Seven fasting days until Christmas and I'm surrounded by assassins

Bennisimo and Javier are at it again and I'm trying to Fast...

Bennisimo has been experimenting, all weekend, on creating the best chocolate ice cream whilst Javier has made the most delicious chocolate brownies. (Thanks for the recipe Chitra). And the plan is to combine the ice cream and brownies to make the most fantastic ice cream. And I have to come out of retirement to think of a better name than 'brown icecream'.



To keep on the brown theme (and chocolate for that matter, if you know your Mexican recipes), here's the seventh Fast day which is timed to perfection, given that snow is forecast. Go crazy, and chuck another chilli in.


It’s no wonder this Mexican dish is so popular, it’s perfect for wintry evenings – and this skinny version means you really don’t have to miss out on Fast days.

Weirdly though, Mexicans have overtaken Americans as being the most obese in the world. Must be all those fajitas and fries.

You can freeze individual portions of the following recipe for up to three months so this is a great dish for batch Fast cooking.

Skinny chilli con carne

SERVES 4
Calories per serving: 246
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 55 minutes
1-cal cooking spray
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped 38 cals
2 sticks celery, finely chopped 12 cals
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped 34 cals
salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 8 cals
2 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped 8-16 cals
400g extra-lean minced beef 480 cals
1 tsp ground cumin 5 cals
2 tsp sweet paprika 10 cals
2 fresh tomatoes, chopped 32 cals
400g tin chopped tomatoes 72 cals
1 tbsp tomato purée 4 cals
200ml boiling water
1 cinnamon stick
1 fresh bay leaf
300g tinned kidney beans, drained and rinsed 280 cals

FOR THE GARNISH (OPTIONAL)
chopped fresh coriander leaves and low-fat soured cream or half-fat crème fraîche (a tablespoon of the soured cream will add 15 cals and crème fraîche 26).

● Spray a nonstick saucepan with a little 1-cal cooking spray. Add the onion, celery and carrot and season well. Add a splash of water to help the vegetables steam and cook over a low heat for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and chillies and cook for another minute.
● Add the beef, mix together gently and fry for 5-6 minutes, or until golden brown. Add the spices and fry for a further minute.
● Stir in the fresh and tinned tomatoes and leave to cook down for about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato purée.
● Pour over the boiling water and add the cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is beginning to thicken.
● Add the kidney beans and cook for 5-10 minutes to allow the beans to soak up the flavours.
● Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf and serve scattered with chopped coriander and a dollop of soured cream or crème fraîche, if using, on the side.







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