Chilli Con Carne

This Mexican-style, rich, slow cooked chilli con carne is a great chilli recipe to serve to friends for a casual get-together. For our vegan readers, you can easily swap the pork mince with soya mince while the procedure remains the same.

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 1 large onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 medium carrots
• 2 sticks celery
• 2 red peppers
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. chilli powder
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 200 g can  of red kidney beans
• 400 g can of chopped tomatoes/ tomato sauce or 6 ripen tomatoes
• 200 g extra lean minced pork or 100g dried soya mince meat
• A bunch of fresh coriander
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

*tbsp: tablespoon   tsp: tablespoon cup: 250ml

Method:

1. Chop the onions, garlic, carrots, peppers and celery in small cubes.
2.  If using dried soya mince soak in boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain and leave aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole pan on a medium-high heat, add the chopped onion and garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the mince or soya mince and cook for 1-2 minutes.
5. Add all the remaining chopped vegetables, chilli powder, cumin, cinnamon and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, then cook for 7 minutes or until softened, stirring regularly.
6. Drain and add the kidney beans and the chopped tomatoes and cook for 1-2 more minutes.
7. Lastly, add the chopped coriander leaves with the balsamic vinegar.
8. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer with a lid slightly ajar for 1 hour, or until slightly thickened and reduced, stirring occasionally.
9. Serve up with basmati, with some yogurt, guacamole, and wedges of lime on the side for squeezing over. Sprinkle over the reserved coriander and some fresh chilli (optional).

Dietitian’s Tip: Serve with basmati rice and low-fat natural Greek yogurt as an alternative to sour cream. It will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days or can be frozen.

Nutritional Value per serving:

Energy/Calories: 395 Kcal
Fat: 13 g
Carbohydrates: 40 g
Protein: 31 g

Vitamins and minerals:

Vitamin A:247%
Vitamin B-6: 21%
Vitamin C: 251%
Folate: 24 %
Iron: 19 %

* Percentage of Reference Daily Intake



Eleana Liasidou
Clinical Dietitian -nutritionist, MSc