The Ultimate Chilli

I can't remember how I converted this America recipe to British measurements so will have to try and remember the tweaks when i make it next. It's the best chilli I've ever tasted though!

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 (15 ounce) cans dark red kidney beans
• 3 (14.5 ounce) cans Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup red wine

Directions

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef until evenly browned. Drain off grease, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. In a slow cooker, combine the cooked beef, kidney beans, tomatoes, celery, red bell pepper, and red wine vinegar. Season with chili powder, cumin, parsley, basil and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to distribute ingredients evenly.
3. Cook on High for 6 hours, or on Low for 8 hours. Pour in the wine during the last 2 hours.

My Mum's AMAZING Tuna Pasta Salad

I've finally managed to extract the recipe from my Mum for her beautiful pasta salad...

Ingredients

· 1 packet of pasta – preferably shells or bows

· 2 tins of tuna in brine, drained

· 2 – 3 sticks of chopped celery

· Diced cheddar cheese

· Finely chopped red onion (optional)

· Half bottle of cubits cucumber relish

Dressing

· Little drop of milk

· Half bottle of salad cream

· Slightly less mayo

· Dash of Worcestershire sauce

· Half teaspoon made up mustard (optional)

· Vinegar – 2 teaspoons

· Teaspoon of sugar

While the pasta is cooking, chop up all ingredients. When the pasta is cooked, either rinse under cold water or allow to cool. Then mix all ingredients together. Make the dressing and toss well.

Spanish Chicken Pie

I cooked this tonight with leftover roast chicken, and it was a huge success! I halved the amounts as I was cooking just for the kids.

• 1 kg potatoes, cut into quarters
• 150g light cream cheese like Philadelphia Extra Light
• 300g cooked chicken, shredded into pieces
• 2 onions, diced
• 1 garlic clove, finely diced
• 2 x 400g tin tomatoes
• Jar roasted vegetables, chopped into bite size pieces
• 1tsp smoked paprika

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180. Boil the potatoes for 15 mins until tender. While they’re cooking, heat a drizzle of oil from the roast veg jar in a frying pan, add the onion and fry gently for 5 mins then add the garlic and cook for a further 2 mins and tip in the tomatoes and paprika, stir well and bring to a simmer.
2. Once the potatoes are cooked drain them, add the cream cheese and mash together. Pour the tomatoes, chicken and vegetables into a large oven dish and mix.
3. Top the chicken mixture with the potato and ruff up the top slightly with a fork. Cook for 20 mins till piping hot all the way through.

Paddy's Jaffa Pudding

Ingredients

• 100g butter , melted, plus a little extra for the dish
• 250g self-raising flour
• 140g caster sugar
• 50g cocoa
• 1 tsp baking powder
• zest and juice 1 orange
• 3 eggs
• 150ml milk
• 100g orange milk chocolate or milk chocolate, broken into chunks (we used Terry's Chocolate Orange)
• single cream or ice cream, to serve

FOR THE SAUCE

• 200g light muscovado sugar
• 25g cocoa

Serves 8

Preparation and cooking times

Prep 35 mins, Cook 30 mins

1. Butter a 2-litre baking dish and heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the kettle on. Put the flour, caster sugar, 50g cocoa, baking powder, orange zest and a pinch of salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together the orange juice and any pulp left in the juicer, the eggs, melted butter and milk, then pour onto the dry ingredients and mix together until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chunks and scrape everything into the baking dish.
2. Mix 300ml boiling water from the kettle with the sugar and cocoa for the sauce, then pour this all over the pudding batter - don't worry, it will look very strange at this stage! Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 30 mins until the surface looks firm, risen and crisp. As you scoop spoonfuls into serving bowls, you should find a glossy, rich chocolate sauce underneath the sponge. Eat immediately with vanilla ice cream or single cream.

Per serving

522 kcalories, protein 8g, carbohydrate 82g, fat 21 g, saturated fat 11g, fibre 2g, sugar 54g, salt 0.86 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine