Mild chilli con carne

A flavourful and comforting classic with just the right amount of spice. Perfect for a cozy meal any day of the week!

Makes 8-10 servings

Stage 1, 2 and 3.

Ingredients

• 500g extra lean beef mince
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 stick of celery
• 1 red pepper
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 beef stock cube, crumbled
• 1⁄2 tsp mild chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 400g tin of red kidney, black, pinto, cannellini or butter beans or a mixture
• 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 small bunch of fresh coriander, chopped

Method

1. Dry-fry the mince in batches in a non-stick pan until browned, transferring to a bowl.
2. Add the oil to the frying pan, add the onion, carrot, celery and pepper and cook until they start to soften.
3. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
4. Add the spices and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
5. Add the tomato puree, stock cube, balsamic vinegar, tinned tomatoes, half a tin of water and beans before returning the mince to the pan.
6. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 45-60 minutes.
7. If using in stage 1, puree a portion. If using in stage 3, serve with some boiled wholegrain rice if desired, but this recipe already provides some carbohydrate in the kidney beans.