Recipe of the Month: Vegetarian Chilli Con Carne

At the end of a busy day, nothing is more appealing than a meal that is not only simple, affordable and healthy, but that our children will actually eat. This delicious vegetarian take on chilli con carne is cheap, healthy, requires minimal time and effort, is made with common pantry ingredients. Better yet, you can cook up a large batch and freeze it for fuss-free weeknight meals.

Serves 4 | Cooking Time: 60 mins | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 brown onion, finely chopped  
• 1 to 2 cloves of garlic, minced  
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil  
• 1 teaspoon of cumin  
• 1 teaspoon of paprika  
• ½ teaspoon of chilli powder (optional)  
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste 
• 1 can of red kidney beans or black beans  
• 1 can chopped tomatoes  
• Salt and pepper (to taste) 
• 3 to 4 cups of cooked rice 
• Chopped avocado and tomato (to serve)  
• Grated cheese (to serve)  

Steps:

1. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium to high heat.
2. Add onion and stir until soft.
3. Add garlic and continue to stir.
4. Reduce heat to medium, add cumin, paprika and chilli powder, and stir.
5. Add tomato paste and stir.
6. Drain and rinse the beans, add to saucepan and stir.
7. Stir in the tomatoes.
8. Add salt and pepper, cover with lid and reduce heat to low.
9. Simmer for anywhere from 15 minutes to half an hour on low heat.
10. Serve on a bed of rice and top with grated cheese, chopped avocado and tomato, your child will be asking for seconds! You could also add fresh coriander and/or a dollop of sour cream.  

At Your local Early Learning Centre, we provide fresh, nutritious and creative meals delivered daily by Kids Gourmet Foods.

Here’s another kid-friendly recipe you might like: Chicken Rice Paper Rolls