CHILLI BEEF & BEAN BOWL

This was pure heaven for my very hungover fiancé on Sunday night. He looked terminally ill when he arrived home from an epic Saturday day & night bachelor party  and I knew that a Kale & Quinoa salad, however hearty it may have been, would not cut it for this boy. He needed meat and lots of it. Hence Chilli Beef & Bean Bowls was on the menu for Sunday night and Monday night, as I chose to make 4 servings. The amount of rice per serve is small and did shock me at first, however as this is based on a Michelle Bridges recipe calories must be counted and the sizeable amount of beef mince, tomatoes and beans does not leave much room for starchy carbs. I suggest you use brown rice over white, as brown rice fills you for longer. Don’t be tempted to rack up more calories by adding a dollop of sour cream or cheese on top of this bowl, as there is flavour enough without adding in dairy.

Ingredients

• 2.5g rice bran oil / olive oil (1/2 teaspoon)
• 3 garlic cloves (9g), finely chopped or crushed
• 1 medium red capsicum (200g), finely chopped
• 400g lean beef mince
• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning (20g)
• 2 x 400g can diced tomatoes 
• 1 x 400g tin red kidney beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 x 400g four bean mix, rinsed & drained
• 1/4 cup brown rice
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil or coriander leaves, finely chopped
• 1 cup of fresh lettuce (iceberg, cos, butter), washed, drained & roughly chopped
• 1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

Cooking 

1. Bring a small saucepan of rice and 1 cup of water to the boil with a pinch of sea salt. Once boiled reduce to a simmer and cook until all the water is absorbed and the rice is soft. Set aside. 

2.  Meanwhile, heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add the oil. Add the garlic and capsicum to the pan and cook, stirring often for 2-3 minutes, until the capsicum is just becoming soft. Be careful not to overcook the garlic and burn it. 

3. Increase the heat to high and add the mince and taco seasoning. Cook, breaking up the lumps in the mince with a strong large spoon, for 4-5 minutes or until the beef is brown. Add the tomatoes and 1 cup (250ml) of water, then cover and bring to the boil. Once boiled reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. 

4. After 10 minutes, remove the lid, add the beans to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes or until the tomato sauce has reduced (thickened) slightly. 

5. Divide the cooked rice into 4 bowls, then add the chilli beef & beans. Place 1 lime wedge, the chopped lettuce and the basil on top of each chilli bowl. Serve warm. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 25 minutes 

Calories / approx. 570 per serve / recipe makes 4 serves 

x Emily 

A GARDEN SALAD with SMOKY CHILLI CHICKEN

The heat & humidity in Brisbane has become outrageous. Whilst I love and look forward to summer as much as the next person, my jaw dropped when I realised that for the next 7 days the temperature was going to be in the 33-34 degrees celsius range. If you have never experienced a Brisbane summer, 30 plus really feels like 40 plus degrees as our humidity is insane. This type of weather makes you want to lay back with an ice-cold beer, cider, water and absolutely does not endear itself to cooking. Hence I have created the 7 salads in 7 days. Over the next week I will be exploring simple, yet filling and tasty salads that are easy to make and do not require using too much heat (and some will require no heat!). These salads will all be gluten & dairy-free as well. It’s a great way for me to get through this steamy week, as otherwise I may have been living off sushi takeaway or fruit & yoghurt for dinner. Another thrilling salad recipe coming at you tomorrow! 

INGREDIENTS

Chicken

• 400g chicken breast (preferably free-range), cut into even strips
• 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 medium garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 heaped teaspoon ground paprika
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder 
• 2 teaspoons yellow mustard powder 

Salad

• 2 handfuls of green oak lettuce (or any lettuce you like), washed and roughly torn
• 1 large celery stalk, finely chopped
• 1 medium tomato, finely chopped
• 1 x 400g tin of brown lentils, washed & drained 
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• a generous handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped & washed 
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil 

COOKING 

1. Combine all the chicken ingredients in a medium ceramic bowl and toss well. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to marinade. 

2. Meanwhile, prepare the salad by combining the lettuce, celery, tomato and lentils in a large serving bowl. To make the dressing place the garlic, parsley, lime juice, vinegar and oil in a small bowl and whisk well to combine. 

3. After marinading the chicken for 25 minutes, line a large baking tray with baking paper and preheat a fan-forced oven to 200 degrees celsius. 

4. After 30 minutes of marinading the chicken, remove from the refrigerator and evenly spread the chicken pieces on the prepared oven tray. Bake in the oven for 9-10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked (you can test this by cutting the biggest piece of chicken in half; if no pink flesh is visible, the chicken is cooked). Turn off your oven straight away! 

Place the chicken on top of the salad and drizzle the dressing over the salad. Toss well. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes (plus marinading time)

Total Cooking time / 11-12 minutes 

x Emily

FRIED GARLIC & CHILLI ZUCCHINI

I’ve finally found a way to cook zucchini and make it taste relatively delicious to me. Being such a bland vegetable, I struggled with eating it during my childhood as it always seemed to end up on our dinner table at least three times a week, whether it was hidden in a stir-fry, roasted or baked. My theory is that if you put garlic and fresh herbs with anything, you can make it appetizing. Add a sprinkle of chilli for those that like it fiery and a once flavourless vegetable is no more!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large zucchini, thinly sliced into rings 
• 1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes (depending on how hot you want it)
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 heaped tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped
• coconut oil

COOKING 

1. Combine 1 tablespoon liquid coconut oil, zucchini slices, chilli and garlic in a medium bowl and toss well to combine. Heat a medium frying pan over medium heat. When pan is warm add zucchini slices to pan so that there is no overlapping. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until slices are slightly golden. Repeat until all zucchini is cooked, then serve warm. 

Serves / 4 as a side dish 

Total Preparation time / 5 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 12 minutes 

x Emily 

CHILLI CON CARNE

Whenever possible I like to cut complex carbs, such as rice, out of my lunches and dinners. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy carbs like pasta and rice, but I know they are not great for my stomach and my health. So I like to make filling meals that do not need these carbs, such as this chilli con carne. For those that like it hot, add 1 teaspoon or more ground chilli. You can use whatever spices you have on hand; for example if you do not have ground cumin or coriander add some ground black pepper and more smoked paprika. For those vegetarians out there, replace the meat with more legumes or perhaps more vegetables such as carrot and potato. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 teaspoon rice bran oil
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed 
• 500g lean beef mince
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon ground chilli 
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 600-650g fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped 
• 1 red capsicum (150g), chopped finely
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 x 400g tin red kidney beans, rinsed and drained 
• Optional- fresh coriander and /or lime wedges, to serve  

COOKING 

1. Heat oil in large frying pan or saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook garlic for 1 minute. Add mince and all 4 spices and stir constantly until beef is brown. Make sure to break up any lumps of mince with a spoon. 

3. Add tomatoes, capsicum, tomato paste and 1 cup of water to the pan and stir, bringing to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. After this time, remove the lid and simmer for a further 15 minutes or until the chilli con carne has almost thickened. Add red kidney beans and stir to combine. Remove from heat. 

4. Serve chilli con carne with coriander leaves sprinkled on top and lime wedges, if desired. 

Serves / 4 
Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 
Total Cooking time / maximum 30 minutes 

x Emily