Vegetarian Chilli

It doesn't get much better than a big bowl of chilli in front of the telly on a cold Friday night. This week we challenged ourselves to eat meat-free for for 7 days, and we have eaten some seriously good grubs! We've reinvented some of our favourites and our best has definitely been this meat free chilli con carne. With lots of beans and plenty of flavour, you certainly won't miss the beef. You can also make this in a slow cooker, by throwing all the ingredients in the pot and turning it on low all day - because there's no meat to brown, you can do it all in the one pot, making this the ultimate winter comfort food.

This recipe is slightly hypocritical because it does use a packet mix of sorts, but this is ultimate comfort food and when you're developing recipes that make you happy, sometimes you've got to stick to your favourites. I use Old El Paso Taco Mix as my seasoning, however you can use your favourite taco mix, or a chilli con carne spice mix from the grocery store.

Make this as spicy or as mild as you like - I love a really spicy chilli because it warms you up just that little bit extra, and has a fabulous contrast to the cool creaminess of the sour cream on top. You can also get really creative with your toppings; my sister introduced me to serving corn chips with chilli for a fun, nacho-like meal with the kids. I prefer a big dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of fresh spring onion, but I know most of you will like to add fresh avocado or a homemade guacamole. Last night, I served this with garlic bread, because, I could.

Below is a base recipe - of course, you can brown some mince at the beginning and add the rest of the ingredients for a non-vegetarian meal, or you can throw in some extra veggies like chunks of zucchini, carrot, eggplant etc, so go absolutely wild on this one!

Ingredients:

• 400g Diced Tinned Tomatoes

• 1 Can Red Kidney Beans, Drained

• 1 Packet Taco Seasoning

• 1/2 Tsp Dried Chilli Flakes

• 1 Clove Garlic, Minced

• 1 Tbs Rice Bran Oil

To Serve:

• Sour Cream

• Sliced Avocado

• Chopped Spring Onions

Let's Make This Chilli:

1. In a saucepan, heat oil and slightly fry garlic. Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly.

2. Stir constantly, to avoid the sauce catching on the bottom. Keep the chilli on a low simmer with the lid on. The Chilli will be cooked after around 20 minutes, but you can keep it on the stove for as long as you need.

3. Serve in a big bowl and top with your favourites.