Four Bean Chilli Con Carne with Homemade Guacamole

One of my favourite 'one pot' meals is a Chilli Con Carne. I've been faffing about with different recipes for a few years and I think I've settled on my favourite. This one is on the milder side of hot (I just can't take spicy food as much as I used too). If you like a little more heat you can use use a hotter variety of chilli.

The Ingredients

For the Chilli:

1 onion (diced)

1 small bag of mushrooms (quartered or sliced)

1 pepper (chopped)

2 garlic cloves (crushed)

500g beef mince

400g can of chopped tomatoes

400g can of baked beans

400g can of kidney beans

400g can of cannellini beans

400g can of black eyed beans

2 red chillies (chopped)

2 tbsp chilli powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

shake of Worcestershire sauce

salt

freshly ground black pepper

bunch of fresh coriander (roughly chopped)

For the Guacamole:

1 avocado
4 cherry tomatoes
1 red chilli
the juice of half a lime
fresh corirander
salt
pepper

The Method

Heat some oil in a large pan or casserole dish on a medium heat, add the onion and cook for a few minutes until it starts to go translucent. Next add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes, then add the tomato purée and mix this with the onion and garlic.

Now add the mince and cook until brown, once browned add the chopped tomato, mushrooms, pepper and chilli and mix everything together.

Drain and add the four types on beans and mix everything together again and add the chilli powder, ground cumin and ground coriander. Taste the chilli at this point and season with salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce until it's how you want it.

Once you have the seasoning right turn the temperature down to low and cover the dish, leave it to cook for a minimum of half an hour, but leave a long as possible (the flavour gets better the longer you leave it).

Now for the Guacamole, cut the avocado in half and remove the stone and scoop the flesh from the skin. Chop the flesh of the avocado and then crush it with a fork, chop the tomato, chilli and coriander and mix this with the avocado and lime juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Serve the chilli with boiled rice and a scoop of Guacamole and garnish with chopped coriander.

Buen Provecho

S

You can Follow Big Stevie Cool on Instagram here.

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Lunch at Bouchon Bistrot, Hexham

Last week Me and Mrs. Cool decided to put off any work we had a few hours when the kids were at school and were able to enjoy a little date day. We decided to head to Hexham to try Bouchon Bistrot, A French restaurant that we have wanted to visit for a few years. Bouchon Bistrot is an award winning restaurant very close to Market Square in Hexham and was named the UK's best local French Restaurant on Gordon Ramsey's The F Word.

Our table was booked for 12pm and when we arrived we were greeted by the owner who was very friendly and showed us to our table. We ordered our drinks and were given a few minutes to look at the menus (you can see the menu on Bouchon Bistrot's webite here). As it was through the day we went for the Lunch menu which is very reasonably priced at £15.95 for 2 courses or £16.95 for 3 courses. Our drinks arrived and we were also given a couple of warm breadbuns with butter and we ordered our food.

For our starters Mrs. Cool went for the Goats Cheese Mousse with Beetroot Salad. I love the combination of goats cheese and beetroot and would normally go for this starter myself however I'm a sucker for Mackerel so when I saw Smoked Mackerel Tartines with Potato and Shallot Salad I knew I had to go for that one.

Goats Cheese Mousse with Beetroot Salad

Smoked Mackerel Tartines with Potato and Shallot Salad

Mackerel can be a bit like Marmite in that some people love it and some people hate it. I really love it, this dish is sooo good and very Mackerelly (is that a word?), the Tartines went really well with the potatoes and shallots. You can't go wrong with the classic combination of Goats Cheese and Beetroot, Mrs. Cool said the goats cheese mousse nicely seasoned with pepper and was the perfect portion size.

Mrs. Cool loves a good steak so for her main she went for Steak Frites. I was a little torn as I love steak too but I think I prefer pork so decided on the Grilled Pork Chop with Pomme Purée and Sauce Charcutière.

