Family friendly chili con carne

I constructed this meal one night when I was feeling particularly lazy but still wanted a decent home cooked dinner. It is therefore nice and easy to prepare, easy on the wallet and, since it actually lacks any chili at all, perfect for kids.

It’s naturally gluten-free and you can also omit the yoghurt and cheese for a vegan friendly version.

Not to mention it is super yummy!

Serves 5-6

Ingredients

• 1 cup of uncooked rice
• 500g beef mince
• 1 tin mixed beans
• 2 tins diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tomato
• 1/2 tin corn
• Handful of coriander (optional)
• 1/3 cup red onion
• Corn chips to serve
• Greek yoghurt to serve (omit for vegan meal)
• Grated cheese to serve (optional/omit for vegan meal)

Method

1. Cook 1 cup of rice. ( I use brown rice but any rice will do).
2. Cook beef mince in a fry pan.
3. Once meat is cooked add 2 tins of diced tomatoes and mixed beans. Season with cumin and paprika and mix well. Bring sauce to a gentle simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile prepare the salsa by combining the corn, red onion (diced), fresh tomato (diced) and coriander in a bowl.
5. To serve place a small portion of rice in a bowl, top with beef mixture then grated cheese if you desire, followed by salsa and a tablespoon of Greek yoghurt. Eat with corn chips.

 

Healthy cranberry oat biscuits

I’ve been making these delicious chewy biscuits for a coupe of years now. They make the perfect morning or afternoon snack with a cup of tea. The best thing is I don’t feel guilty if I have more than one in a day as they only use a small amount of brown sugar to sweeten them up.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups wholemeal spelt flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 teaspoon pink salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
• 2 teaspoons cornflour
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries (I generally use a reduced sugar variety)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or vanilla essence

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, bicarb soda and cornflour in a bowl.
3. In a separate bowl mix together the eggs, coconut oil and vanilla extract or essence.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
5. Add the oats and cranberries and stir to combine. You may have to use your hands here to thoroughly mix the ingredients and mold into a dough.
6. Take a portion of the mixture (whatever size you desire your biscuits to be, I usually make them about as big as my palm) and flatten on a baking tray. Continue with the rest of the mix.
7. Bake for 10 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. Remove from oven and allow to cool or eat while still slightly warm.
8. Store in an airtight container or freeze.

The biscuits can easily be modified to include your favourite things. Try adding toasted coconut pieces or drizzling melted chocolate over the top for a less healthy, but extra tasty, treat.