Chilli con carne and Mexican tsatsiki

All the talk about food shopping last week, so I thought I'd include some of my recipes. Here's a recipe for something you probably all know, with an invention I created on top, "mexican tsatsiki". I always tend to make it spicy so yoghurt good to cool it down again, the fennel seeds really clean it up - good for Abbie and hubbie. Don't necessarily stick to the measurements or ingredients precisely - whatever your taste buds and grocery cupboards/ fridge allows (that's what I do anyway). The extra vegetables makes it lighter than meat heavy varieties and helps the food go further.

Ingredients

CHILLI
1 tbsp olive oil (or rapeseed or any really)
1 or 2 onions (white/red), chopped
Garlic clove(s), crushed
Chilli(es) red or green, deseeded and finely chopped - I have 1 or 2 depending on size (if you don't have any, chilli/cayenne powder or some tabasco sauce all add heat too)
1 pepper (any colour), chopped
Zest of half a lime
250/500g lean beef mince (or turkey / soya / quorn mince)
Any other spare veg chopped, e.g., mushrooms, aubergine, sweet potato, tomatoes
1 tin of red kidney beans (or baked beans or sweetcorn)
1 or 2 tins of tomatoes (plum or chopped)
1 tbsp or heaped tsp dried oregano - I find lots is good
2 tsps paprika (or chopped chorizo)
A few tsps of spice powders and/or seeds to taste e.g., cumin, coriander, chilli, cayenne
Salt and pepper
1 stock cube (beef or vegetable)
Fresh coriander (chopped)

1 cup of rice (enough for 2 or 3) - white or brown, basmati or long grain [OR jacket potatoes (if so, cook in oven on a skewer for about 1 hour at 180C); OR potato wedges (if so, cut any white potatoes into wedge size chunks and place on baking tray, sprinkle with salt and pepper and a little olive oil or alternative, and shake about so covered. Cook in oven at 160-180C for 25-35 mins until cooked, turning every so often so evenly browned]

TSATSIKI
4 or 5 large tbsps plain natural yoghurt (or greek yoghurt)
1 tsp fennel seeds (or foliage if have it in garden; otherwise cumin or caraway good alternative seeds)
1 or 2 tbsps grated cucumber
Grinding of salt
Juice of 1/2 lime

Method

CHILLI

1. Fry onion, pepper, garlic, chillies, and lime zest in the oil until soft
2. Add mince and brown
3. Add remaining vegetables
4. Add kidney beans, tinned tomatoes (enough depending on volume of veg and meat added - may need one or more to provide enough sauce - two typically best), herbs and spices, salt, pepper and stock cube (low salt if possible, broken up into powder)
5. Add an empty tin can or two of water too if needs more liquid, usually one refilled empty tomato can enough
6. Bring to simmering point so bubbles, but just gently, and leave to cook for 30 mins - 1 hour (but can sit on low heat for longer if needed, just check doesn't dry out too much).
7. Chop coriander (about half a bunch, stems and all) to stir in at the end.

RICE

1. Boil water (about half a medium sized saucepan)
2. Add rice
3. Bring back to boil, add lid and turn down to simmer for cooking time, e.g., 9 mins white, 20 mins brown.
4. Strain water from pan when just/almost cooked.
5. Cover pan with tea towel and return lid over it and leave rice to sit until chilli ready (makes it fluffy).

TSATSIKI

1. Combine ingredients and keep cool in fridge until time to serve

When chilli ready, stir in coriander (or sprinkle on each plate's serving) and serve with rice/spuds, and dollop of tsatsiki (I sometimes include one or more of these too: cheese, jalapenos, sliced avocado, chopped spring onions, tabasco sauce, fresh pepper etc.). Oh, and large glasses of water all round. Abbie describes it as spicy, and usually drinks more water with the meal!

Any spare chilli can go in the fridge for tomorrow's meal or frozen for another time. Serves 4 - 8 portions.

Kalí óreksi!

¡Buen provecho!