A Chilli con Carne

this is it ... I'm finally back ;)
  Hehe, I know I said that probably a million times now, but in all honesty, I never really thought this blog-birthday-present-thing would turn out as much work as it has.
I still really do enjoy cooking, but there is a distinct difference between cooking dinner lazily, and actually taking pictures in the progress. And I still haven't figured out how to deal with the little lighting in my kitchen... and I know that most pictures actually seriously lack quality...

But here it goes again:


Chilli con Carne, or something similar to one.




What you need:

• onion, one large
• chilli
• some Garlic
• one celery stick
•  one pepper, I used one half red, and one half yellow
• chopped tomatoes, canned
• minced meat, I prefer beef
• corn (if you want to use any)
• kidney beans, canned
• salt, black pepper, paprika, a bay leaf, ground cumin
• crème fraîche or yogurt

This recipe is pretty basic but it never fails...

Peel and finely chop the onion, garlic, chilli (remove the stalks and seeds first) and celery. Also dice the peppers and if you prefer to use fresh tomatoes, chop them as well.

I recently got this very handy chopping-help-tool from Tupperware and now use it constantly. 

Place a large pan on medium heat and add a little bit of olive oil. Add the meat and stir every minute or so until the meat has some colour. Season with salt, black pepper and some paprika.

Add the bay leaf.

Now add the onion, garlic, chilli, celery, pepper and the kidney beans (and the optional corn).

 

Let it all simmer for about 7 minutes, stirring every now and then.

Season with a teaspoon of ground cumin and , if necessary, more salt and black pepper.

Now pour in the tomatoes. I use one can and a little water. Bring everything to the boil and then turn the heat down.

 Place a lid slightly askew on the pan and let it simmer for one hour. Stir now and again so it won't stick to the pan.

Now take the bay leaf out and maybe season a little again. But that is it, you're done.

I usually serve it with a little bit of crème fraîche and rice. But it also works really well with nachos and some guacamole or yogurt.

 Bon Appétit