Chili Con Carne

One can always count on drab depressing weather in London. Despite the fact that it's supposed to be spring right now, massive grey clouds are the only view from the window - but luckily such sad weather also calls for a bowl of hot steamy comfort food.....

Ingredients
Onion finely chopped
Crushed garlic
Orange or red pepper de-seeded and diced
Minced beef
Cumin
Paprika
Salt
Nando's Peri Peri sauce
Tinned chopped tomatoes
Tinned red beans

1. Heat some oil, add the garlic and onions, and let them fry a bit. Add the beef. When the beef is half cooked and the juices start to run, add the diced peppers.

2. When the beef is nearly cooked through, add the beans, tomatoes and season to your liking with the spices and the peri sauce. Turn down the heat and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the tomato juice has evaporated. It's ready!

3. Serve with rice, bread or fajita wraps and a generous dollop of sour cream, salsa or guacamole - or all three!

I had mine with guacamole and ciabatta sliced into dippers. The creaminess of the guac' complements the hot chili.

For a quick and easy guacamole recipe, blitz 2 avocados, 1 small chopped tomato, finely chopped onion, lemon juice, tabasco (or peri-peri sauce) and salt in a food processor. Lemon juice tends to "cook" the avocado so to prevent the guacamole from turning brown in the fridge, push the stone of the avocado into the guac' and let it sit there. For some unknown reason, it seems that it prevents the guac' from browning. You can also finish the rest of the guacamole with Doritos! Enjoy!

Life is Short. Eat!