vegetable chili and nachos

The concept of  'meat free Monday' seems to be catching on over here. Being a rebel, I sometimes eat a meatless dinner on a Tuesday, or even a Sunday, I'm just so reckless..But, joking aside, as much as I dislike the neatly categorised meals for certain days attitude that prevails (spaghetti night, pork chop night..), it's great to see so much encouragement for people to eat less meat. Not only is is great for the environment by cutting down on valuable resources, but it's great for our bodies too.

If I'm honest, being a Welsh girl, I, like most Brits, was brought up on a diet of meat with every meal. Even though my parents cooked a variety of different cuisines, it was simply unheard of to have a dinner without meat. Neil, being a Northern lad, was brought up on the standard of meat and two veg, rarely deviating from this. Even now, it is difficult for me to contemplate a dinner without flesh, but certain foods seem to lean towards it more readily. As long as there is some sort of protein, filling starches such as potatoes or beans, chunky, 'meaty' vegetables and an overall great flavour, you'll hardly miss the meat. Chili seems to be an easy option to cook vegetarian, Mexican food in general being rich in vegetables and beans.

Recipe : Vegetable chili

1 tbsp oil and 1 tsp butter

1 onion, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

3 chili peppers, seeded (if a milder taste is required) and finely diced

1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1 tin plum tomatoes

4 sun dried tomatoes

1/2 tin soy / red kidney / black beans (or any other you fancy), drained and well rinsed

6 mushrooms, halved

a handful of fresh basil and oregano, chopped

1.5 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp dried oregano

salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve

a handful of Mexican or other cheese, such as Cheddar or Feta

4 spring onions, (scallions), chopped

2 tsp finely shredded basil

Heat the oil and butter in a large pan over medium heat and add the onion, garlic, chili peppers, bell peppers and celery. Fry for a few minutes, reduce the heat to low, cover and let saute for about 10 minutes until soft and lightly browned.

Add all other ingredients and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low to medium, cover and cook for about 35 - 45 minutes until all vegetables are softened and the flavour is rich and spicy. Serve over rice with the cheese, spring onions and basil sprinkled on top.

Leftover chili nachos

The next day, having a bowl of leftover chili and a bag of tortillas in the fridge, I decided to make some nachos. This is something I have never attempted at home before, more content to share a huge platter with friends at a bar. (And when I say HUGE, I really mean it). There the crisp tortilla triangles have been smothered with a spicy tomato sauce, sometimes chicken or ground beef, olives and green onions. The best part, however, are the very large handfuls of cheese that have been thrown on top and left to melt under a hot grill until lava like and crispy on the edges. Beware if ordering this in the States, you will get a disgusting liquid cheese squirted on top instead of the grated Cheddar. (Sorry, but it's really unpleasant).

Recipe : Nachos

2 cups of leftover vegetable chili 

1 large flour tortilla

a handful of black olives, sliced

4 green onions, sliced

1.5 cups of grated cheese (a good melting variety such as Mozzarella or Gruyere is nice, but I really like the sharp tang of Cheddar)

a handful of salty, crumbly Mexican or other cheese, such as Feta or Caerphilly

Brown the tortilla either under a grill, (broiler), or fry in a dry pan until brown and crispy on both sides. Cut into triangles, (carefully - it may shatter easily - you could even do this before browning) and lay out on a baking tray.

Warm the chili and spread evenly over the nachos, sprinkling with the olives, cheeses and green onions. Brown under a hot grill, (broiler) until the cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream, guacamole and hot sauce for dipping each chili topped triangle into.

Note: Be sure the tortilla is well crisped and firm before topping as you want each slice to be easily portable and not too floppy to pick up or dip.

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 Store cupboard chili