Steak Frites

Grilled Pork Chop with Pomme Purée and Sauce Charcutière

The Pomme Purée was perfectly smooth and very well seasoned, The pork was incredible, so tender and succulent. The sauce was amazing too, very meaty with onions and I think chopped Cornichons. Mrs. Cool's Steak Frites also looked good, The steak was served Medium Rare and was melt in the mouth soft (Mrs. Cool said it was the softest steak she has ever had), the frites were thin and crispy and the sauce was very rich and meaty and was perfect for dipping her chips into.

As it was only £1 extra we decided to treat ourselves to a dessert, Mrs. Cool chose the Tarte Fine Aux Pommes with Cinnamon Ice Cream. I was swayed by the thought of Rum and Pineapple so went for the Vanilla and Rum Bavarois with Roasted Pineapple.

Tarte Fine Aux Pommes with Cinnamon Ice Cream

Vanilla and Rum Bavarois with Roasted Pineapple

Although my dessert was delicious, very Creamy and the pineapple was particularly good, I was a little disappointed that the Rum was quite subtle and would have preferred this to be a stronger flavour. Mrs. Cool said the Tarte was beautifully flakey and the Cinnamon Ice Cream was perfect for winter. I had a little try of the Ice Cream and can confirm it is delicious.

We were happy with all of our dishes and I recommend you make the time to visit Bouchon Bistrot. Our bill came to £49.10 including drinks and tip and we were very happy with this price.

Well, that's all for now.

S

You can follow Big Stevie Cool on Instagram here.

Sunday Dinner at The Sun Inn, Morpeth

This weekend we had a busy Sunday. We went to see The Lambton Worm Panto at Customs House (read Mrs Cool's review here). We also took the kids to meet Santa Claus at Wallington Hall so only had a couple of hours to have our dinner. Sunday Dinner is my favourite meal of the week so we checked google for reviews of local pubs and headed to one with 4.5 star reviews. We walked in and pretty much straight away walked straight back out again. It's seemed like an old man pub, not somewhere for the family to have a meal. There was a restaurant area but it was closed, there didn't seem to be any staff on hand and the seating wasn't right for a family of five. Who knows the food might be great there but we didn't hang around to find out. So next we headed to Morpeth and went to The Sun Inn and what a difference. 

The staff were there waiting to find us a table, it was quite busy but we managed to find a table perfect for 2 adults and 3 kids. Our waitress took our drinks order as we sat down and gave us some menus. I prefer Beer to Lager so was happy to see they had a few guest beers and decided to go for a pint of the Caledonian Edinburgh Castle and Mrs Cool had a glass of Merlot (Mrs Cool was impressed that our waitress knew that it was a Chilean Merlot)

Jack loves fish so when he saw Cod and Chips on the kids menu he was all over that and was really happy with how big his fish was. Heidi and Harry both went for Chicken Nuggets (Nuggets are life for those two) the nuggets also looked good and seemed to be homemade. 

The Kids meals comes with a drink and ice cream for dessert and for £6.95 I think this is quite reasonably priced. The staff also get some bonus points as they brought out the kids some water with their ice cream as they had finished their drinks which was a nice touch.

Mrs Cool went for Roast Beef and I went for Roast Pork. Both came with Mashed and Roast Potatoes, Mashed Swede, Seasonal Vegetables, a hefty Yorkshire Pudding and lashings of gravy. I was also happy that the Pork came with Crackling (I love a bit of crackling). Everything was delicious and the portions were huge, my pork was very thickly sliced and by the end we were too stuffed to have any pudding.

Our whole bill came to less than £50 which for a family of five we were really happy with and were happy to leave a tip as the staff were so good. We will definitely be back to The Sun Inn.

Well, that's all for now.

S

You can follow Big Stevie Cool on Instagram here.

10 Burgers to try in the North East

I have long been a lover of burgers and I'm a bit of a dab hand at making some great homemade burgers (just ask Mrs. Cool) but I love having someone else make me a burger. The North-East has no shortage of burger joints so I've decided to share with you 10 burgers to try from around the region.

