buxgoddess

What a classic this dish is - chilli carne con. Most of my mates love the chickpeas, but butter beans or even cubed potatoes will work well in their place. Feel free to pep up this dish with more chilli depending on your taste. This will make enough for six portions, so simply freeze the extra if you’re only cooking for four – it's so damn good the next day, even on a jacket potato! This is fantastic.To make the chilli firstly peel and finely chop the onions, garlic, carrots and celery – don’t worry about the technique, just chop away until fine. Then halve the red peppers, remove the stalks and seeds and roughly chop. Place your largest casserole-type pan on a medium high heat. Add 2 lugs of olive oil and all your chopped vegetables following which add the chilli powder, cumin and cinnamon with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Now stir every 30 seconds for around 7 minutes until softened and lightly coloured. Add the drained chickpeas, drained kidney beans and the tinned tomatoes and add the minced beef, breaking any larger chunks up with a wooden spoon. Fill one of the empty tomato tins with water and pour this into the pan and then pick the coriander leaves and place them in the fridge. Finely chop the washed stalks and stir in and add the balsamic vinegar and season with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Now bring to the boil and turn the heat down to a simmer with a lid slightly askew for about an hour, stirring every now and again to stop it catching.To serve the chilli we have our own choice. This is fantastic served with fluffy rice. Just divide the rice and chilli into big bowls or serve in the middle of the table and let everyone help themselves. If you don't fancy rice it's equally good with a nice hunk of fresh crusty bread, over a jacket potato or with couscous. Put a small bowl of natural yoghurt, some guacamole and a few wedges of lime on the table, and sprinkle the chilli with the coriander leaves. I love to add a nice green salad to round it off and this is something I relish on.