'Black Bean Chili a la Suecia'

A new report claims Swedes are not adventurous in the kitchen. 

  • "Snabbmakaroner" and meatballs or falukorv... Are Swedes not creative enough in the kitchen? A recent survey shows they try only one new recipe a month.
  • The unadventurous Swede
    More than every third Swede go for a month without trying a new recipe, according to a survey conducted by Florida Department of Citrus. The average Swede lives on gratins and taco pies for dinner, and most households vary between four to six dishes in the kitchen. This trend is confirmed by Mari Bergman, at Tastelines matkasse, Sweden’s biggest recipe website.
    ”We see in our search engines that the same recipe comes up all the time. Gratins and dishes that take care of themselves in the oven, they are always popular. And tex mex. Our taco pie is also popular.” But author, TV host, and chef Lotta Lundgren disagrees: ”I can’t for the life of me see how one new recipe a month is inflexible. It’s actually fairly good compared to many other countries. Take Italy for instance, they haven’t changed their cookbooks since the 18th century,” she says.
    ”The numbers may be in contrast to how many cookbooks are sold and how high the interest in cooking shows is. But think about it, 12 new recipes a year, that’s a lot of new food in a lifetime. All we can do is hope that the new recipes chosen are good ones.” And if you’re in the mood for trying something new, Lundgren recommends making you own black bean chili, saying people always think it’s sensational and it is easy to make. (If you feel you'd like to spice up your regular dish, try meatballs with a twist: Meatballs with apple and mustard

  • If you're in the mood for trying a new recipe, perhaps black bean chili sounds interesting?
  • Black Bean Chili for six
    Ingredients:
    1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
    2 cloves garlic
    1 onion
    1 lb ground turkey
    3 (15-oz) cans black beans undrained
    1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes
    1.5 Tablespoons chili powder
    1 Tablespoon dried oregano
    1 Tablespoon dried basil leaves
    1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
    Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat; cook onion and garlic until onions are translucent. Add turkey and cook, stirring, until meat is brown. Stir in beans, tomatoes, chili powder, oregano, basil and vinegar. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 60 minutes or more, until flavors are well blended. Try adding a few slices of avocado and some cilantro on top.