Chilli con Carne Meatballs

http://bigspud.co.uk/2012/10/21/15-minute-chilli-con-carne-meatballs/

Jamie seems to have taken the recipe off his site:( Will report later!

Mexican BLT, chillies, guacamole and salad

Tried this Jamie Oliver 15 minute meal… Took 24 mins but was yummy!

Ingredients:

• BLT
• 4 rashers smoked pancetta
• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 pinch dried oregano
• 1 pinch cumin seeds
• 1 baguette
• Salad
• 1 little gem lettuce
• 1 bunch radishes
• 2 punnets cress
• 40 grams feta
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 8 pickled green chillies
• Guacamole
• 0.5 bunch fresh coriander
• 1 fresh red chilli
• 4 spring onions
• 2 ripe avocados
• 5 cherry tomatoes
• 2 limes

Directions:

1. Ingredients out. Oven at 130'C. Medium drying pan, medium high heat. Food Processor set to bowl blade.

2. Fry pancetta until golden. Toss chicken with oregano, cumin seeds, salt and pepper. Put in Freezer bag and bash with rolling pin till about 1.5cm thick. Add chicken to pan, turning after 3-4 minutes. Pop baguette into oven. Cut lettuce into wedges, halve the radishes and place in bowl. Snip over cress and crumble over feta.

3. Mix vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper in small bowl. Place chillies in bowl. In processor pulse coriander, chilli, spring onions until fairly fine. Add avocado flesh and cherry tomatoes plus juice of 1.5 limes. Pulse and season to taste.

4. Return pancetta to chicken pan to warm. Remove bread from oven and cut lengthwise. Spoon guacamole into bread, tear over 1 of lettuce wedges. Slice up and add chicken, followed by pancetta. Drizzle over pan juices and scatter with coriander. Serve with lime wedges, pickled chillies in dressing, and salad.

(Serves 4)

Chorizo, Potato and Thyme Quesadillas

We love these delicious quesadillas from Mexican food expert Thomasina Miers. They're filled with an irresistible combination of chorizo, potatoes and cheese and take just 15 minutes to prepare.

Ingredients:

• 350 grams potatoes
• 0.5 onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 200 grams chorizo cooking sausage, chopped
• 1 bunch fresh thyme, chopped
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 4 large tortillas
• 400 grams cheese, grated
• Olive oil
• 1 jar salsa

Directions:

Cut the potatoes in equal-size chunks and cook until tender. Leave them to cool a little and then cut them into 1cm dice. Cook the onion until soft, add the garlic and cook for a further 3 minutes. Mix in the chorizo and potato, turn up the heat and fry for another 5 minutes. Mix in the thyme and season. Spread a quarter of the chorizo mixture on one half of a tortilla and sprinkle with a fistful of cheese. Fold the tortilla over so that you have a half moon. Brush it with a little olive oil (so the tortilla doesn’t stick to the pan) and place in a hot, dry frying pan or griddle and cook until golden and crisp. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Cut into wedges and serve with your favourite table salsa.

(Serves 4)

Slow Cooker Chipotle Pulled Pork

This pulled pork recipe is great for feeding a crowd and cooking it in a slow cooker couldn’t be easier.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 kilograms pork shoulder
• 2 tablespoons chipotle sauce
• For the fresh tomato salsa
• 6 tomatoes, chopped
• 0.5 red onion
• 1 tablespoon lime juice (about ½ lime)
• small handful chopped fresh coriander
• 0.5 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• For the guacamole
• 2 avocados, peeled, chopped
• 0.5 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon lime juice (about ½ lime), plus more to taste
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 12 flour tortillas, to serve

Directions:

Season the pork shoulder with salt. Place the pork shoulder into a slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Meanwhile, for the fresh tomato salsa, mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl and season, to taste, with salt, freshly ground black pepper and more lime juice. For the guacamole, mash the avocado pieces and garlic together until smooth, then stir in the lime juice and season, to taste, with salt, freshly ground black pepper and more lime juice. To serve, remove the skin and fat from the pork shoulder and shred the meat with two forks. Place the meat into a bowl. Mix the chipotle sauce with two tablespoons of the cooking liquid and pour the mixture over the pork. Mix until the pork is coated in the sauce. To serve, arrange the pork on a serving plate and spoon the salsa and guacamole into separate bowls. Warm the tortillas according to packet instructions and serve alongside.

(Serves 4-6)

Slimming World Spicy Vegetable Chilli

Ingredients:

• Low calorie oil spray
• 200 grams Quorn mince
• 1 red onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped or sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds, crushed
• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1cm (1-2in) dice
• 2 sticks celery, cut into 1cm (1-2in) dice
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 2 cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Large handful of coriander leaves, chopped
• For the guacamole
• 1 ripe avocado, stoned, peeled and cut into 1cm (1-2in) diced
• 1 red onion, peeled and finely diced
• 2 plum tomatoes, finely diced
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped
• 2 limes, juiced
• Small handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped
• To serve
• Very low-fat natural fromage frais

Directions:

Spray a large, non-stick frying pan with oil and place over a medium heat. Add the Quorn, onion, chilies, garlic, ginger, ground coriander, carrot and celery and stir-fry for 4-5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and beans, season well and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and cook gently for 25-30 minutes, stirring often. Meanwhile make the guacamole. Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl, season well and set aside until needed. Remove the Quorn mixture from the heat, stir in the chopped coriander and serve immediately, garnished with a little fromage frais and accompanied by the guacamole. Syns per serving (When following the Slimming World diet you are allowed 15 syns per day) Original: 3½ Green: 13½

(Serves 4)

Black Bean Chilli With Avocado Salsa

This recipe is taken from Delia Smith’s Winter Collection.

