Mexican Night

What better way to get friends round a table than a big pot of chilli? The other night I had friends round for dinner; on the menu was double bean and red pepper chilli, garlic bread nachos, served with rice, cheese, guacamole, soured cream, salsa and some tortilla chips. The chilli is vegan and packed full of flavour, it was simple to make and worked really well because it simmered for 45 minutes, which gave me plenty of time to prepare everything else. This meal with enjoyed thoroughly alongside a few glasses of prossecco and some amazing friends 😊 the best way to eat food is amongst the best company, this chilli helped us all do that.

Chilli is usually made with beef mince, this vegan option substitutes beef mince or Quorn mince with peppers and beans, which provide a lot of protein, are lower in fat, higher in fibre and are very cheap, so it’s a win win. Beans can also be stored in the cupboard for a long time so this is a good recipe to keep in mind for when you haven’t got anything left in the fridge. The recipe makes 8-10 servings, really good for uni students or busy people as you can cook the entire recipe, eat one serving and save the other 7 for another time by freezing them.

THE CHILLI

INGREIDENTS:

Low calorie cooking spray

3 red onions, chopped

3 celery sticks, chopped

3 peppers. (I used one of each colour but it really doesn’t matter)

1 460g jar of roasted red peppers

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon of dried oregano

1 tablespoon of cinnamon

1 tablespoon of chilli powder

1 tablespoon of ground cumin

1 tablespoon of dried mixed herbs

1 tablespoon paprika

2 400g cans of chopped tomatoes

400g can of mixed beans

2 400g can of kidney beans, drained

2 400g of black eye beans, drained

STEP BY STEP:

1) Fry the onions, peppers and celery in the biggest frying pan/ hob to oven dish you can find and fry until soft.

2) Drain the peppers from the tin, but save the juice. Add the drained peppers, dry herbs and spices to the dish and fry for 2-3 minutes

3) Add the juice from the tinned peppers, chopped tomatoes and the mixed beans and their juices. Stir together and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, the mixture should be thickened by then. Meanwhile, look to the garlic bread nachos part of this post and begin to prepare your dinner party.

4) Once the mixture has thickened, add the kidney beans and black eye beans, cook for a further 5 minutes at a simmer.

5) Serve in a big dish for everyone to help themselves from

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

Per portion when it serves 10:

Calories carbohydrates protein fat

327 41g 19g 6g

GARLIC BREAD NACHOS, RICE AND CHIPS & DIPS.

INGREIIDENTS:

Garlic Bread Nachos:

3 ready made garlic baguettes

90g cheddar cheese, grated

3 spring onion, sliced

30g of tortilla chips, broken up for roughly crushed

Handful of coriander leaves

Rice

Lightly salted tortilla chips

Flavoured tortilla chips, I had hint of lime Doritos

Guacamole

Soured cream

Salsa

The remaining celery from the pack, cut into smaller sticks

STEP BY STEP:

1)in the 45 minutes where the chilli is simmering you can prepare the dips, I just put them into separate bowls and got the plates and cutlery ready.

2) prepare the garlic bread nachos by cutting the baguettes into slices and pilling them in a large casserole dish. Scatter over most of the cheese, spring onions and crushed tortilla. Finish with the last bits of cheese and broken coriander leaves

3)when there is 15 minutes left of the chillies cooking time, put the garlic bread nachos in the oven.

4) after another 5 minute, cook the rice for 10 minutes.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THE GARLIC BREAD NACHOS: when it serves 8 people:

Calories Carbohydrates Protein Fats

319 30g 8g 18g