So I got on the ball Saturday night and made out a menu for the week. If I stay on task I should be trying 5-6 new recipes this week which will make for some nice recipes to share on here and a few boring pictures taken with my phone because my phone takes better pics than my camera. Sad, I know.
The first superstar in my weekly menu is chili. I found this recipe on one of my new favorite blogs, The Clothes Make the Girl. This girl can cook AND she wrote a roller derby book from her days as a roller derby girl. That has nothing to do with cooking, but I love that! Everybody should dress like a roller derby girl once in awhile... just saying. On Halloween, perhaps?! ;)
Sorry, where was I? Oh yes, chili! Yummo! This is the perfect cold weather meal, which unfortunately here in Montana we can enjoy with the perfect cold weather until about late June. I need to find a gluten-free, Paleo friendly cornbread style bread to enjoy with this. I love chili and cornbread, but alas, I bid farewell to my cornbread in exchange for good health. Bye-bye cornmeal. Oh, cornbread with honey. . . I will miss you cornbread.
We haven't tried this recipe out on our two youngest kids. It might be a bit spicier than my little guy will like and I know that addition of sauteed squash to the recipe would send him running. My oldest liked it, but I expected she might. Spicy and chili are her thing. I have never put cocoa in a chili recipe even though the whole "mole" thing is right up my Mexican alley. So that was a fun and yummy addition to this cold weather treat and made me feel like throwing on a zarape and sombrero and do a little happy hat dance in my kitchen! (That's your little bit of useless information for the day!) Tony sauteed up extra zucchini and put it in the bottom of our bowls before dishing up our chili. I know I would love this over sweet potatoes so I will be having that next time I heat myself up some of these leftovers. Btw, leftovers were even better than the first night. All those spices had time to meld and work their little spice magic. I love that about spices! The ability to live harmoniouly as one happy little spice collective for the good of the whole. Behold, Mel's Favorite Chili and now Trina's Favorite Chili.
Mel's Favorite Chili
Makes about 6 servings of 1 1/3 cups each
Zone: 3P + 2F + 1C
Weight Watchers: 5 points, includes 1 healthy fat serving
Ingredients:
The base:
2 tablespoons of your favorite fat: olive oil, coconut oil
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 lbs. ground meat (lean beef, pork, turkey, veal, bison, or a mix)
Spices:
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon salt
Liquids:
14.5 oz. can chopped tomatoes (I like Muir Glen fire-roasted.)
6 oz. tomato paste
14.5 oz. can beef broth
12 oz. water
Directions:
1.Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add onions and saute 'til soft. Add garlic and let heat 'til fragrant, about 2 minutes. DO NOT BURN THE GARLIC. Add the meat and saute until browned and crumbled.
2. Blend all the spices in a small bowl. Add to pot and stir well, about 1 minute.
3. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, beef broth, and water to the pot. Stir well.4. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low so the pot has a gentle simmer. SIMMER FOR AT LEAST 2 HOURS. Do not skimp on the simmer. Just as rest time is the magic time when you build your strength, simmering is the magic time when the flavors meld.
Variations:
Add additional quality fats with some chopped black olives, green olives, or avocado slices (or all three!).
Add more veggies by serving over a bed of cooked spaghetti squash, grated zucchini, or baby spinach leaves.
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