chile pieces in the hot pan, press them flat with a spatula and, when they release their aroma (and maybe a whisp of smoke), flip them over and press down to toast the other side.  Scoop into a bowl, cover with hot tap water, weight with a plate to keep them submerged and let rehydrate for 30 minutes. 

Drain, reserving the liquid.  Scoop the chiles into a blender or food processor with the garlic, oregano, black pepper and cumin. Taste the soaking liquid:  if it is very bitter, discard it and continue with fresh water.  Add ½ cup of the soaking liquid or water and blend to a smooth puree, adding a little more liquid if necessary to keep everything moving through the blades.  

Turn on the Instant Pot to saute mode and add the oil.  When hot, add the chile puree all at once.  Stir until the mixture is darker and nearly as thick as tomato paste, about 5 minutes.  Stir in 1 ½ cups soaking liquid or water and simmer 10 minutes for the flavors to come together.  Taste and season with salt.  If you detect a hint of bitterness, a little sugar will help balance that.

Add the beans, bell pepper, red chili sauce, tempeh, rice, and chicken broth.  Cover and pressure cook on high for 20 minutes.  Allow for a natural release.

Finish the dish and make bowls.  Stir in the greens, cover and cook until the greens are tender, anywhere from a couple of minutes for spinach to 10 minutes for the kale.  The mixture should be thick enough to hold its shape in a spoon.