Tomatophobe: One | Tomatoes: Nil

I'm not going to lie. I'm not a football fan.

OK, stop shouting at me! I'm not a football fan, but the World Cup is a little different. For me, it's less about trying to learn the offside rule but very much about the atmosphere, the sense of community and anticipation, and the big mix up of cultures. This, I can get on board with.

I'm not going to lie. This dish I'm about to explain was not a World Cup dish.

But wait! If you give me a chance, I'll explain how it all links in. This dish, a two bean chilli, was my declaration that Mexician food does not require tomato. I LOVE MEXICAN FOOD. I'd say I probably first went truly nuts over it in America, where both the quality and quantity of the stuff was in abundance - it was more normal to get a Mexican takout than say, an Indian. And more often than not, there was already a tomatoless option, contrary to much belief; and if there wasn't, there was always a willingness to prep something without my red little fiend, because it was mostly made fresh and on the spot. For shame, UK, as I have not witnessed this same methodology here in your fair land.

So I cook Mexican quite a lot, not just for enjoyment but for protest. This particular dish was a bit of a twist on what I usually come up with - it didn't look too traditionally Mexicana but wow, it stood out. This bright little beanie treat is COLOURFUL... and this is how I got onto the subject of the World Cup. The fusion of colours - of reds, greens and yellows having their own little festivals together - reminded me of the teams and their fans in Mexico V Brasil. The clashing colours of opposing players' strips on that big green pitch, and all the supporters dancing around in a rainbowish frenzy at the back, is all cooked up in this chilli which was originally a mere 'in your face' to tomatoes. So you can make this if you hate tomatoes, or if you love football, or if you supported Mexico, or if you like colour, or if you just like nice tasting food. *Insert clichéd football phrase that would actually just sound really cringey if I wrote it, so we won't go there after all*

Two Bean Tomatoless Rainbow Chilli with Coriander Rice and Crushed Avocado

1) Make the rice. Put your necessary quantity of rice on the boil, and then blitz up the coriander, parsley, lime, garlic and spring onion with a little herb infused oil. You won't have a huge quantity of paste, and if you'd really like to, you can increase the ingredients. I like the subtle difference this small amount of paste makes to the rice. Whatever you decide to do, set the paste aside until the rice is cooked.

2) Fry the onion and soften it slightly. I would nearly always use red onion for my Mexican cooking, but I happened to have white, so just go with what's available. After a couple of minutes, add the celery. Next comes your garlic and chilli, and then the peppers, mange tout and finally the beans.

3) To your bean mix, stir in the harissa, vinegar, a little sweet chilli sauce if you like, some smoked parika, salt, ground cinnamon, allspice and cayenne pepper. Cover the pan and allow it all to simmer together harmoniously.

4) Quickly make the avocado. This isn't intended to be a guacamole, just a refreshing little alternative to salad that goes great with this dish. Mash the avocado roughly - I think chunks are good - mix in the crushed garlic and squeeze in the lime or lemon. If you have some coriander leftover, it will go nicely in here, too. Assuming your rice has cooked, drain it and stir in the paste, seasoning as you like.

5) Serve it in a way where you can truly admire all the different colours that make up the differing elements of this dish. You probably want to grate some cheese over it, too.

By the way, this chilli would go awesomely on top of some nachos. Junk food healthified!

Whoever wins today, I will probably be thinking about what the experience inspires me to cook. OK - football fans have permission to throw stuff at me now - just make sure you're not throwing tomatoes!

Served: three
Took: about half an hour
Things that went wrong: didn't you hear? Tomatophobe, one; tomatoes, nil