Taco tuesday

/ Rachel Eagleton, nutritionist/

Here's the chilli con carne recipe I use to make tacos for the children.  For the grownups we either have this in a whole grain wrap or in a lettuce leaf cup like a mexican sang choy bau with a dash of chipotle tabasco.  The kids get taco shells.  You can also serve this with basmati or cauliflower rice, or over a baked sweet potato . I like to use a mix of black beans and kidney beans to increase the fibre content of meals and reduce the proportion of meat.  I've also got plenty of tomatoes and red capsicum in there (I sometimes add carrot or zucchini as well) for immune boosting vitamin C and to help with iron absorption.  

If you want to make the recipe vegetarian, leave out the mince and use an extra tin of kidney beans.  I have plenty of tips for cooking for a vegetarian in a meat eating house here.

This makes enough for at least two meals, so you can freeze half.  It's great for lunch boxes with basmati rice.

chilli.jpg

 

Serves: 8

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 tab extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 onion, finely chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried or crushed chili flakes or to taste

  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 3 cardamom pods, bruised

  • 2 red peppers, seeded and finely diced

  • 500g lean mince beef

  • 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes

  • 2 tab tomato ketchup (sugar free)

  • 2 tab tomato paste

  • 1/4 cup water

  • 1 tab cocoa

  • 1 x 400gm tins red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

  • 1 x 400 gm tin black beans, drained and rinsed

METHOD

  1. Fry the onion and garlic in olive oil until they begin to soften. Add the chilli, coriander, cumin and crushed cardamom pods and stir well.

  2. Break up the minced beef into the pan and, using a fork, keep turning it to separate it as the meat browns. Deseed and finely dice the red peppers, and add into the mince.

  3. Add the chopped tomatoes, kidney beans, ketchup, tomato paste and water, stirring to make a rich sauce. When the chilli starts to boil, sprinkle over the cocoa and stir it in. Simmer partially covered for 1 hour. You need it not too saucy so the tacos don't get too soggy.

  4. Serve with baby spinach, sliced avocado, chopped fresh tomatoes a wedge of lime and a little bit of good quality grated cheddar

If you like this recipe, let me know!  I think you'll also like this one too.