Vegetarian Chilli Con Carne

Ever since my weekend retreat where I was treated to a vegetarian banquet, I’m been eating vegetarian food or just a lot of vegetables. I’ve never been a really big meat eater. Mainly because of cost but I still eat it. Nothing gets my taste buds going than the smell of a barbecue with a steak or sausages cooking and I love chicken and fish. I used to be a full on vegetarian in my late 20’s and really enjoyed the different vegetarian products. There are so many available in the stores now but I really enjoy just being able to make humble vegetables into something really tasty.

It’s hardly the weather for Chilli Con Carne here in Australia with the warmer weather upon us, but this chilli is a good one to have on in the slow cooker and good dipped with tortilla chips and a side of guacamole and sour cream/Greek yoghurt. You could also have it on a baked http://theciviccommons.com/user/brobby-paulsen potato or wrapped in tortillas, sprinkled with cheese and baked until golden.

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan or slow cooker and simmer until sweet potato is soft.

Mash until the desired consistency.

Mix in a can of drained and rinsed red kidney beans.

Serve with sour cream or Greek yoghurt and/or guacamole, rice or tortilla chips.

Vegetarian Chilli Con Carne

• 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
• 1 red capsicum (bell pepper), de-seeded and chopped
• any leftover tomatoes from the fridge (chopped)
• 1/2 long sweet chilli, diced (or 1 tbs chilli in a tube or dried chilli powder to taste)
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 tbs dried cumin
• 1 tbs dried coriander
• 1 tbs sweet paprika
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• salt and pepper
• 1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1. Combine all ingredients except red kidney beans and simmer until sweet potato is soft.
2. Mash until desired consistency.
3. Add red kidney beans and warm through.
4. Serve with sour cream/Greek yoghurt, tortilla chips, rice and/or guacamole.

Lamb & Chorizo Chilli

When you go searching in the freezer for something for dinner, when your meat supply is low and pickings are slim, you can sometimes be disheartened and lacking motivation to put together something nice for dinner. That’s what happened to me the other night. Two lonely lamb chops jumped up out at me and I was just lacking any inspiration for dinner that night. I’d only recently had it done Greek style, and then Moroccan but little would I have thought to do it Mexian-style in a chilli.

I googled some ideas and came across a recipe on one of my favourite web sites, Epicurious.com for a Spicy Lamb and Chorizo Chilli. Yay! I had chorizo too and tortillas in the freezer. Dinner was organised. This recipe is perfect for the slow cooker and freezing. I’ve got just enough leftovers for more tortillas or even as a filling for individual pies.

Lamb and Chorizo Chilli
(based on recipe https://frederickareabridal.net/community/stephan/ from Epicurious.com)

2 lamb shoulder chops (or any other cut of lamb suitable for slow cooking)
1 chorizo, sliced
1 tbs olive oil
2 tbs red wine vinegar
1 cup stock
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 tbs dried oregano
1 tbs dried cumin
1 can red kidney beans
1 can diced tomatoes
salt & pepper

To serve:
tortillas (I popped each tortilla into a lightly greased pan for a minute each side to crisp up.)
coriander (cilantro)
sour cream

1. Pan fry lamb chops until browned and place in slow cooker (or alternatively in an oven proof dish if cooking in the oven).
2. Pan fry sliced chorizo until crispy and place in slow cooker.
3. Deglaze the pan with red wine vinegar and stock and pour over meat in slow cooker.
4. Add remaining ingredients and cook on low for 4 hours.
5. Serve in a bowl with warmed tortillas for dipping or spoon into warmed tortillas, top with coriander and sour cream to serve.

Serves 2.