Winter-warmer chili con carne

I have a confession to make. This morning when I woke up it was cold and grey, and quite frankly, I wasn't feeling great. So I took a personal day. This doesn't happen often but sometimes it is necessary. Weekends are busy and the week is manic. Sometimes it is not so much that one is incapacitated but the day can be used to get all those things we neglect and put off because you can't do them in the week if you are working from 8:30 until 6:30 pm, done. Other times it is merely to take much-needed time for one's self.

My sister and I have a joke that the first is called a personal hygiene day, you know: get your hair cut, your nails done, that kind of thing that you would otherwise wait three months of weekends before the beauty therapist can fit you in for. The aforementioned, we call a sanity day. Which can be spent in a very similar way but is dedicated to soothing the soul so that the next day you can greet your colleagues with a smile and a wave and do your job without the accompanying feeling of a breakdown - aren't all of our jobs stressful?

It would come as no surprise then, that on my day off I like to cook. (There was a lingering coffee at a cafeteria while reading the paper, much reading- some of it to expand my knowledge that would assist in my job - so I'm really helping the company, am I not by taking this well-timed day off - and then there was plenty of napping, helping me to catch up on that much-needed and restorative sleep.)



So it being that kind of day, there is nothing nicer to make than something heartwarming and body warming: a nice pot of chili. I started early in the morning and let the chili sit the whole day which allows the flavours to develop. It is even better if you decide to make this a night or two before and let it sit in the fridge. Flavour-wise there is nothing to beat sitting time for those notes of deliciousness to infuse. If you are vegetarian, simply increase the amount of red kidney beans. Also, this is not a traditional-traditional chili, I like to add the odd bit of veg: pour quoi non? But the important thing is that the spicing is correct for chili ( which will distinguish it from a curry (Thai / madras / North Indian or otherwise).

A note on the beans. If you are using dried beans, let them sit one or two nights in water which will soften them and then bring them to the boil on the stove. Then let them simmer for about an hour and a half.

So without further ado, except to mention that this is best made with love and best intentions, here is my recipe:

Ingredients
300g lean beef mince
1 1/2 cups red kidney beans or a tin of red kidney beans
1 onion ( medium sized and chopped into small cubes)
1 large clove of garlic (crushed)
1 medium sized red chili (dried and crushed)
1 tsp of coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp dried oregano
2 fresh chopped tomatoes
1 can tomato puree
2 grated zucchini or a grated carrot
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
1tspn ground coriander
salt and pepper to taste

To serve:
Fresh lettuce
brown rice / taco / tortilla
sour cream or plain yogurt
fresh corriander
fresh tomato and onion salsa
a pinch of grated cheddar, if you're really feeling indulgent

To make:
Lightly sweat the onions and the garlic along with the coriander and cumin seeds, the chili and oregano. Do not let this burn. Then add the tomatoes. Add the mince and the beans and turn up the heat and allow the mince to brown.

Add the veg, if you wish, and then add the can of tomato puree along with the remaining spices.

Mix well and lower the heat and allow to simmer for an hour or two.

Serve with brown rice or in a taco. Add freshly chopped iceburg lettuce, a dollop of sour cream (or plain yogurt) some fresh coriander and tomato salsa.  For the salsa  use a chopped fresh tomato that has been salt-and peppered, mixed with a finely cut shallot or half an onion and had a little vinegar added to it.