Pumpkin chilli con carne

Preparation: 20 minutes    Cooking: 90 minutes    Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 500g beef mince

• 1 small onion, diced

• 1 green pepper, de-seeded and diced

• 1 tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 tin tomato juice

• 1 tin chopped tomatoes

• 1 small pumpkin or butternut squash

• 1 tbsp tomato purée

• 1 tsp chili powder

• ½ tbsp dark brown soft sugar

• 1 tsp yeast extract

• 1 tub crème fraîche

• 30g watercress, finely chopped.

• 700g baby potatoes

• Vegetable oil

• Salt and pepper

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Peel and halve the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. Dice half of the pumpkin into 1cm cubes and reserve. Chop the remaining pumpkin into large chunks, place in an oven tray, drizzle with oil and season. Roast in the oven for approximately 25 minutes or until cooked through.

Meanwhile, place a large pot on a medium-high heat. Add half the oil and heat until beginning to smoke. Add the minced beef and fry until browned. Drain the beef onto some kitchen towel.

Turn the heat down to medium. Add the beef back to the pan then add in the onion, diced pumpkin and pepper, cooking until onions are translucent. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for a further minute before adding the kidney beans, tomato juice and chopped tomatoes. Cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer for one hour.

Place the potatoes in an oven tray, drizzle with vegetable oil and season. Place in the oven and roast for 30-40 minutes, or until cooked through and crisp on the outside.

Once the roasted pumpkin is cooked, remove from the oven and place into a blender. Add a ladleful of liquid from the chili and blend until smooth. Add to the simmering pot and stir through. Mix together the crème fraiche and watercress and add seasoning to taste.

Divide the potatoes between four bowls. Add a ladleful of chilli and serve with a generous dollop of crème fraîche.