Chilli

This is your Dad's special recipe (hence no kidney beans, as they don't agree with him). We generally eat it with pasta or rice, and I have been known to add a side dish of green peas...

You'll need:

500g mince (lamb is probably the best, but I also like pork)
a couple of large onions, finely chopped
a clove of garlic, squidged
lots of mushrooms, finely chopped
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
a small tin of tomato paste
a couple of squares of dark chocolate
a splosh of vinegar (preferably malt)
a selection of dried chillis (I like the smoky chipotle ones best, but de Arbol are also good) chopped and then soaked in a finger or so of whisky
a heaped teaspoon of chilli powder
a tablespoon of dark brown sugar (I also suspect that black treacle would be nice)

Fry the mince until browned, and I mean really browned. Add the onions and garlic, and fry until they're translucent - you then need to follow suit with the mushrooms. Chuck in your selection of dried chillis, and cook for another couple of minutes (mind out at this point for the chilli fug - if you've got your pan on high the fumes are quite overpowering).

Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, sugar, chilli powder and chocolate, and bring the resulting mixture to the boil. Simmer for a very very long time - a couple of hours at least, until the sauce has reduced.

You can also make this in the slow cooker, but I'd tone down the amount of liquid, or cook it for the last hour with the lid off.