Sunday 14 August 2011

Chili con carne with extra veggies!


If I was going to have chilli con carne just the way I like it every time - yes this would include ordering it at a restaurant - then I would have it how my mum makes it.  I know we all love our mum’s cooking, but trust me when I tell you that her cooking is pretty damn good.  She’s always full of ideas and knows how to use leftovers properly.
My mum’s chilli recipe uses more kidney beans, peppers and onions then actual meat, making sure that we eat as much of the good stuff as possible.
So, I did my own chilli recipe – using the same basis as my mum - and I also tried spinach instead of white rice as an accompaniment.
This is the chili con carne with extra veggies recipe! Enjoy!

Ingredients: enough for 4!
  • 500g lamb mince
  • x1 courgette
  • x3 peppers
  • x1 can red kidney beans
  • x4 shallots
  • x1 red onion
  • x1 tbsp beef stock (knorr)
  • Salt and pepper
  • Sprinkle of chilli flakes 
  • x1 tin chopped tomatoes
  • x4 tbsp corn flour
  • Dash of Worcestershire sauce
NB: It’s always good to use shallots for this sort of recipe because they are a lot more flavoursome than onions.
Method:
1.     Chop up all your vegetables and have them in a bowl ready to go!
2.     Add the mince to a deep frying pan, on a medium heat, crumbling it in with your hands.  Add salt, pepper and ½ tbsp of beef stock, the shallots and a sprinkle of chilli flakes for flavour.
NB: There’s nothing worse than eating bland mince meat so make sure you get the flavour in to the meat first thing.
3.     Once this is half-cooked, add the rest of the vegetables and the whole can of kidney beans, and gently fry.  Put a lid, or if not, a bigger pan on top so that the heat can circulate and soften the vegetables.  Cook for 10/15 minutes.
4.     Add the whole can of chopped tomatoes, a dash of Worcestershire sauce and ½ tbsp of beef stock for flavour.  If you want spicier chilli, then now is a good time to add some more chilli flakes, or some chopped fresh chilli (remember to de-seed the fresh chillies!)
NB: when tasting food from the pan, always use a metal spoon, never a wooden spoon, or spatula, otherwise you’ll only be able to taste the spoon. EW!
5.     Turn the heat down a bit lower and place a lid or frying pan on top and leave for 15/20 minutes occasionally stirring.
6.     Stir in the corn flour so the chilli becomes less runny.
7.     Plate up the spinach – a handful for each plate – and serve the chilli con carne with extra veggies on top.
If any of you have any chilli con carne recipes that they would like to share then please post them in the comment box below.  I’m interested to see how other people eat theirs!
I hope you enjoy this recipe.