Chilli con carne

A wholesome and popular dish that is perfect for busy families with small or teenage children.

It also has the advantage that it freezes well and so can be kept for occasions when time is short and it is not so easy to cook. We often take a large container of it on camping trips; it thaws out happily during the day and can be used to make an excellent meal in the evening. All that is required is to heat up the chilli con carne and cook lots of spaghetti to go with it. It has always been devoured with gusto round the bonfire – and followed with toasted marshmallows!

Cooking time: 60 min
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

4 tbsp vegetable oil
500g minced beef
400g tin chopped tomatoes
400g tin kidney beans
1 onion, finely chopped
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, julienned
Chilli peppers or chilli powder, to taste
Salt, pepper and some coarsely chopped rosemary

Heat the oil at fairly high heat, add the chopped onion, pepper and garlic and sauté until soft. In a clay pot it takes 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the beef, small portions at a time, stirring constantly for 8 to 10 minutes to ensure all the meat is well browned. Add the chopped tomatoes, carrot juliennes and rosemary. The carrots bring just the right amount of natural sugar to the dish, without the need to add any processed sugar. The rosemary is a healthy addition that brings flavour and colour to the food.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the kidney beans, followed by the chilli powder and seasoning to taste. Cover with a lid and simmer gently for 25-30 minutes or until the meat is tender.

Enjoy it!

Used for cooking and serving: CL 222 Cooking pot and CL 216 Tortilla dish