10. West Coast Classic
MEAT: STACK @ No.28, Newcastle

Credit - The Twin Thing

This one features last on the list as it's a place I've not personally tried yet. It is next on my list though as quite literally EVERYONE I've spoken to who has been have said it is amazing. This is the West Coast Classic, the melted cheese, the onions, OMG!

9. Avocado Club Burger
Smashburger, Newcastle

Toppings really make a good burger great. As a big fan of avocado it was inevitable there would be a burger with avocado on this list. The Avocado Club is the most salad heavy burger on the list but it ain't a healthy option, the ranch dressing and bacon are also great. On a side note Smashburger also have some of the best fries I've ever had.

8. Trio of Burgers
South Causey Inn, County Durham

What's better than a burger? Three burgers. These sliders are made with different meats. One is Game, one is Lamb and the third is Beef. Each has different toppings and aren't too overwhelming as each one is only a couple of bites.

7. Turnbulls of Alnwick Burger
Hawthorns at the Crown Plaza, Newcastle

This is the most expensive burger at £16 but totally worth it. You can tell the meat is the highest quality as the patty is from Turnbulls of Alnwick. The Gruyere cheese is sooo good and has a great melt and really goes brilliantly with the Maple Smoked Bacon.

6. Cheesemas No.1
Byron, Newcastle

This one was a special that Byron had last Christmas and I really hope they bring them back this year. Smoked Bacon, Mature Cheddar and an onion ring, a proper filling burger. A double patty with this one so you may not be able to move afterwards.

5. Sloppy Joe
Fat Hippo, Jesmond

This one is on the secret menu and you need to be in the know. Join The Herd and get the herd card and when you go just ask for the secret menu. The Sloppy Joe is two patties topped with chilli and jalapenos and sour cream, so unctuous, so messy, so good.

4. Capital B
BURGER. Newcastle

The newest place in Newcastle and it is already getting a good reputation. This is the signature burger the Capital B. A Beef patty topped with Slow Cooked Brisket, French Brie and pickled red onion. These burgers are seriously juicy and you need a good pile of napkins handy when having this one.

3. Cheesier than the 80's
The Dirty Bottles, Alnwick

This was the most recent burger I've had and I really love this place. A meat lovers paradise and the burgers are incredible. Two Beef patties, Black Pudding, Bacon Blue cheese, mushrooms and lashings of blue cheese sauce the topping just keep coming. Try this one and you will definitely start getting the meat sweats.

2. Chilli Burger
Evans Bistro, Whitley Bay

Another secret burger that makes an appearance on the specials board from time to time. A Beef patty with chilli and the cheese is somehow melted right into the chilli (I'm drooling just writing this) it's topped with onion rings. A mammoth task trying to finish this and you will probably make a mess if you try and eat it with your hands (but that's what you want in a burger).

1. PB&J
Fat Hippo Underground, Newcastle

Credit - Fat Hippo

Ah, my true love. My go to burger whenever I get the chance, The PB&J. The rest of the list have come very close but this is still my favourite. Double patty topped with peanut butter and Bacon Jam. I might have to nip to toon to get one right now.

Have you already tried any of the burgers on the list? Do you have any favourites I haven't mentioned?

Well, that's all for now.

S

You can follow Big Stevie Cool on Instagram here.

BURGER. The newest burger joint in Toon

Burgers are very much in at the minute and may the world rejoice (well, I do anyway, hurrah!). Newcastle has it's fair share of burger joints and the latest is BURGER. At The Gate in Newcastle City Centre. I had been at work until 17.30 so I met Mrs Cool and the kids in toon for us to give it a try.

We were shown to our seats and had a look at the menus. Our waitress took our order and brought our drinks out. The Kids had Chocolate Milkshake which came in a little metal cup, all the kids loved their drinks and almost finished them before our food had even arrived. Me and Mrs Cool ordered a Coca-Cola (standard when you have a burger). I need to make a special mention of the tumblers we were given for our Cokes. They were pretty cool and I want them for home (They'd be great for Whisky).

