Quick Bean Chili

As much as I wished I had all day to tend a pot of chili, this happened on a work day.  I wanted something flavorful to have with a hot dog that would come together quickly after work.  I could have used the Crockpot, but didn't think about that until halfway through my shift.

So here's a 15 minute chili-ish side dish of seasoned kidney beans.  I'm not going into whether beans belong in chili in the first place.  I needed a vegetable side.  Most of the prep and cooking time is for the onions.  Then you add everything else and bring it up to temp for serving.  I topped it with provolone, but you could use any cheese, sour cream, chopped onions, jalapeños, or whatever you like as a garnish.

1 Tb olive oil
1 C diced onion
*2 Tb tomato paste
2 tsp chili powder, or to taste
1/2 tsp mustard of choice (I used *Dijon)
*1 clove garlic, minced
salt to taste
*1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
water as needed

1.  Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until starting to brown, about 5 minutes.  Add tomato paste, chili powder, mustard, garlic, and a pinch of salt.  Cook until fragrant.

2.  Add rinsed kidney beans and stir to coat.  Gradually add water to desired consistency.  I used about half a cup.  Heat to serving temperature, just below boiling.  Taste and add more salt if needed.  Serve hot.

Difficulty rating  π