A Simple Chili

We may have had some really nice sunny days here in the North West and tomorrow may be the first day of spring, but there's definitely still a chill in the air! Especially when the wind blows!!



We did a lot of work in the garden today and so ended up hungry as heck and chilled to the bone. I wanted to make something hearty and filling for our supper . . . and warming. Something that wouldn't be too high in fat though . . . and which would be somewhat healthy. I opted to make a simple and delicious chili.



Using extra lean minced steak, and an assortment of beans, chopped tomatoes, onion, garlic, herbs and spices . . . this is quite low in fat. I didn't use any to brown the meat, except one burst of a non stick cooking spray . . . and we used half fat cheddar and sour cream at the end.



Probably the most calorific part of the meal was the cornbread. But even that's not too bad. I used this recipe here, except that I added some chopped green chili peppers this time for an extra bit of a bite.



It really hit the spot and filled us up. We were most happy. I cut the recipe in half as there are just the two of us and that worked very well. We both had a nice full bowl of the stuff and there is enough left for Todd to have some for his lunch tomorrow.



My secret ingredient for this tasty bowl of red??? A tiny bit of Lindt dark chocolate with chili. It adds an extra depth of flavour and just a tiny bit of zip.




*A Simple Chili*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe

Hearty, filling, tasty and low fat. Makes a wonderful weeknight supper.

low fat cooking spray
1 pound extra lean minced steak
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and pulverized with a mortar and pestle
1 TBS mild Chili powder
1 tsp ancho chili paste
1 tsp oregano flakes
1 tsp coriander flakes
1 400g tin of black beans, drained and rinsed (2 cups)
1 400g tin of spicy mixed bean salad, undrained ( 2 cups, this is a mixture of cooked beans and corn in a spicy sauce)
2 400g tins of chopped tomatoes in tomato juice (about 4 cups), undrained
250ml of beef broth, lager or strong coffee
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 (100g) bar of lindt chili chocolate broken up into bits (1 3/4 ounces)
the juice of 1/2 lime

To serve:
grated strong cheddar cheese
chopped spring onions
sour cream

Heat a large deep non stick skillet over medium heat. Spray with some low fat nonstick cooking spray. Crumble in the beef and cook, stirring to break it apart, until lightly browned, adding the onion and garlic in the last few minutes. Add the cumin, chili powder, chili paste, oregano flakes and coriander flakes. Cook and stir until very fragrant. Add the beef broth, beans (both tins) and the tomatoes. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for 35 to 45 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper. Break up the chocolate and stir it in until melted. Add the lime juice and stir again.

Ladle into heated bowls and serve with a dollop of sour cream, some grated cheese and chopped spring onions for sprinkling on top, along with some crusty rolls or cornbread on the side to mop up all those delicious juices!