You will have to trust me on the Chinese five spice. It complements the smoky fiery flavour of the beef chilli perfectly. This is probably one of my favourite’s to make, my friends love my chilli. You can reduce the cooking time by adding less of the stock but I prefer a long, long cook for this.
Serves 4-6 people
Prep 10 mins
Cook 1-2 hours
If I’m doing this for a crowd I serve a Scotch Bonnet chilli pepper on the side to see who’s man enough to give one a go! If you are going to do this, please remind your guests that the Scotch Bonnet ranks in category 4 on the scoville heat measure, and is of similar heat to a habanero, jamaican hot pepper, and the not so comfortingly named, Fatalii. Have plain yogurt / milk on standby!
BLACK RICE- Where has black rice been all my life? After trying this for the first time only recently I can honestly say I will never eat a bowl of the white stuff ever again! A spoonful of black rice contains more antioxidants than that of blueberries. The anthocyanin antioxidants within the rice are linked with memory improvement, protection against heart disease and even cancer. Black rice is a fantastic source of Iron and also vitamin E. I decided to serve my devilish beef chilli with black rice to give a gothic, unusual and nutritious edge to the dish. Black rice is not just for show, it’s so good for you!
BEEF- Around 85g of beef provides you with the following of your daily requirements; 50% protein, 39% zinc, 37% B12, 24% selenium, 20% phosphorous, 18% niacin, 16% B6, 14% iron, 12% riboflavin. ( SOURCE: http://www.beef.org/udocs/Beef%20Bytes%20Health.pdf )
KIDNEY BEANS- 177g of kidney beans will provide you with the following of your daily requirements; 57% folate, 45% fibre, 42% copper (great for the immune system), 38% manganese (good for bone production & skin integrity), 34% phosphorous (another one for bones but also digestion), 30% protein, 23% B1, 21% iron.
The kidney bean is a good source of cholesterol-lowering fibre, along with many other beans. When beans are combined with whole grain rice, the kidney beans provide virtually fat-free high quality protein. Kidney beans can also increase your energy by replenishing iron stores. (SOURCE: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=87)
REDUCED SALT & SUGAR BAKED BEANS – It’s this kind of cheap, easily accessible food that we can utilise for our health without having to import a wonder herb or grain from the Amazon. Baked beans can help towards achieving 7-a-day along with great fibre and protein benefits. Lycopene within the tomato sauce is a powerful antioxidant that has shown to help prevent heart disease and prostate cancer. (SOURCE ; http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/the-nutrition-of-baked-beans.html )
Ingredients.
1 dried chipotle chilli, rehydrated, de-seeded and chopped finely
1 ham stock cube, made up with 500ml hot water
2 tsp Chinese five spice
1 400g can kidney beans in a chilli sauce
1 400g can organic chopped tomatoes
1 230g can reduced sugar & salt baked beans
2 onions, chopped roughly
60g smoked chorizo, skin removed and sliced into rounds
1 tbsp carotino oil (or any other healthy cooking oil of your choice)
75g black rice, per person.
Method.
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onions over a medium heat for 10 minutes until they are translucent.
2. Add in the beef, Chinese five spice, chorizo, chipotle and cook until the meat is no longer pink.
3. Tip in the tomatoes, mix and let them cook out for a couple of minutes.
4. Add both kidney and baked beans to the pan, along with the stock.
5. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer for 1-2 hours dependant on how much stock you want to use. I use all the stock and simmer for 1.5.
6. Start cooking your rice in boiling water half an hour before you want to serve.
