Super meaty Chili

It's that time of year again.....break out your chili pan and hooded sweatshirt. Chili is such an easy, fun dish to experiment with. Every time I make it, I do something differently than the last time. My family's chili is heavy on the tomatoes and tomato paste, so when I came across this one on paleomama's website, I thought I'd give it a try. Here is the original recipe, I made some modifications, because I wanted more veggies and more spice. It turned out real nice :)

http://paleomama.wordpress.com/2009/10/07/my-infamous-paleo-chili/

2 lbs lean ground beef (grassfed)
1 lb grassfed stew meat
1 large can crushed tomatoes (look for the one where the only ingredient is tomatoes)
10 whole tomatillos
1 large onion diced

1 yellow pepper diced

1 orange pepper diced

1 poblano pepper diced (1/2 de-seeded)

1 jalapeno pepper diced (1/2 de-seeded)
1/8 cup almond flour (this is optional for thickening, omit if you have a nut allergy)
about 2 cups of beef broth

4 cloves garlic minced
2 tbs ground cumin
3-4 tbs chili powder

red chili peppers to taste
chipotle infused olive oil

Put about 2 tbs olive oil in a pan and get it screaming hot. Sear the chunks of steak. It doesn’t have to be cooked at this point, just brown and pull it out. Add a little more oil if needed and add diced onion to kind of brown a bit, then add peppers one by one. Add the beef stock and let it cook until it is reduced by half (this gives a really meaty base). While the stock was reducing, I  peeled the tomatillos and cut them in half, then placed them in a cast iron  skillet to brown. Once they are browned on both sides, I put them in a blender with some cilantro. Blend to a chunky liquid and add to chili pan. Next, add in ground beef and almond flour. Stir until it browns a bit. Add garlic, spices, tomatoes, and steak chunks. Simmer on low heat for a couple of hours. It gets better the longer it cooks.

Curried Shrimps and Kale (or spinach)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15-20

2 lbs shrimps, peeled and deveined
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, chopped
2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp tomato paste
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 cup full-fat coconut milk
1/2 bunch of Kale (you can also use spinach)

Heat a large skillet over a medium-low heat and cook the onion in the coconut oil until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the curry powder and continue cooking for a minute.
Place mixture in a blender or a food processor, add the tomato paste as well as the chicken stock and coconut milk. Process or blend until smooth.
Pour the mixture back in the skillet and bring to a simmer.
Add the shrimps and kale (or spinach) and cook, covered, for about 5 minutes, until the shrimps are just cooked.

I added crushed red peppers to this recipe, because I just love spicy.....this is a good one! ENJOY

Chorizo Stuffed Peppers

Photo: dish shown pre-cooked

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
 
4 green, red, yellow or orange bell peppers (I used all four colors)
1 lb pork chorizo sausage, out of casing 
1 cup onion, chopped 
1 cup carrot, chopped
1 tsp oregano 

I bought the pork chorizo at whole foods butcher counter, it's so flavorful already, you don't need a whole lot of additional seasoning, which is great. 


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the top off of each pepper; discard the tops and seeds. Chop the onion and carrot and add it to a bowl. Add the chorizo, plus spices. Mix well. Stuff the meat mixture into each pepper. Place the peppers upright into a baking pan. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the peppers have softened.

Let cool for a couple minutes and serve. 

I found this recipe on Crossfitcenturion.com, but modified it slightly by subbing pork sausage for chicken, adding carrots and oregano. It's still cooking, but I think I'm going to like it!