Almost every time I ask Mr R what he feels like eating for dinner, the answer is usually either bolognese or chilli. I have been making the same chilli recipe for years, and wanted to adapt it for a slow cooked version. Over Christmas my Mum bought these really cool soft tortilla boats, which she filled with seafood and served them at their New Year’s Eve party. Inspired by this, I thought they would be ideal filled with chilli and melted cheese. I kept the basis of my recipe mostly the same, but used a few tips from one of Heston Blumenthal’s books to perfect our own version. Make these on a cold winter’s evening…you won’t regret it.

The recipe serve 4-6

Ingredients

3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced

2 red peppers, skin peeled, deseeded and chopped (use jarred roasted peppers if preferred)

1 large onion, diced

400ml tin chopped tomatoes

500ml beef stock

1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and diced

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 tbsp chilli olive oil (we used Olive Olive chilli infused oil)

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

400g tin red kidney beans, drained

400-450g lean beef mince (we used Waitrose Hereford beef mince)

325ml red wine

Bunch fresh coriander, leaves chopped

12 mini stand ‘n’ stuff Old El Paso flour tortillas

Lime wedges, guacamole, soured cream, salsa and grated cheddar cheese to serve

Spice Mix

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp hot chilli powder

1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp tomato ketchup

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp Marmite

Method

1. Add the chilli infused oil to a large, deep saucepan or cast iron casserole dish. Turn heat to high and once smoking hot, add the mince until it has just browned. Remove and drain the meat.
2. Turn down the heat and in the same pan add the extra virgin olive oil, cooking the onions for approx. 5 minutes until they begin to soften and brown. Next stir in the garlic and red chilli and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add a splash of water if the mixture begins to look a little dry.
3. Add the tomato puree, make sure the onions are completely coated and cook for 2-3 minutes. Pour in the red wine, and let the sauce reduce on a gentle simmer for approx. 8 minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken.
4. Sir in the spice mix, browned mince, chopped tomatoes and stock. Simmer on a very low heat for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.
5. After 1 hour, stir in the drained kidney beans and add more stock or a splash of water if needed.
6. Once cooked for desired amount of time (the longer the better) stir in the peppers and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper, taste and add more chilli powder to increase the heat if desired. Finally turn off the heat and stir in the fresh coriander leaves.
7. Warm the tortilla boats in the microwave for 30 seconds or as per the packet instructions. Fill each boat with 2 heaped tablespoons of chilli and top with grated cheese. Put the filled boats back in the microwave for a further 30 seconds, or until the cheese and melted and serve with guacamole, salsa, soured cream and lime wedges.

* Serve 3 tortilla boats each for 4 people (dinner portion) or 2 each for 6 people (lunch portion).