CHILLI WITH NACHOS & CHEESE

We can’t tell you how good this is. Yes, there are many ingredients but a lot of them are spices, and the prep is easy – just chopping. The nachos topping is amazing and you end up with different textures: crunchy on the top and soft at the bottom, with juicy chilli. Naughty but definitely nice.

Serves 4

l 2tbsp olive oil

l 1 large onion, finely diced

l 2 celery sticks, diced

l 1 red pepper, diced

l 400g (14oz) minced beef

l 200g (7oz) minced pork

l 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

l 1tbsp dried oregano

l 1tbsp ground cumin

l 1tsp chilli powder

l 1tsp ground cinnamon

l 1tsp ground coriander

l 1tbsp light soft brown sugar

l Salt and black pepper

l 400g tin of tomatoes

l 2 x 400g tins of red kidney

beans, drained and rinsed

l 400ml (14fl oz) beef stock

or water

l 30g (1oz) dark chocolate For the topping 200g (7oz) tortilla chips 200g (7oz) Cheddar cheese, grated To serve Soured cream Fresh coriander leaves Lime wedges

Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish. Add the onion, celery and red pepper then cook over a low heat until the onion has softened and turned translucent. Turn up the heat and add the minced beef and pork. Leave it for a minute to brown on the underside, then start breaking it up with a spoon and turning it until it’s all completely browned. Reduce the heat.

Add the garlic, oregano, spices and sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Stir for a couple of minutes, then add the tomatoes, kidney beans and stock or water. Bring to the boil, cover and turn down the heat. Leave the chilli to simmer for an hour, stirring regularly to make sure it isn’t catching on the bottom of the pan. Remove the lid, add the chocolate and stir until it has melted.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6, or heat your grill to its highest setting. Cook the chilli for another 15 minutes, until the sauce is very thick and well reduced – you don’t want to put the nachos on to a liquid mixture.

Arrange the tortilla chips over the chilli and top with the cheese. Grill or bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted and started to brown. Serve immediately with soured cream, coriander leaves and lime wedges.