Chilli, The Spice Of Life

WORDS : CHYKA KEEBAUGH

PHOTOS : LISA ATKINSON

As the days get cooler, let’s bring out the chilli to spice it up a little…

When the temperature drops, it seems impossible to stop the comfort craving, the pull towards slow cooking, roasting and cosy indoor baking. So why bother? Embrace it. Let’s indulge every now and then in the name of comfort, and let’s indulge in a little more chilli to keep our bodies warm and immunity up. A spice that comes in many flavours, the humble chilli has been known to possess hidden health benefits - heart health, aiding in weight loss, lower blood pressure and the ability to boost the production of feel-good hormones, such as serotonin.

I love a good kick of chilli in my meal. There are Mexican, Indian, Thai and Mediterranean Chillies, all varying in intensity and flavour, but which chilli is which? There is nothing worse than not having the perfect ingredient in your pantry and if there are so many variations on one taste how do we know what chill is what? Well, let’s get that all sorted out shall we. 

Introducing a chilli plant into the kitchen is also another fun way to bring in some colour as well as some flavour to your cooking. I love having herbs in my kitchen to add to my food, and chilli is no different. Cut a chilli off and slice it up for a hit of fresh spice, or leave them on the plant until they are shrivelled and dried then crush them into a dry spice. When cooking, I like to leave the seeds in for an added hit of hotness. Fresh coloured chillies are also gorgeous to use as table decorations; pops of bright colour on your guest's plates, or even attaching a name tag is a fun way to use these crazy shaped vegetables. These plants are easy to care for as well as providing a good fill of lush green foliage with pops of yellow and red.

Let’s add a little chilli to the Chilli Con Carne

This recipe was introduced to our family by my friend Claudia. It's an easy recipe that makes you can't help going back for seconds and is even delicious the next day on hot buttered toast. It has been a firm favourite in our family for years, and I know it’s going to become one of yours.

Ingredients

• Two teaspoons olive oil

• 125g rindless bacon, roughly chopped

• 750g lean beef mince

• Two medium brown onions, finely chopped

• Two medium red capsicums, chopped

• Three garlic cloves, crushed

• One long red chilli, chopped

• Two tablespoons Mexican chilli powder

• 800g can chopped tomatoes

• 400g can red kidney beans, drained, rinsed

• toppings, to serve (see serving notes below)

Method

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add bacon. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until crisp. Add mince. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up mince, for 15 minutes or until browned.

2. Add onions, capsicums, garlic and chopped chilli. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until vegetables is soft. Add chilli powder. Cook, stirring for 1 minute or until fragrant.

3. Add tomatoes and 1 cup cold water. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes or until the sauce has reduced slightly.

4. Add beans. Increase heat to medium. Cook for 15 minutes or until beans are heated through, and the sauce has thickened. Serve chilli with toppings.

There are so many different sides you could serve your Chilli Con Carne with. If you were to ask me, I would choose to serve it with warm tortillas, boiled long grain rice, crunchy sourdough toast, a green salad of iceberg and avocado wedges, grated cheese, sour cream, yoghurt, guacamole, couscous or jacket potatoes. You choose!

CREDITS::

Recipe via Taste.com.