dinner:

chilli con carne

Published 12th June 2017

Chilli con carne is a great meal that can be so versatile. It can be served as is, with rice, mashed potato, on top of a jacket potato or even in a toasted sandwich. It’s nutritious, delicious and simple. It also caters for everyone – if you are particularly active, you can serve it with carbs, if you are watching your weight, you can reduce your portion and serve it as it is, and if you are making it for kids, reduce the chilli.

With most mixed meals, I like to add in as many veggies I can (so long as it fits with the dish). This is a meal that is very conducive to veggies – tomato, capsicum, carrot, celery, corn, and you could even add zucchini or eggplant it you wanted.

The beans make up a good portion of the dish increasing the protein and fibre and allows it to be converted to a vegetarian meal quite easily if you don’t have beef or if you don’t eat it.

 
 
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I made this as it is for the kids and mixed it with some natural yoghurt as well as the guacamole and there were a few complaints of sore tongues, but they did eat it. If you are aiming to make it kid friendly, halve the chilli or leave it out altogether (unless your kids are well trained in spicy foods).

And guacamole, who doesn’t love guac? It’s a delicious, creamy source of good fats that add SO much. If you don’t have avocado, you can serve the chilli con carne with natural yoghurt or sour cream.

Enjoy xx

 
 
 
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Chilli con Carne.jpg

 

Ingredients:

Serves 8

  • 1 tbs olive oil

  • 500g lean beef mince

  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed

  • 1 onion, diced

  • 1 large carrot, diced

  • 2 sticks celery, diced

  • 1 red capsicum, diced

  • 1 tsp smoked paprika

  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

  • 1 tsp ground coriander

  • 1 tsp cinnamon

  • 1 tsp chilli powder

  • 1 tbs coriander stems, finely chopped

  • 2 x 400g tinned tomatoes

  • 1 x 400g red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

  • 1 x 400g tin four bean mix, drained and rinsed

  • 1 cob of corn, kernels removed

  • 1 tbs balsamic vinegar

  • 1 cup water

  • 1 cup coriander leaves, roughly chopped

  • 2 cups basmati rice

Guacamole

  • 1 avocado

  • 2 tbs natural yoghurt

  • Juice of 1/2 a lime

  • Salt and pepper

 

Method:

  1. Heat large saucepan over medium heat and add olive oil.

  2. Add onion, garlic, capsicum, carrot and celery and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add spices and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring to prevent spices from burning.

  3. Add beef mince and stir, breaking up large pieces, until browned.

  4. Add tinned tomatoes, coriander stems, balsamic vinegar, beans, that have been drained and rinsed, and 1 cup of water. Bring to the boil.

  5. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for ~25 minutes until reduced. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

  6. Add the corn kernels and cook for a further 20 minutes. Once cooked, remove from the heat and stir through coriander leaves.

  7. To make the guacamole, place avocado in a small bowl and mash with a fork. Add yoghurt and lime juice and stir well to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

  8. To make the rice, add 2 cups of rice to 3 1/2 cups of water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, once boiling, place the lid on and turn the heat off. Allow rice to absorb the water (~10-15 minutes).

  9. Serve rice into bowls, top with chilli con carne and serve with guacamole.