It's A Little Chilli (...Con Carne) Outside

I refuse to spend the month of January hungry.

According to my Instagram and Facebook, the majority of my friends are living strictly lettuce-only-lives over the forthcoming frosty weeks.

Now I'm all for eating healthy and everything, but come on! It's bloody freezing outside and a pile of iceberg is gonna do nothing but make me downright sorrowful.

Instead of repenting my Quality Street related sins like a good girl, I'm rebelling.

I'm going to chow down on a bowl of Chilli Con Charlotte and you're invited to join me!

Rich, packed full of flavour and totally home-made I don't want to hear a peep from you about having this as a 'cheat' meal. This is good-for-the-soul, proper winter grub.

Knock up a batch midweek and take the leftovers in for a corker of a packed lunch the next day. I promise you now, you're going to love it! 

To make enough for four servings, you're going to need:

800g tinned chopped tomatoes

400g kidney beans

1 can baked beans (I like Heinz Five Beans)

2 white onions, diced

2 red peppers, roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Small bunch fresh coriander

2 heaped tsp cinnamon

3 heaped tsp ground cumin

3 heaped tsp chilli powder

3 heaped tsp paprika

500g lean minced beef

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Dollop of crème fraîche

I serve mine up with fluffy white rice & pitta's, jacket potatoes or salted corn chips.

In a big pan, drizzle in a little olive oil and add the chopped onions and garlic. After a minute or so, throw in the peppers and turn the heat down to medium.

When the peppers have softened, add the spices and season well. Drain the kidney beans and add them to the pot too, along with the baked beans and balsamic vinegar.

Give everything a stir and throw in your tomatoes. Fill one empty can up with water and add that too. Sprinkle in your sugar, pop on the lid and leave to simmer.

In a separate pan, brown your mince and season with salt and pepper. Begrudgingly drain off the excess oil and add the beef to the chilli sauce. Have a taste and adjust the spices accordingly. I always end up throwing in more chilli powder and cumin!

Pop the lid on and simmer for 45 minutes, giving it the occasional stir and taste test (very naughtily eat some and groan). Meanwhile, boil your rice and toast the pitta's.

Just before serving, sprinkle over the coriander and swirl in your crème fraîche.



Enjoy! And remember to keep some for tomorrow's lunch if you can stop yourself from devouring the whole pot. It really is the bomb diggity the next day.

Skinny Chicken & Stuffin' Salad

This just so happens to be the Little Black Dress of the salad world.

It's also an ideal place to start if you're trying to shimmy back into your actual LBD.



Allow me to cast your mind back a couple of weeks. Remember hungrily browsing the sandwich aisle at lunch and locking eyes with the all exclusive, sparkly red festive range? (I'm going to assume you just nodded and drooled simultaneously.)

Well, I had a particular penchant for the chicken, stuffing and cranberry variety.



My Skinny Chicken & Stuffin' Salad is essentially just that with a low carb January twist. First thing first. Whack these on the shopping list:

For the salad (to feed two people)
1 pack leafy salad (spinach, rocket, lamb's lettuce all work well)
1/2 an iceberg lettuce
1/2 a cucumber
3 x skinless, free range chicken breasts
1 cup 'just add water' sage and onion based stuffing mixture

For the dressing
3 tbsp cranberry sauce (you'll find this in exile at the back of your fridge)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 x lemon

Start by seasoning your breasts and stop being so naughty, you filthy animal!



Pop them in a pre-heated oven at around 200°c until cooked through and crisp on the outside. Depending on the thickness of your chicken they can take between 20-30 minutes. If  in doubt, slice one open and take a peek. If it's pink, it's not done yet.

In the meantime, prepare your stuffing according to the instructions on the packet. Crisp it up under the grill if you have the time, otherwise just pop it in the microwave for around three minutes and enjoy its natural gooey deliciousness.



Feel free to make your mixture from scratch if you'd rather. I'm only leaving it to Sainsbury's because, well, who the heck has the time to make homemade stuffing?!

Chop your iceberg lettuce into strips and throw it into a bowl with the rest of your leaves. Dice your cucumber and toss it all together good 'n' proper.

Whilst your stuffing is cooking, knock together your dressing. In a bowl, add your cranberry sauce, olive oil, mustard, lemon juice and balsamic vinegar before giving it a stir and crushing in your garlic. Season with salt and pepper.

At this point, your roast chicken should be ready. Remove it from the oven and squeeze over the lemon juice. I like mine really lemony, so I use a whole half.

When it has cooled, chop it up into bite size chunks and season.

Divide your salad between two large bowls (you should have enough left over for tomorrow's lunch, you lucky devil) and scatter your chicken pieces on top.

When the microwave pings, take out your stuffing and break it into little pieces. Pop them on top of your salad and whatever you do, make sure you lick the spoon.

That, my friend, is a vital step.

Drizzle over your homemade cranberry dressing and dive in totally guilt free.

Ridiculously delicious and totally acceptable in January, much like the the following joke:

What do you do with epileptic lettuce?

You make a seizure salad!