There are all kinds of Burgers available (you can view the menu here). I was torn between the Katsu, the Blues and the Capital B. In the end I went for the Capital B, Scottish Beef with Slow Cooked Brisket, French Brie, Pickled Red Onion, Beef Tomato and BURGER. Sauce, I also got a side of Sweet Potato Fries. The Scottish Beef Pattie was lush, really juicy and the brisket was amazing. My only criticism would be that it needed more Brie.

Mrs Cool wen for the Bacon Cheese, which is Scottish Beef with Red Leicester and Crispy Maple Bacon. She also got a side of Onions Rings and she said it was the best Bacon and Cheese Burger she has ever had and was really pleased that when she asked for no pickle on hers the staff said it was no problem. If you're looking for a 'regular' burger then this is a really good one as it was easy to eat unlike some of the large 'stack' burgers you can get which ca be a bit messy.

The kids menu is limited as the only choices are either plain Burger or Cheese Burger so if your kids don't like burger then probably best to go somewhere else. Harry freakin loves a burger so he was happy. Heidi and Jack can sometimes be a bit fussy but even they loved the burgers they got.

After our meal we had a chat to the manager who was telling us that they only use the highest quality Scottish beef in their patties and you can really tell as these burgers are insane (in a good way). I also enjoyed the ambiance as the music playing (from the DJ) was great, it's quite lively and I think it fits in well at The Gate.

Well, that's all for now.

S

You can follow Big Stevie Cool on Instagram here.

*This is a collaborative post

Dinner and Breakfast at Marco Pierre White Steakhouse, Bar & Grill Newcastle

Once in a blue moon me and Mrs Cool get a child-free night and we like to have a good night out. This happened recently when we went to see Katherine Ryan (Hilarious by the way) at The Tyne Theatre and Opera House, we also spent the evening at Hotel Indigo. The focal point of the hotel is The Marco Pierre White restaurant on the ground floor.  The Steakhouse, Bar & Grill is the Marco Pierre White's only restaurant in the North-East, there are a few menus to choose from (you can find them here).

Dinner:

As we were staying at the hotel there is an inclusive dinner menu we chose to dine from. It changes regularly and this is the one we had.

This being an evening out we obviously had to start with wine. We both love a merlot and this is the one we went for. It was very smooth and had a slight chocolatey taste, lush.

Mrs Cool loves a bowl of soup so she immediately went for the Cream of Carrot Soup. She said it was deliciously sweet and served with with some nice bread to dip in. A perfect warming dish for a cold Autumn evening.

I went for the Ham Hock Terrine, what really made this dish stand out was the pickled vegetables. I loved the sharpness of the pickles. The terrine itself was lush, I often choose a terrine as it's one of my favourite starters and this one was particularly good.

For her main Mrs Cool went for Slow Cooked Pork Belly. Sam loves a bit of pork especially when it has some crispy skin. She said this skin was very crispy and the meat was great as it was falling apart.

I had the Chicken Ballotine, The chicken was nice and moist and the pearl barley it sat on was delish and went well with the wild mushrooms. The crispy bacon and the pea shoots finished the dish off nicely.

For dessert we both opted for the Chocolate Tarte. Which was very luxurious and not too heavy which was good as we were starting to get a bit full by this point.

Breakfast:

The next morning we were up and ready nice and early for breakfast. I don't get hangovers, Mrs Cool however, was not as lucky. They had my favourite breakfast which is Eggs Benedict so I had to choose that. The eggs were cooked perfectly and the hollandaise was delicious.

If you would like to find out more about what else we got up to during our stay check out Mrs Cool's post here.

Well, that's all for now,

S

You can follow Big Stevie Cool on Instagram here.

