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3rd January 2016
01:00pm GMT

Chili Con Carne
Ingredients
500 g minced beef
2 medium onions
2 cloves garlic
1 red/1 green/ 1 yellow pepper
2 fresh chili peppers (optional!)
1 heaped teaspoon chilli powder1 heaped teaspoon ground cumin
1 heaped teaspoon ground cinnamon
400 g tinned chickpeas
400 g tinned red kidney beans
2 x 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
Method
This might look like a lot of ingredients but really it's a one-pot meal that you can whip up in twenty minutes and then leave on a low heat.
First, finely chop the onions and crush the garlic. Gently fry in a little olive oil at the bottom of a casserole dish before adding the mince and spices.
Fry on a low heat until the mince starts to gently brown. Next, add the peppers (diced) and if you're using them, the fresh chilies, finely chopped. Continue to fry until the vegetable start to soften.
Drain the chickpeas and kidney beans and add to the mix, along with the two tins of chopped tomatoes and 400ml of water.
Stir well and bring to the boil, before turning down the heat and allow to simmer for an hour or so, stirring occasionally.
There you have it! Freeze in portions and you have yourself a winter warmer that's good to go - rice accompaniment optional and easily made in minutes the night before or in the morning.
Lasagne
Ingredients 500g minced beef 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes 2 tbsp tomato puree 125g mozzarella 9/12 lasagne sheets 50g parmesan 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 onions 4 garlic cloves 2 teaspoons dried mixed herbs 100g butter 70g flour 850ml milk Method Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the finely chopped onions until golden. Add the crushed garlic and herbs and cook for an additional 2/3 minutes. Add the beef and cook until browned. Add in the tomatoes and puree. Season and bring to the boil, then turn heat down and allow to simmer for 30 minutes before turning off the heat. For the white sauce, add the butter, flour and milk to a pan, season and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly. Simmer for five minutes until smooth and thickened, then remove from heat and cover. Take an ovenproof baking dish and place a thin layer of the meat sauce in the bottom. With white sauce and a little of the mozzarella. Cover with lasagne sheets, then repeat twice before covering the last layer of sheets in white sauce only, dusting the grated parmesan over the top. To cook, heat the over to 180c or Gas Mark 4 and cook for 40-45 minutes, until the lasagne is browning on top and crispy at the edges.
Chicken Kiev
Ingredients 8 chicken fillets 250g dried breadcrumbs 75g parmesan 5 eggs 100g plain flour 4 tablespoons olive oil 4 garlic cloves Fresh parsley 200g butter Juice ½ lemon Method Crush the garlic and add to softened butter, lemon juice and two tablespoons of finely chopped parsley. Mix well until ingredients are combined, then shape into two long sausage shaped rolls. Wrap well in cling film and freeze until firm (can be done hours or even days in advance), then slice each one into eight even pieces. Using a sharp knife, make a pocket in each chicken breast. Take care to to slice the whole way through. Place two of the frozen butter discs into each of the eight chicken breasts and reseal. Grate the parmesan and mix with breadcrumbs in one dish, beat the eggs in another. A third dish should contain your flour. Dip each of the stuffed chicken breasts first in the flour, then in the egg mix and finally in the breadcrumbs, coating well. You can freeze at this stage, or chill for an hour before cooking. To cook, fry on a medium heat for 2 to three minutes each side, then transfer to a baking tray and cook for 20 to 25 minutes at 180C/Gas Mark 4.
Hungarian Goulash
Ingredients
700g diced pork
100g plain flour
2
1 clove garlic
2 medium onions
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 large red peppers
2 tablespoons tomato puree
4oog can chopped tomatoes
Beef stock
Method
Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan. Coat pork in the flour by tossing until covered.
Cook the pork gently in the oil, until lightly browned. Remove the meat from the pot with slotted spoon.
Add the finely chopped onion to the pan and cook lightly until softened. Return the pork to the pan, along with the crushed garlic and paprika. Cook for two minutes or so.
Next, add the peppers (diced) along with the tomatoes, tomato puree and 500ml of beef stock.
Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and cook on a low heat, covered, for up to two hours, or until meat is completely tender.
Serve with rice and garnish with sour cream.
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