Vegetarian Mexican Menudo

It looks like a very adaptable 'recipe', easy to add or omit or use alternative as needed or available. Have you tried it yet?

One of my favourite winter meals was literally emptying tins of different food into a dutch over over the fire in the backyard, the neighbours started joining in and always wanted the recipe, yeah I just threw a can of this and that in. Something along the lines of saute a chopped onion and garlic in some oil and spices then add the tins: chickpeas, 4 bean mix, chopped peeled tomatoes, champignons, tub of tomato paste. Condiments/spices were all varied depending on what we had but base was usually chilli powder, paprika, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, jalapenos (pickled), salt, pepper. Sometimes we had a tin of baby potatoes or frozen peas/corn. It came out sort of like a bean chilli. Awesome served topped with shredded cheese, sour cream and lots of black pepper.

Another one was same base of onion sauted in oil and spices, add tins/jars: butter chicken or tikka marsala sauce (just the sauce), tin of baby potatoes, chopped tomato, chickpeas, champignons. Served with rice.

Sometimes a neighbour had a tin of something else we chucked in or we had some fresh veggies that needed using up, would heat up some kranskies and drop on top. Could have added ham or bacon, chicken, beef, pork, rice, pasta, mashed potato powder, stale bread, hard boiled eggs, sweet potato, random tins of soup (tomato, mushroom, cream of celery). Fish not so much though you could probably drop some anchovies in there, sardines in a pinch. Sometimes we ate the beans like nachos with corn chips, sometimes a bowl of chilli with rice or more of a chunky soup with bread. Could have used dehydrated, freeze dried, fresh or frozen, those shrivelled mushrooms in the fridge you forgot about. It all seemed to taste better cooked over the wood fire.

It became a community thing where one neighbour would have some tins of beans or veggies, another some tomato soup or a jar of tomato sauce or a couple of capsicums, a bit of wine leftover in the bottom of a bottle to throw in the pot, someone would cook rice or garlic bread and we set up a table outside. Eat, talk and drink homebrew or hot tea/coffee and watch the fire.

Ended up wanting to keep the tradition going so we developed different recipes for summer with fire restrictions and wanting cooler foods.