Ingredients:

• 225 grams dried black beans
• 25 grams fresh coriander
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 green chilli, de-seeded and chopped small
• 450 grams stewing beef, cut into very small pieces
• 1 rounded tablespoon plain flour
• 400 grams tinned chopped tomatoes
• 1 red pepper
• 0.5 lime, juiced
• For the avocado salsa:
  • 1 avocado
  • 2 medium tomatoes
  • 0.5 red onion, finely chopped
  • 0.5 lime, juiced
  • 4 drops tabasco sauce
• To serve:
  • 150 milliliters soured cream
• You will also need a 4 pint (2.25 litre) flameproof casserole with a well-fitting lid.

Directions:

1. Either pre-soak the beans overnight or start this recipe 3 hours ahead of time and begin by placing the beans in a large saucepan, covering them with cold water and bringing them up to boiling point and boiling for 10 minutes. Then turn the heat off and let them soak for 3 hours. Towards the end of the soaking time, pre-heat the oven to gas mark 2, 300°F (150°C).

2. Strip the leaves off the coriander stalks into a bowl, cover with clingfilm and place them in the fridge. Then chop the coriander stalks very finely indeed. After that, take the casserole, heat half the oil in it and cook the onions, garlic, coriander stalks and chillies gently for about 5 minutes. Then transfer them to a plate, spoon in the rest of the oil, turn the heat up high, add about a third of the beef and brown it well, keeping it on the move. Then remove it and brown the rest in 2 batches. Now return everything to the casserole and sprinkle in the flour, stir it in to soak up the juices, then add the drained beans, followed by the tomatoes. Stir well and bring it up to simmering point. Don't add any salt at this stage - just put the lid on and transfer the casserole to the oven to cook for an initial 1 1/2 hours.

3. Towards the end of that time, de-seed and chop the pepper into smallish pieces. Then, when the time is up, stir the pepper in to join the meat and beans. Put the lid back on and give it a further 30 minutes' cooking.

4. While the meat finishes cooking, make the salsa. Skin the tomatoes by pouring boiling water over them, then leaving for exactly 1 minute before draining and slipping the skins off when they're cool enough to handle. Then cut each tomato in half and, holding each half over a saucer, squeeze gently to extract the seeds. Now chop the tomato flesh as finely as possible.

5. Next, halve the avocado, remove the stone, cut each half into 4 and peel off the skin. Chop the avocado into minutely small dice, and do the same with the onion. Finally, combine everything together in a bowl, adding seasoning, the juice of half the lime, half the reserved coriander, chopped, and a few drops of Tabasco.

6. Before serving the chilli, add salt, tasting as you add. Then stir in the rest of the coriander leaves and the juice of half the lime. I like to serve this chilli with some plain brown basmati rice and let people help themselves to the crème fraîche.

(Serves 4)

The now familiar chilli con carne has suffered from its fair share of convenience shortcut versions but when it's made properly, with the right ingredients, it is still a wonderful concept. I think this version is even better than the original, using black beans and introducing the subtle flavouring of lime and coriander - and adding a contrasting cold garnish at the end.

Slow Cooker Chipotle Pulled Pork

Great as you get leftovers for packed lunch next day.

This pulled pork recipe is great for feeding a crowd and cooking it in a slow cooker couldn’t be easier.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 kilograms pork shoulder
• 2 tablespoons chipotle sauce
• For the fresh tomato salsa
• 6 tomatoes, chopped
• 0.5 red onion
• 1 tablespoon lime juice (about ½ lime)
• small handful chopped fresh coriander
• 0.5 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• For the guacamole
• 2 avocados, peeled, chopped
• 0.5 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon lime juice (about ½ lime), plus more to taste
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 12 flour tortillas, to serve

Directions:

Season the pork shoulder with salt. Place the pork shoulder into a slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Meanwhile, for the fresh tomato salsa, mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl and season, to taste, with salt, freshly ground black pepper and more lime juice. For the guacamole, mash the avocado pieces and garlic together until smooth, then stir in the lime juice and season, to taste, with salt, freshly ground black pepper and more lime juice. To serve, remove the skin and fat from the pork shoulder and shred the meat with two forks. Place the meat into a bowl. Mix the chipotle sauce with two tablespoons of the cooking liquid and pour the mixture over the pork. Mix until the pork is coated in the sauce. To serve, arrange the pork on a serving plate and spoon the salsa and guacamole into separate bowls. Warm the tortillas according to packet instructions and serve alongside.

(Serves 4)

Vegetarian Chilli Veg

This tasty vegetarian chilli is packed with lentils, vegetables and beans. Serve with rice, guacamole and soured cream.

Ingredients:

• 175 grams green lentils
• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1-2 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 red and 1 green pepper, stalk and seeds removed, and chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 cans chopped tomatoes
• 1 heaped tbsp tomato purée
• 300 milliliters vegetable stock
• 100 grams frozen peas
• 175 grams mushrooms, wiped and quartered
• 1 courgette, chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 can kidney beans, drained

Directions:

Place the green lentils in a large bowl and pour boiling water over them. Leave to soak for 30 minutes. (Alternatively, buy a tin of pre soaked lentils.) Drain. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion and garlic together with the chilli and cumin, about ten minutes or until the onions are soft. Add the peppers, carrots and drained green lentils and cook for five minutes, stirring all the time. Add the tomatoes, purée, stock and peas, bring to the boil and simmer until the lentils are tender (about 30 minutes). Add the mushrooms and courgettes and simmer for five minutes more. Season to taste. Add the cooked kidney beans and simmer for five more minutes. Serve with cooked rice.

(Serves 4)