Three-bean chilli

Have you noticed that the leaves are beginning to turn rusty colours? September is just round the corner. And we are so not ready to say Good bye to the summer. Our Cornish holiday seems already a distant memory, and we don't want to go back to school.
While this Bank holiday weekend we are sweltering in the heat, just a few days ago it was definitely an autumn weather, chilly and cool. Exactly the kind of weather when you reach for a bowl of hot soup or a comforting stew.

A while ago, on a whim, I bought a bag of Birds Eye Italian three-bean mix, and it's been taking space in the freezer ever since. Last week I finally decided to use it.
Having googled which vegetarian dishes with three-bean mix you can cook, most of the suggestions are for a chilli. So, chilli it is. It is a simplified version, without any of the intricate sides.
The first time I've tried a chilli, we lived in the States, and our lovely neighbours invited us over for dinner. They had a huge pot of chilli bubbling on the stove, cooked with minced meat. There were lots of toppings, dips, corn chips, salads of all kinds to go with it.

Three-bean chilli
Ingredients:
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped finely
3tbsp olive oil
1 sweet pepper
1/2 to 1 chili, deseeded and chopped finely
1tbsp chopped spring onions
1 clove of garlic
a pinch of ground cinnamon
1/2tsp paprika
1/2 tsp celery seeds
1 tin of peeled plum tomatoes (e.g. Cirio)
1 pack of three-bean mix (Birds eye)
1tbsp ketchup
1tsbp Smokey BBQ ketchup (optional)

Birds Eye Italian 3 Bean Mix (450g) is a mix of borlotti beans, cannellini beans, green beans and diced potatoes. If you don't have it, just use tinned mixed beans, rinsed and drained.

Add the finely chopped carrots and sweet pepper to the oil in a frying pan, on medium hot, and fry for about 5 minutes stirring. Add the deseeded and finely chopped chili pepper and spring onions, garlic and spices, and cook for another couple of minutes before adding tinned tomatoes.
Bring to simmer, add the beans and ketchup, cover the pan and leave simmering on low for about 20 minutes, stirring the chilli from time to time.
If the tomato sauce becomes a bit dry, add some hot water.
Serve with rice (and Doritos if you like). You might also add some grated cheese - a vegetarian one if that's what you prefer, or a hard cheese like parmesan or Cheddar, if you are not a vegetarian.