FLOWER POT KITCHEN: MEXICAN THREE BEAN CHILLI WITH CHORIZO

16 Oct 2013

MEXICAN THREE BEAN CHILLI WITH CHORIZO

EAT MYSELF SLIM

Fantastic fiery Mexican bean chilli, packed full of flavour, low in fat and a really filling dinner, if I was not watching my waistline I would double the chorizo in this dish to add more naughtiness and serve with warm flour tortillas, spicy salad, corn chips, sour cream and cheese, well rather a good point that I am on a low fat low carb eating plan then I think !

Per portion: 535 kcal / 19.8g protein / 88g carbs / 10.7g fat / 4.4g sat fat / 9.1g fibre

150g rice and 200g Mexican bean chilli

INGREDIENTS

(serves 4)

800g tin borlotti beans drained and rinsed

800g tin channelling beans drained and rinsed

1 chicken jelly stock pot

1 tin tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato puree

20g chorizo thin sliced

1 tsp ooil

1 onion fine chopped

1 clove garlic fine diced

1 tbsp Mexine chilli powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp dried chilli flakes

1 tsp smoked paprika

Sea salt

fresh ground black pepper

bunch fresh coriander rough chopped

This only takes 15 minutes to make, but it is one of those dishes that once made and left to settle tastes so much better for it.

Heat a pan and sear the chorizo until cooked, put the chorizo to one side and using the same pan add the ooil and soften the onion and garlic for 5 minutes, add all the spices and stir in, add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer, add the chicken jelly pot and beans and mix well, bring to a gentle simmer and once heated through, season to taste and add the coriander. Serve with rice.

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LIFE MY PASSION

Welcome to my daily life of cooking, one winters day many years ago my family and I were all inspired by a back to back rainy day of River Cottage this got us to stop talking about and start actually doing, suddenly three weeks later eight vegetable beds were dug, greenhouse erected and our first vegetables were propagating, this was the start to raising and growing our own food, our fabulous son Oscar changed our path in life which lead us to sell our small thriving restaurant of 10 yrs and to start our new life (Terrifying!) a life of the self sufficient in touch with nature and seasons, taking a step back and looking forward to a slower change of pace and making the most of every moment.

My passion for cooking was stronger than ever and having time at home with Oscar I found I had a new direction and I was no longer striving for perfection, I was suddenly very passionate for the enjoyment of the other side of food, something I had not realised, being the Chef/Cook and every other duty of your own small restaurant made me see that I never actually took time to cook what I wanted!

So there I was muddy boots and hands digging deep in more than one sense and I found myself transported back in time to where everyone grew some of their own food, it is a wonderful world with a real sense of achievement and loss, Slugs Snails and Caterpillars! But thats another story! Childhood memories of summers when I lived with my grand parents reminded me of so much that I had learnt about the make do and mend generation that I had forgotten.

Now as a family we love our free wild food days where we gather what nature has provided, have gone from being mini mini garden urban small holders, who did raised pigs at home because we could not wait to find land and supporting ourselves from our garden to now owning a very small farm that allows us to grow more vegetables for the whole of our family and neighbours, raise our own gorgeous Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs, (Sausages!) and pets! Dorset Down sheep, chickens for eggs and pet goats! Suddenly having large quantities of produce started to wake up the Cook in me!

The Cook was awake that part of me that wants to cook for the masses and I found myself setting up Flowerpot Kitchen, a Farmers Market Stall, I wanted to use our honest raised meats and make old fashioned pork pies, rabbit pies and game pies from the local game keeper along with old fashioned techniques and the best hot water crust pastry. This in turn grew to a small cottage industry from home weekly supplying three farm shops and a deli along with also attending three farmers markets A few years later there came a time when my son Oscar's health changed and it was an easy decision to stop.

I still hold the occasional pop up 40 seater restaurant or gourmet lunch which we do for local charities for the love of sharing food and to remind that Cook in me why I love our go slower self sufficient life!

So here I am sitting amoung the vegetables watching the chickens loving that every season nature teaches me something new and that nature is in charge! She has taught me to just go with it and grow. Give it a try from a tray of salad on your windowsill to a few tomato plants it all counts.