slow cooked chilli con carne recipe

Okay, this has just been popped on to cook, so I thought I'd best write the recipe while it's fresh.

Ingredients.
2 small-med onions (I used one purple and one brown), finely diced
1 red capsicum, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
a couple of cloves of garlic, finely diced
500g mince
1 tin tomatoes
1 tin kidney beans, drained
a slug of red wine
a slug of tomato sauce (or tomato paste - I was all out today)
2 bayleaves
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp cumin powder

Method
First of all heat up your heavy based frypan. Then add a slug of olive oil and let it heat up. Turn the heat down and add the vegies and stir. Let soften for about 15 mins. Add spices and cook for one minute. Remove from pan and add mince, break up and let it brown.

Add the wine (1/4 cup-ish) and let alcohol cook off (2 mins). Add tinned tomatoes. Fill tin with water and add that to pan. Stir well and add tomato sauce and bay leaves. Bring to boil, add a lid and turn onto a low-heat to simmer.

Cook for around three hours. Add a tin of drained kidney beans 30 minutes before you're ready to serve. Stir well and adjust the seasoning to taste. Before eating, stir in two squares of dark chocolate and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add sweet chilli sauce if it needs more of a kick.

Serve with rice, corn on the cob, guacamole and some burritos. A dollop of sour cream or natural yoghurt's yummy too.

I've cooked this in my Le Creuset french oven, but it's just as good in a slowcooker. Just brown the meat and vegies and then tip it all into the slow cooker. You might need to use less water, probably only half the tin as it won't evaporate in the slow cooker like it does in a normal pot. Don't forget to cut a piece of baking paper the size of your slow cooker, wet it and place it on top of your chilli before adding your lid. I swear by this for non-dry meat.

Enjoy (especially you Melissa and PTT x)