Who doesn’t love a chilli eh? I do and what I have realised it’s not the meat I want, it’s the intense warm smoky flavour I adore. I decided to up the beans and down the meat. So many people think meat has to be the centrepiece and the only thing that will give a dish flavour or fill you up. Not true at all! If I do say so myself this tastes blooming good. 

Chilli can be dreadfully disappointing once you have experienced a good one and I would never order it when eating out unless they cooked proper Mexican food. I am bored of being disappointed by eating at restaurants and it not meeting my expectations- god I sound snobby!! 

You can adjust the chillis in this recipe depending if you have little people or not. 

Charlie has just scoffed a whole bowl of it after football practice and he’s tolerated quite a bit of heat. I serve it with yoghurt – if vegan you can use a dairy alternative and it takes the heat out just a little.

2 cans black beans

1 can kidney beans

1 can chopped tomatoes 

1 huge red onion finely chopped 

Olive oil 

2 cloves garlic 

1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh thyme 

1/2 tube tomato purée 

1 finely chopped chilli

2 teaspoons cinnamon 

1 teaspoon smoked paprika 

1 heaped teaspoon bouillon 

1 heaped tablespoon crushed cocoa nibs

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 180 degrees centigrade 

Use a large cast iron pot for this – one that you can start off on the hob and then finish off in the oven 

Fry the onion and garlic in big glug of olive oil until brown.

Add all the other ingredients giving a big stir 

Place in the preheated oven for 1 hr 30 mins until it’s really thick and the top looks a bit dark but not burnt.

Give it a good stir and then serve