Red Hot Chilli Pie

The pronunciation and spelling of Chilli has a few different forms.

Chilli was the original Romanization of the Nuatl language word for the fruit and is the preferred British spelling according to the Oxford English Dictionary, although it also lists chile and chili as variants.
Chili (one "L") is widely used in America, although in much of South America the plant and the vegetable are better known as aj locoto, chile, or rocoto.
Chile is an alternate usage, the most common Spanish spelling

This recipe will make 2-3 chilli pies.

500 gram mince beef
1 can tomatoes chopped
1 can red kidney beans
1 can baked beans
2 onions medium
2-3 cloves garlic
1 sprig rosemary
Herbs, dependant on taste
2 hot dog sausages

3 fresh tomatoes
2 roasted peppers
seasoning and spices
1 pack of puff pastry
2-3 prepared savoury pastry case or 2-3, homemade 8 inch pastry cases (recipe is further down the page).

I usually make a few chilli pies as they can be frozen and used when you need them, they are always a useful standby

Chop onions and place in a large hot olied pan, heat until onions are translucent. Add mince and brown. Add fresh tomatoes, roasted pepper and sausage and stir. Now add chopped garlic, rosemary, herbs, seasoning and spices and stir well. Then add kidney beans, baked beans and tomatoes and mix well. Cook for 30 mins over a low heat. When chilli is cooked set aside to cool.

Tip: Chilli is always best the following day so I always make a large enough batch to last me for a few days.

When your chilli has cooled fill the pastry case with the mixture, make sure you press to down and get the chilli in all areas. Roll out puff pastry and cover pie, a little tip is to leave the top overlapping as it will shrink in the oven, you don't want a crust which is too small for your base. Brush with milk or egg wash and put 2 small cuts in the top, this is to let out the steam. Place in a preheated over on 180 until the puff pastry is golden. Remove from oven and serve

Making good home-made pastry is not difficult but you do need to remember to keep all utensils as cool as possible, and handle the pastry as little as you can. You can use your pastry straight away but it is better after it has been in the fridge for half an hour or so. Wrap ready pastry in foil or cling film and it will keep for up to 3 days.

There are a few ways to make pastry but for the purpose of this lens I have included the easiest recipe.

225g flour, sifted
pinch of salt
125g butter, cut into small pieces
45-60 ml cold milk.


1. Mix flour and salt together in a bowl,
2. Rub in the butter so it resembles fine breadcrumbs,
3. Sprinkle the milk over the crumbs, mix with a cold spoon until the mixture sticks together,
4. Form a ball and kneed until smooth,
5. Cover in foil and refrigerate for 30 minutes,
6. Roll out as required on a lightly floured work surface.

Pastry freezes well so you can make lots of cases and freeze, then all you need to do is remove from the freezer, fill and bake....simple!

This is just something I have made myself, this usually happens if I have a spare few minutes. All you need is a bottle of good olive oil, a few chilli's, some black peppercorns and a sprig of your favourite herb, I use Rosemary and a couple of cloves of Garlic. First wash the chillis and pop them in the top of the oil bottle, next add the peppercorns and sprig of herb, add your garlic, you don't have to peel. Shake it up and leave to do it's thing. In a couple of days you will have a nice chilli oil which can be used as a rub on meats, or as a oil for pasta and pizza. The good thing is that the longer you leave it the more flavoursome it gets.

This is probably the most used ingredient in the house alongside the onion which of course is the same family. We both love garlic and use it in almost everything, we grow our own and as it can be cultivated all year round making it a valuable crop in our garden pantry. Nearly all of the plant can be used (apart from the root) for all manner of recipes. The bulb or cloves have the strongest most pungent flavour whilst the stems can be chopped over salads or soups and the flowers which can also be eaten are added for a nice floral garnish. Garlic has many beneficial properties and has been used throughout history to fight bacteria and fungal infections. Garlic has a very strong odour which can make your breath smell a bit, to combat this just add fresh parsley to your meals.

Another culinary delight which is never far from our kitchen, herbs. So many to choose from so many different and complimentary flavours. Most can be grown at home with very little time or money spent. They are an attractive plant to have in your window box or garden and can give a lovely aroma which gives those summer afternoons in the garden all the more pleasurable. Some help to encourage butterflies and ladybugs, some can help to deter flies and wasps. They can be used for all manner of illnesses or ailments, from treating a cough and cold to aiding the healing process of a cut. They can be dried and added to soaps or bath salts and even used as room freshener sprays. We use most of the herbs we grow in our recipes as they add so much depth and flavour to what would normally be a bland meal.

Spices are an important part of cooking, especially in our house. We use them with almost every meal they can add so much flavour to an otherwise boring meal.. Some people I know don't like using spices but I do feel they add a depth and aroma to the food which you just don't get without them. Spices are a culinary delight and should be experimented with to find your own tastes, the key is knowing what compliments what, and what can be used to counteract strong overpowering tastes. Spices can vary and can make a dish go from being quite fresh, light and delicate to being quite heavy, hearty and rich depending which little leaves, powders or seeds you add. This amazes me and gives me so much pleasure in testing different combinations out to give a completely different outcome. You will need to try different combinations out for yourself to find which works best for you, most spices are relatively cheap and can be picked up in most stores or markets.