Dishes that pack a punch (part two)

It got quite cold last week, and I really fancied a nice, warming bowl of chilli con carne. A little bit of what you fancy does you good, even if you are dieting, and even though I know that chilli is a really retro 80s kind of a dish, and therefore a bit naff, I've always been fond of it. Besides, I'm addicted to Chipotle chillies (a Mexican chilli with a smoky flavour that I buy in bulk from The Cool Chile Company), and I use them to liven up both the chilli itself and the guacamole that accompanies it.

Needless to say, Mark's portion was about twice the size of mine – the portion sizes here apply to my portions, not his.

Chile con carne for 6

2 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
500g lean beef mince
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large chipotle chilli, soaked in hot water for half an hour, then chopped
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 can kidney beans, drained
200g canned chopped tomatoes
1 tsp chopped fresh oregano
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Warm a scant tablespoon of oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and brown the meat. Remove the browned mince from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl.

Fry the onion gently in the remaining oil until it is soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic and chopped chilli, plus the spices. Fry for a further minute.

Tip the meat back in the pan and add the kidney beans, tomatoes and oregano. There should be enough liquid in the pot to keep things moving relatively freely, if not add 100mls or so of chicken or beef stock.

Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for an hour or two. Season to taste. Serve with a dollop of guacamole (see recipe below) and a spoonful of half-fat crème fraiche.


Guacamole for two

2 tbsp grated red onion
1/2 chipotle chilli, chopped
2-3 tbsp chopped canned tomatoes
1 avocado
juice of 1 lime
fresh coriander, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix the onion, chilli and tomatoes together in a small bowl. Add the avocado, then mush together with the back of a fork – it doesn't matter if everything's a bit lumpy. In fact, lumpiness is part of the beauty of a home-made guacamole – who wants that bland smooth mush that comes in tubs at the supermarket? Stir in the lime juice and coriander and season. Serve as soon as possible, otherwise the avocado has a tendency to turn brown (although that's mitigated somewhat by the lime juice).