Chilli Con Carne

I really love one-pot dishes and especially ones that taste better on the day after they are cooked. This is definitely the case with chilli con carne, as the flavours in the sauce tend to develop when left refrigerated for a day. This sauce also freezes well. The quantity below is enough for two dinners at my house. On day two, I generally use the leftover Chilli con Carne for wraps with some salad leaves, grated cheese and sour cream or mayo. These wraps are delicious and I serve them with some homemade wedges and salad. This dish is also quite nutritious especially with the addition of the kidney beans. Kidney beans work well in this dish and in any simmered dishes where they can absorb the flavours of the other ingredients. They are an excellent source of fibre and are high in protein. Kidney beans are also a very good source of molybdenum, which aids in the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates. This recipe is based on a recipe from Rachel Allen's first book.

Chilli Con Carne

Ingredients
2 large Onions
700g lean minced beef
5 cloves Garlic, crushed
2 x 400g tinned chopped tomatoes
2 red or yellow peppers, sliced
2 green or red chillies, finely chopped, seeds left in if you like your chillies fiery
1 tsp ground Cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 x 400g tin red Kidney beans, drained
1 tsp brown sugar

To serve
Boiled rice
125ml Soured cream
2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
4 tbsp Cheddar cheese, grated
Lime wedges

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a casserole, or saucepan and fry the meat until it changes colour - about 5-7 minutes. 
2. Add the onion and garlic and stir for a minute or so before tipping in the tinned tomatoes, chopped chillies, peppers, and a good pinch of salt.
3. Cover the pan and simmer for about an hour, until the meat is tender and the liquid reduced to a thick sauce. If it gets too dry during cooking, pour in a little more water.
4. Add the cumin, ground coriander, kidney beans (and a little of the bean liquid, if you like) and the brown sugar. Simmer for a further 10 mins before serving with rice, a spoonful of sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, lime wedges and coriander leaves as a garnish. If you are catering for a crowd place each of these in separate bowls on the table for your guests to help themselves.