Hearty Beef Chili

I just stumbled on an interesting read, called 100 Days of Real Food. She chose to commit to cooking real, unprocessed, unsweetened, home-cooked food for her and her family for one hundred days. Eating gluten and dairy free, we come close to that. But, there's a dark little corner of the world that still has my heart, and it's the sugar. I eat a fair bit of candy, for several different reasons.

When I decided to go gluten free, knowing it was truly the right thing for me, I wanted to make sure I didn't feel deprived. I watched the husband feel pretty deprived at the beginning, when we were still figuring out how he could eat his favorite foods. That took several weeks, even months, and so we tried to make up for it in other ways. For him, potato chips. For me, candy.

Feeling deprived just as your body starts to realize it can digest the nutrients you are eating again is a tough game. You have to eat enough, and you may still struggle with some nutrition deficiencies like I did. Thankfully, that time is over.

Now we have a new vista opening in our lives, where we can take the best care of ourselves. Tuesday night as we were eating tacos, the husband inquired about our overall vegetable consumption. He was requesting more. This hasn't really been a big element for him, and so I've tried to be sneaky about vegetables for him. He's not really a salad man. But I stuff all the frozen spinach, chopped bell pepper, sauteed onion, and grated carrot I can into what he eats. But now, he apparently wants it more front and center. So last night, I prepared a delicious local roasted chicken (from Grantsville, Utah and the great folks at Dreamcatcher Farm*), roasted potatoes, mixed veggies, and a gravy made with local apple cider. Go local with veggies! He actually really like it.

The 100 Days of Real Food has a 10 day pledge. That's the direction I would have to go if I were to give up the c.a.n.d.y. I've thought about it on and off for weeks, and while I'm not ready to give up the candy for 10 days, 100 days, or a year (after all, this year has 366 days!), it gives me food for thought.

The better I am at keeping delicious fruits on the counter top, tasty veggies in the fridge, and delicious baked goods (100 Days forbids white sugar - honey and maple syrup only) to keep myself away from the temptress. What do you think? Are you already there? Would you do it? Could you do it?

And, aren't we so lucky to be gluten free and already have a head start on this?

I feel lucky.

On to the chili. We've made this chili hundreds of times. I feed it to my family with corn muffins when they converge on my house with short notice. I make large batches and freeze portions, for quick dinners or lunches for the husband.

The flavor is really classic, with the chili powder and basil playing off each other into a well-rounded spiciness. The beans are hearty and filling, and the beef comes out tender. The flavors is even better after a night in the fridge, if you have to stow it away for leftovers.

Last Year: Twin Valley Mills sorghum flour
Two Years Ago: Teriyaki Bacon-Chicken-Pineapple Skewers
Three Years Ago: Being a Community (Utah Food Co-op)

Served with a crusty boule roll from C. She gave us a whole bunch, and they were delicious! We even made sandwiches with pulled BBQ chicken!

Hearty Beef Chili (Slow Cooker Recipe)
adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook
[Printer Friendly]

12 ounces ground beef (we used some local grass-fed beef from the Utah Food Co-op)
1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 14 1/2 ounce can tomatoes, cut up
1 15-ounce can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
2 to 3 teapsoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, fresh cracked

In a large saucepan, cook ground beef, onion, bell pepper, and garlic til meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain fat. Stir in undrained tomatoes, kidney beans, tomato sauce, chili powder, basil, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Can be stored in the fridge for up to a week, or frozen in individual portions for several months.

Crockpot/slow cooker:
Cook meat, onion, bell pepper and garlic as above. Drain fat. In a 4 quart electric crockery cooker, combine meat mixture, undrained tomatoes, beans, tomato suace, chili powder, basil and pepper. Cover; cook on low for 8 to 10 hours of high for 4 to 5 hours.

*Dreamcatcher Farm doesn't have a website. I met Susan at the Utah Food Co-op Market sale**, and brought home a 4 pound young chicken. The only online information they have is this listing. Susan did say they take phone orders, and often deliver to Salt Lake City, if you want to make an order.

**Sadly, the Utah Food Co-Op is closing its doors forever at the end of January 2012. They served the Salt Lake and Utah valleys for 6 years with great food at low prices, and cultivated a venue for local farmers and artisans to sell their delights. This is so so sad for me. I'm going to have to figure out how to get my favorites without being able to hit the market every Monday afternoon.