Chilli con carne was once considered a poor man’s food. Today it has a reputation of being a highly nutritious meal. It’s packed with vitamins, minerals and nutrients and is very tasty. Plus as always, it’s quick, simple and easy to do. Chilli is a fibre rich food that can offer many health benefits.
The beans and vegetables in this dish can help to reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Beans are a low fat food that are cholesterol free and rich in protein, folate, iron and zinc. Legumes are in the family of edible seeds and are very popular with vegans. They are by far the best source of plant based protein.
We love a chilli in this house and my son Ted is a huge fan of beans. The best part about it is he hasn’t realised that it is actually a vegetable. Shh, don’t tell him! He ate most of this meal, vegetables included, because of the beans and chicken. So a brilliant dish for Ted and everyone else enjoyed it too. Below is a video and recipe for you.
Do you love chilli? How do you like to eat yours? Let me know in the comments below and please don’t forget to like and follow me.
Equipment needed
- Sharp knife
- Chopping board
- Grater
- Slow cooker
- Frying pan
- Teaspoon
- Tablespoon
Ingredients
- Chicken x 500g
- Onions x 2
- Courgette x 1 large
- Carrot x 1 large
- Red pepper
- Pumpkin x 1 small
- Garlic x 2 cloves
- Vegetable or chicken stock x 1 litre
- Spinach x 1 bag (200g)
- Red kidney beans x 1 – 2 400g tin
- Cayenne pepper x 1/2 tsp
- Groung ginger x 1 tsp
- Ground coriander x 1 tsp
- Ground cumin x 1 tsp
- Ground cinnamon x 1/2 tsp
- Herbs du provence x 1 tsp
- Tomato puree x 1 tbsp
- Brown rice flour x 1 tbsp
- Maple syrup x 1 tbsps
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil (hob method only, for sauce pan
Method for slow cooker
- Peel and slice the onions and garlic and put into the slow cooker.
- Then peel and slice the carrot and courgette.
- Remove the core of the pepper and then slice it.
- Next peel half the pumpkin, then cut the top off and remove the seeds.
- Cut into 1 inch pieces and put this in as well.
- Pour over the vegetable stock
- Drain the beans and add them to the pot.
- Sprinkle in all the herbs and spices, plus the tomato puree, brown rice flour and the maple syrup.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Finally stir all the ingredients together and put on a low heat for eight hours or a high heat for four hours.
- 30 minutes before serving, add in the spinach and stir until it has wilted into the chilli.
- Chop the chicken into 1 inch cubes and fry in a little olive oil in the frying pan.
- If you have a vegan or vegetarian in the family then you can always put the meat in after you have served their portion but only if you’re using veg stock too.
- Then serve with a hot bowl of brown rice and enjoy.
Method for the hob
- Peel and slice the onions and the garlic and set aside.
- Then peel and slice the carrot and courgette.
- Remove the core of the pepper and then slice it.
- Next peel half the pumpkin, then cut the top off and remove the seeds.
- Cut into 1 inch pieces and set all this aside.
- Put the saucepan on a medium to high heat and drizzle the base with olive oil.
- Spread the oil evenly over the base with the plastic brush.
- Once the pan is hot, add in the onions and garlic and fry until the onions are starting to soften.
- It should take around five minutes or so.
- Next fry the chicken until golden brown.
- Again this should take 5 – 10 minutes.
- Next add in the butternut squash, carrots and courgette and fry for a further 2 – 3 minutes.
- Sprinkle over the spices and brown rice flour and fry for a further minute.
- Pour over the vegetable stock
- Drain the beans and add them to the saucepan.
- Add in the tomato puree and maple syrup and stir.
- Finally season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Leave on a low heat to simmer for 30 – 40 minutes.
- Serve with a hot bowl of rice and enjoy.
Pumpkin Chicken Chilli is a great meal that will serve the whole family. It’s a simple and easy dish to make and you could make it vegan or veggie for the on the hob method. All you need to do is add the chicken at the end instead of at the beginning. Obviously, you will need to use vegetable stock and not chicken as I mentioned earlier. The bonus of this meal is that any leftovers which there shouldn’t be can be frozen and eaten on another occasion. For me, when I take a leftover dish out of the freezer it’s like takeaway night. However you decide to eat this chilli, as always, enjoy.
Googies Kitchen Life 