taste & create: chilli

it's taste & create time and this month i had the pleasure of exploring katie’s blog one little corner of the world. created by nicole from for the love of food, taste & create pairs up food bloggers and we each cook something from the other’s blog.

i struggled to choose between katie’s cajun pasta (prawns and chorizo flavoured with lime and cajun spices) which is so good she’s blogged about it twice and her chilli. i really couldn’t decide so david chose - chilli it was!

i made a few changes to the recipe but kept the spicing the same as this is the key to seeing what katie will be eating when she opens one of the many jars which she has prepared (she makes large batches and then uses her canner to keep them fresh). the flavour of this chilli is delicious and develops well after a night in the fridge.

we ate our first portion of chilli with tortilla wraps, guacamole, salad and various other tex-mex staples (see above!). it was so good! katie, your chilli had me wriggling my toes in delight! it was a real pleasure cooking – and eating – as you!

check out katie's version of my tomato and melting mozzarella linguine.

katie's chilli (serves 6-8)

1 tablespoon olive oil

450g beef mince

400g pork mince*

1/2 an onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon chilli powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

400ml water (or you can use beef stock)

250g cooked kidney beans (rinse well if using tinned)

heat the oil in a large pan and brown the meat. about halfway through, add the garlic and onion. when the meat is cooked add all the remaining ingredients, except for the kidney beans, and simmer over a gentle heat for 40 minutes (i had to add extra water so keep an eye on your chilli as it cooks). add the beans and cook for an extra 20 minutes. season to taste and allow to cool before refridgerating overnight. if there is any excess fat you can skim this off the top of the cold chilli before you reheat it. 

* katie uses sausage meat and limits this to half the weight of the beef. i chose pork mince as it is less fatty.