The weather has turned colder here (this morning and the last I had to turn on the heater!) so I have been absolutely craving a bowl o' meat.
Two nights ago, I made Robb Wolf's easy curry from The Paleo Solution (so simple and so good) but last night I really wanted chili.
And, as I am a single parent with 2 kids until tomorrow when my husband gets home, I did NOT want to spend a lot of (a) time or (b) effort making it.
I also wanted it to be Paleo. I picked up 1 lb of ground beef the same night I went shopping for the ground turkey for the curry in Robb Wolf's book, and grabbed a few things to restock my "emergency" cupboard (canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, chiles, etc.).
Now my main problem with trying to make a super delicious Paleo chili is that I normally love beans and even corn in it, so I was trying to brainstorm to come up with something that could accompany the meat, onions and tomatoes ... zucchini didn't seem quite right and neither did cauliflower and definitely not green beans. Then I remembered a recipe my friend Annie gave me for roasted butternut squash with sausage -- perfect! I had half an acorn squash I'd roasted a few nights ago just getting all lonely in the fridge.
I had my chili.
This morning I was rewarded for my efforts when the scale (FINALLY) read 159.0. My "ultimate" goal was to be 156 by New Year's. I think it's gonna happen.
Anyway, enough bragging (but I'm really proud sitting here wearing a size MEDIUM shirt), here's what I did (and I realize this ingredient list is long, but aside from the ground beef and fresh sage, you probably have everything in your cupboard already ... at least I HOPE you do):
1 lb ground beef
EVOO
1 white onion, diced (whatever you like -- I prefer white onions, but use what you have)
1 can El Pato tomato sauce (Mexican section of grocery store - you'll see it)
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 - 2 cans water (use the empty diced tomatoes can to get all the tomatoey goodness into the chili)
1 package "beef bouillon" from Trader Joe's (or eliminate the can of water and this and add 1 can beef broth)
1 can (the small one -- 2 oz I think) roasted diced green chiles
1 T. California chile powder
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano, crushed between your fingers
1/2 tsp. chipotle powder (or whatever "spicy" powder you're into -- or fresh chipotles, up to you!)
2 heaping tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder (the Hershey's stuff in the brown plastic container)
1 tsp. allspice
1 bay leaf
salt/pepper/No Salt Seasoning (yes I put it in everything) to taste
1/2 acorn squash, roasted, peeled & cut into whatever size pieces float your boat (mine were about 1/2")
Sage chiffonade (from about 5 or 6 leaves - up to you)
Saute onion in EVOO until translucent and delicious looking. Add ground beef, breaking it up a bit. Cook until the beef is browned and add everything else (except the squash and sage), stir, bring to a boil and reduce to low and simmer until you bathe the kids and put them in bed.
Add the squash to the chili, heat until the squash is heated through and sprinkle with the sage.
I like to add a LOT of hot sauce to my chili, because I made it mild to be suitable for my 2 year old. This turned out SO delicious and SO comforting, and with squash $.48/lb at Food For Less, I now intend to put it into regular rotation.
I didn't even miss the Fritos.
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