Winter Warmer Chilli

I have a, 'throw it all in' policy when it comes to cooking. Unlike my husband, I haven't always been a confident cook. Whilst he has a knack for coming up with new and exciting dishes, I always worried about whether I was using ingredients that would, 'work' together, and as a result, my dishes were often uninspiring.
I wouldn't say I was ever a bad cook, I've always loved whipping up a tasty meal. I just feel that over the last three or four years, I've approached meal-making with a different attitude and my stomach has thanked me for it - although my waistline may not always agree!
Daily dinners tend to rely heavily on what I can scrape together from the cupboards and this Winter Warmer Chilli is the result of that. I have been trying to do a better job of tracking my food intake lately and so I have the exact measurements of everything I used; although I absolutely suggest you tailor this recipe to whatever you have to hand. It's pretty hard to go wrong with Chilli.

Winter Warmer Chilli Recipe - 

Serves 2 generously with leftovers. I always make extra for Scott's lunches.

Ingredients

Extra Lean Beef Mince - 510g
Tinned Chopped Tomatoes - 400g
Red Kidney Beans. Cooked and Drained - 260g
Courgette. Chopped into small chunks - 110g
White Mushrooms. Chopped - 85g
Pickled Silverskin Onions - 75g
1 Large Orange Capsicum/Pepper. Chopped into small chunks. 
1 Large White Onion. Chopped.
2 Garlic Cloves. Crushed.
1 Red Chili Pepper With Seeds. Finely chopped.
1 tsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbsp of Worchester Sauce
2 tbsp of Paprika
1 tbsp of Chilli Powder
Season to taste
The amount of spices you add to your dish is totally up to you. Scott loves his food really spicy whilst me, not so much. I usually cook on the side of caution in terms of heat and leave my hubby to add extra chili powder if he sees fit.

How-To

1. Fry the onions and garlic in the oil, over a medium heat until the onions have softened.
2 Add the mince and cook until browned. You may wish to drain the excess oil off afterwards. I did because I'm on a health kick - sigh!
3. Add the orange pepper and the chili pepper. Season as you choose - salt and black pepper. Add the paprika and chili powder then simmer over a medium to low heat for 10 minutes.
4. Add the courgette, mushrooms, kidney beans and Worchester Sauce. Cover and continue to simmer on a low heat for 15 minutes. I also added the silverskin onions at this point as I prefer them slightly softened but if you like a crunch, you can add them later on. 
5. Serve up and enjoy!
I always believe that chilli is better cooked in advance and left to sit for a few hours at the very least - even overnight if you have the time. By all means, you can eat it right away though and it will still be delicious!
Other ingredients you can use in your Winter Warmer Chilli are carrots, lentils, chick peas, sweet potato, butternut squash, balsamic vinegar, cloves, it really is up to you and your personal taste.
Let me know if you give this recipe a go!