Chili Con Carne

Ingredients
200g Mince Beef
2 Beef Stock Cubes
1 Sachet Chilli Sauce Mix
1 400g Can Chopped Tomatoes
1 400g Can Kidney Beans
1 130g Can Sweetcorn
1 Large Onion
250g Rice (Long Grain,Basmati whatever you have, just not pudding rice)
A Splash of Oil (Olive or Extra Virgin Olive Preferred but Vegetable/Sunflower are fine)

Equipment
A Wok or Large Frying Pan
1 Large Pan
1 Wooden or Plastic Spatula
1 Wooden or Plastic Serving Spoon
1 SHARP Knife
A Chopping Board (Acrylic or Wood, Glass blunts your blades very quickly!!)

The Good Bit

1. Start by warming your dash of oil in the wok/frying pan, don't worry about how much you put in just give it a good drizzle just take into account your not deep frying chips!
2. Whilst your oil is warming, its prep time. Peel and cut your onion into small chunks. Open your cans and drain the kidney beans and sweetcorn. 2/3rds fill your large pan with water and add a sprinkle of salt and bring to the boil.
   
3. Now your oil is warm (if it's smoking turn it down a little) put your onions in until they feel soft and look to have gone clearer, about 5 minutes
4. Add your mince and keep stirring until all the pink has gone, you should now add the 2 stock cubes and stir in well, this will give your mince a lovely brown colour.
5. Add your chilli sauce mix and stir in well then add the tomatoes, kidney beans and sweetcorn, stir and leave to simmer.
6. The water in your other pan should be boiling by now so carefully add the rice and stir with the spoon (if the water is boiling you should be able to leave this pan alone without fear of the rice sticking) Cook the rice to packet instructions, usually 10-15 minutes.
7. Have a kettle of boiled water ready for when your rice is done, once the rice is done (you can taste a small amount to see if it is soft (done) or a little crunchy (needs a Little longer) put it in a colander and wash with the boiled water.
8. Serve the rice in a ring and heap the chilli in the centre, you can garnish with coriander if you want to be fancy, and how about a dollop of soured cream at the side of the plate sprinkled with chilli powder or cayenne pepper.

Serves 4. (I added a chopped green pepper to the onions 2 bulk out a little (I was hungry!)

Chili Mince Tacos

Ingredients
500g mince beef (or turkey if you want to be healthy)
1 Large Onion
1 400g Can Kidney Beans
1 400g Can Chopped Tomatoes
150ml STRONG Black Coffee
1 Teaspoon Chilli Powder
1 Teaspoon of Chinese 5 Spice Powder
1 Pack of ready to serve Tacos
Dash of Oil
Salad to garnish
Maybe some Soured Cream with a sprinkle of Paprika on top

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Can Opener
1 Large Frying Pan/Wok
1 Plastic/Wooden Spatula

The Good Bit

1. Heat the oil in your pad/wok, whilst that is warming, chopped your onion into small pieces and open all your cans.
2. Add the onion to the pan/wok and cook until it begins to go clear and feels soft when pressed with the spatula, 5 minutes, add the meat the chilli and 5 spice powder and cook until the meat is brown, 5 minutes.
3. Now add the kidney beans, tomatoes and the hot black coffee and leave to simmer for about 20 minutes, this will look thicker and a lot darker than the chilli I have already made (if you have made that) due to the coffee, it also has a very authentic rustic taste.
4. Heat the tacos to the packet instructions, only a few seconds in a microwave, for best results oven warm.
5. Serve 2 taco shells on a bed of lettuce with a healthy dollop of the chilli mix next to it and at the side of the plate a good spoonful of soured cream sprinkled with paprika.
6. I also like to add sliced tomatoes to the plate, it gives it more colour and also when eaten can take the heat out of the chilli (because I like my chilli hot!)

Serves 4

Chili Burritos

Ingredients
200g Mince Beef
2 Beef Stock Cubes
1 Sachet Chilli Sauce Mix
1 400g Can Chopped Tomatoes
1 400g Can Kidney Beans
1 Small Onion
1 Pack Tortillas (these usually come in 8's)
150g Grated Cheddar Cheese
A Dash of Olive Oil
Salad Leaves and Chips to serve

Equipment
A Wok or Large Frying Pan
A Large Oven Proof Dish
1 Wooden or Plastic Spatula
1 Wooden or Plastic Serving Spoon
1 SHARP Knife
A Chopping Board (Acrylic or Wood, Glass blunts your blades very quickly!!)

The Good Bit

1. Start by warming your dash of oil in the wok/frying pan and preheat your oven to 180C 350F or gas mark 4
   
2. Whilst your oil is warming peel and cut your onion into small chunks. Open your cans and drain the kidney beans
   
3. Now your oil is warm cook your onions in until they feel soft and look to have gone clearer, about 5 minutes
4. Add your mince and keep stirring until all the pink has gone, you should now add the 2 stock cubes and stir in well.
   
5. Add your chilli sauce mix and stir in well then add the tomatoes, kidney beans and leave to simmer.
6. Cook your chips and lightly grease your oven proof dish, the next bit gets a bit messy!
7. Fill each tortilla with a generous portion of the chilli mix and roll into a sausage shape, place in the greased oven proof dish, once they are all done (I only use 4 here as my dish isn't big enough for all 8, i use the other 4 tortillas in one of my other Mexican dishes)
8. Sprinkle the cheese on top and place in your pre heated oven for 10 minutes until the cheese has melted and has begun to bubble, serve a burrito to each person with salad leaves and chips.

Serves 4