Chilling Out

There seems to be a pleasant day in the offing; plenty of Sun, hopefully with a lowish humidity and next to nothing in the way of a breeze, just the way the beach freaks like it! Never mind the beach though, I've been out in the garden this morning to do a little tidying up of dead leaves and other such debris and to check that things are OK. Water is needed of course but right now I'm watching the TV Chef Rick Stein cook Gumbo in South Carolina so the watering is having to wait. Gumbo is a nice dish (I've had it once or twice in South Carolina myself) but I can't get Okra here so I can't make it. Things are not totally OK though in the garden: I think that I have lost my Sage plant due to over-watering so some TLC is being applied in the hope that it will revive, but the Toms are doing well; except that there is a minor infestation of whitefly, I've even remembered to pinch out all the side shoots etc!! and my support system is the bees knees! The Lily (Arum Lily?) is blooming again and I've just noticed that one of the six flowers is quite beautifully back-lit by the Sun so maybe a photo will work.... I think it did, I quite like my new camera!

1130 and it is such a nice day so I've got some brunch on the go on the plancha out on the terrace, after which I'm going shopping for Kitchen Roll and Rubbish Bags. In the meantime: Favio, in our discussion the other week about the bar asked me to give some thought to the idea of doing some food. That I have been doing but I am not confident that the "kitchen" he may put in will afford me much functionality. Until he defines whatever I am keeping food ideas quite simplistic and having a dabble with a dish or two here at home that I feel might work for me without too much hassle. Here is the first idea that I think is just about ready to go. It is a Chilli con Carne which I would offer over a Jacket Potato or as Nachos. To do rice would mean two pots, making it, technically, more awkward. Anyway, have a go at this and tell me what you think :-

Chili con Carne
INGREDIENTS (Makes 3 - 4 portions)
Olive Oil
400 grams Minced (Ground) Beef.
1 glass of Red Wine.
1 Beef Stock Cube.
1/2 can of chopped Tomatoes.
1 tblspn Tomato Concentrate.
2 tblspns Tomato Ketchup.
4 Button Mushrooms.
1 tblspn Worcestershire Sauce.
200grams Red Kidney Beans (Tinned or Jarred will do.)
Cheddar Cheese.
Sour Cream.

Sofrito:-
1 Smallish Onion
1 small stick Celery
1/4 cup Green Pepper
1/4 cup Red Pepper
2 Red Chili Peppers
3 cloves Garlic

Chili Seasoning:-
2 Tblsp red chili powder
1 teaspoon Hot Spanish Smoked Paprika.
1 Tblsp ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
3-4 Tbsp water

PREP
Chop/slice quite finely all the sofrito ingredients.
Grind the coriander seeds along with the dried oregano and thyme then combine all seasoning ingredients and mix to a paste.
Chop the mushrooms.
Rinse the Kidney Beans if using Tinned.
Grate some cheese for garnish.

METHOD
Into a hot, large frypan drizzle a little Olive Oil and brown the meat then remove the meat from the pan and set aside. If necessary add a little more Olive Oil and then gently fry the sofrito ingredients. When softened add the glass of wine, along with the crushed stock cube, and deglaze the pan, allowing the wine to reduce somewhat. Then add the seasoning paste and cook for a minute or so before adding back the Meat and the Worcestershire Sauce, Tomatoes, Tomato Concentrate, Ketchup, Beans and Mushrooms. Add a cup of water and cook for an hour or so, stirring frequently, adding more water as necessary to prevent sticking. At the end of the cooking time allow the sauce to thicken slightly.

Serve spooned over a Jacket Potato garnished with grated cheese and a Dollop of Sour Cream OR spooned over a layer of Tortilla Chips garnished with Cheese and Sour Cream