*Disclosure: Sam and I we invited to stay at Hotel Indigo and dine at MPW on a  complimentary basis

I never expected theme park food to be this good

You may have seen, if you follow me on Social Media, that a few weeks ago my family and I had the trip of a lifetime to Florida, USA. We had a pretty packed schedule visiting SeaWorld, Aquatica, Busch Gardens and Discovery Cove during our trip. All of which were incredible and the whole family have some great memories from all of the parks but for me, the unexpected highlight was how good the food was.

Theme park food has a bit of a reputation of being a bit... bland. Well that certainly isn't the case at the Parks we visited so I have decided to share with you my top 5 foodie treats from Florida.

5. Sultans Sweets (Busch Gardens)

If you have a sweet tooth you must pay a visit to Sultans Sweets. They have all manner of cakes, pastries, biscuits and tray bakes. The decorated cookies are amazing and the rice crispie cakes looked pretty incredible too. There is also a selection of ice creams to choose from which are great for cooling down in midday heat.

4. Dragonfire Grill and Pub (Busch Gardens)

If you're in a large group and can't all decide on what type of food to have then head over to Dragonfire Grill and Pub. They have five different food styles to choose from. You can have sandwiches and salads from The Market, something with an oriental spice from The Asian Wok. Chicken, Burgers and Ribs from The Grill, Loaded Nachos, Chips and Salsa or Cinnamon Churros from Southwest or you can get Pasta or Italian Flatbreads with various toppings from The Italian. We went to the Asian Wok, I had The Thai Pepper Steak and Sam had the Orange Chicken Tempura we both had Asian Noodles as our side and both were delicious. The Thai Pepper Steak wasn't too spicy but still had a nice little heat. The Orange Chicken Tempura was very succulent with a tangy sauce and tasted very authentic.

3. Pretzels (Discovery Cove and Busch Gardens)

I've grouped a few places together for Pretzels as they were available in a few parks and all were great. The Salted Pretzels at Discovery Cove are available at the food and drinks kiosks dotted around the park and you can help yourself to as many as you like at your leisure as food and drinks are included in the cost of entry (I also recommend the Slushes available at the kiosks as well, White Cherry Fanta was my favourite). I need to make a special mention for the Pretzels at Busch Gardens as there were so many to choose from. Of course there were regular Salted Pretzels but also Bacon Pretzels and even Cheeseburger Pretzels. We went for the Bacon Pretzel because, well, it's bacon!

2. Dine with Shamu (SeaWorld)

If you want a meal with a bit of a show then Dine with Shamu is perfect. The Buffet is all top quality with Roast Beef, Roast Pork, Chicken, Fish, Pasta, Salads as well as some amazing cakes. I've never really liked Carrot Cake but the one I tried here has converted me, it was delicious. The kids were able to pick what they wanted from the buffet and Jack went a bit OTT with Chicken Nuggets and had about 20 on his plate, he still finished them all and even had room for a brownie too. Although the food was amazing what made this extra special was that you're sat poolside and halfway through your meal you're joined by a Pod of Orcas who give a great display and their trainers are on hand to answer any questions and have a lot of interesting facts about the Orcas.

1. Sharks Underwater Grill (SeaWorld)

The reason why Sharks Underwater Grill is my Number 1 is it is a dining experience like nothing I've ever experienced before. Your table is next to a large window that looks into an aquarium full of all kinds of marine animals. We were joined by a large grouper who stayed by the window for our whole meal (probably eyeing up our food) but there were all kinds of sharks and other fish going about their business while you eat your meal. While the setting is great, the food really is the star of the show. Easily surpassing the quality you can get in a 5* restaurant. The menu has everything you could want from a seafood restaurant, Sam had the Mussels to start and then the Tempura Shrimp. I had the Godzilla Roll (which is a giant Sushi roll) to start and then had the Swordfish Steak from the Specials menu. My Swordfish was the best thing I have eaten for a long time. Jack loves fish, it's his favourite food, and he was full of praise too saying that his battered fish was the best he had ever had.

Well, that's all for now.

S

You can follow Big Stevie Cool on Instagram here.  

This is a collaborative post.