Flavorful Friday: Customizable Chili Recipe

Ecclesiastes 11:1-5 NASB
 1"Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days. 2Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth. 3If the clouds are full, they pour out rain upon the earth; and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it lies. 4He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap. 5Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things."


The weather has turned again overnight, and, though it is still sunny and beautiful, the temperatures are quite a bit cooler!  You know what that means, it's time for Chili!  For this episode of Flavorful Friday I bring you a Customizable Chili Recipe.  Be your preference vegetarian, chicken or turkey, or the traditional beef, this recipe can be used to make a palate pleasing chili sure to be a hit with the crowds, or just for you all cozied up by the fireplace in your pj's...  = )

I'd love to hear from you, what's your favorite way to serve and eat chili?

And remember, today is the last day to get EARLY BIRD DISCOUNTS on tickets to the upcoming Gluten & Allergen Free Expo in Dallas, so click here to buy now and tell your friends!  Just enter EARLYBIRD at checkout for $5 off adult tickets, and EARLYKIDS for $2 off kids tickets.  Price is $12 for adults and $2 for kids today only!

Stay tuned next week for announcements on how you can WIN 2 FREE TICKETS to the Expo for you and a friend!

Yours truly,

Country Mama Hippie Chic
AKA Brandi Schunk
bouncybrandi@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/CountryMamaHippieChic




Customizable Chili Recipe

Ingredients:

·      1-3 C Cooked Beans (Black, Red Kidney, Pinto, or any combo thereof)

·      1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

·      1 pound of Ground Beef

·      1 Yellow Onion, diced

·      1 Green Bell Pepper, seeded and diced

·      1 Red Bell Pepper, seeded and diced

·      4-8 Cloves of Garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

·      1 handful of Grape Tomatoes, cut in half (optional)

·      1 large Tomato, diced (optional)

·      1 - 15 oz can of plain unsalted Diced Tomatoes

·      2 tsp Celtic Sea Salt

·      2 tsp Chili Powder

·      1 tsp Onion powder

·      1 tsp Garlic Powder

·      ½ tsp Garlic Salt

·      ½ tsp Smoked Paprika

·      ¼ tsp Cumin

·      ¼ tsp Fresh Ground Pepper Medley

·      Cayenne (just a dash or leave off altogether if cooking for young ones)

Instructions:

Drain most of the liquid off of beans and pour them into a crock-pot turned on to Low setting.  Use more or less beans to fit your personal taste or budget.  Using more beans is a great way to stretch the meat!  Mashing some of the beans with the back of a spoon can help thicken the chili as well and give it a yummy mouth feel.

Warm an 8-10 inch cast iron skillet on medium heat.  Add Extra Virgin Olive Oil and spread around to cover skillet.  Add Ground Beef and cook until browned, stirring and “chopping” frequently to break it up into small bits.  Season with Celtic Sea Salt, Chili Powder, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Garlic Salt, Smoked Paprika, Cumin, Fresh Ground Pepper Medley and Cayenne while cooking.

While beef cooks, dice the Yellow Onion and add to pan when beef is about halfway browned.  While beef and onions continue to cook, chop Green and Red Bell Peppers and add to pan.  When beef is fully browned, remove it from pan, drain if needed, and add to crock-pot. Cut Grape Tomatoes in half and add to crock-pot.  Dice the Tomato and add to crock-pot.  Open can of Diced Tomatoes and add to crock-pot.  Thinly slice garlic and add to crock-pot.

Stir well to mix.  Cook, covered, on low for 7-12 hours, stirring occasionally.

Serving options:

·      With corn chips and shredded Mexican Blend or Cheddar Cheese for classic “Frito Pie” (Note: for healthier option, choose organic corn tortilla chips, sprouted if possible.)

·      Atop a baked potato with sour cream

·      In a bowl all by itself

·      On top of a slice of cornbread

·      All serving options are great with a portion of salsa and/or hot sauce added just before serving.

Notes:

·      You can also add ¼- ½ Cup of Homemade Bone Broth to the chili when cooking it for more nutritional value and flavor.

·      Ground chicken or turkey could be used in place of beef.

·      Shredded meat could be used in place of ground.

·      For a vegetarian option, leave off meat entirely and use 3 C beans.

Flavorful Friday- Slow Cooked Pork Ribs

Flavorful Friday- Slow Cooked Pork Ribs

1 Corinthians 8:8-9

"8But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat. 9But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak."

This quote from scripture has been with me a lot lately.  In looking at "honoring our bodies as our temples", I realize this can mean many different things to different people.  Some people may choose to avoid certain foods out of preference, some out of doctors' orders.  Some people choose to not drink, smoke, or do drugs.  Some choose yoga or strength training.  Some choose avoiding toxic products.  Some look for ways that their hands and feet can be the body of Christ in this world.  All of these are valid and worthy, none right, none wrong, none more worthy of praise or deserving of criticism than any other.  

So how can we honor our own bodies while not creating stumbling blocks for others?

As someone who has avoided certain foods for health reasons, I can tell you that I always hesitate when being invited to someone else's house for dinner, or out to a restaurant.  "Will they truly understand my needs and check all the labels and ingredients?  Will they offer things I need to say no to to protect my own health?  Will I give in to temptation and eat things that I know will cause trouble for me later?"  One of the goals of my cookbook, and these blog posts, is to help people to gain awareness and confidence in catering to those around us with special dietary needs or preferences, so as to not create these stumbling blocks.  I hope today's recipe accomplishes that goal.

Ribs and bacon, you pretty much can't go wrong with either when it comes to pleasing carnivores.  Today's edition of Flavorful Friday brings you a rare gluten free, dairy free, sugar-free and sweetener-free recipe for slow cooked pork ribs!  These are a big favorite around our house, gobbled up quickly by me, my husband, and our young son.  I've tried this with Baby Back pork ribs, Spare ribs, and Country Style ribs and it's been a hit every time!  Enjoy and let me know how it goes in your kitchen!

Yours truly,

Country Mama Hippie Chic

AKA Brandi Schunk

PS- Those in the Plano area, be sure to check out McKinney Oktoberfest and Murphy Maize Days festivals this weekend! 

{Sorry, no picture today... We eat them too fast to pause for a photo!}

Slow Cooked Pork Ribs

Ingredients:

1 ½ lbs Pork Ribs (Baby Back, Spare, or Country Style)

1 tsp Celtic Sea Salt

1 tsp Smoked Paprika

½ tsp Onion Powder
½ tsp Garlic Powder
¼ tsp Chili Powder
¼ tsp Cumin
¼ tsp Dry Ground Mustard

¼ tsp Ground Peppercorn Medley

Juice of 1 Lemon

Remove ribs from refrigerator and place on counter to warm while prepping.  Preheat broiler.  Mix all seasonings together in a bowl.  Place ribs, meat side up, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Pour seasoning mix over ribs and rub to cover entire surface of ribs.  Pour lemon juice over top of ribs.

Place ribs on baking sheet directly under broiler and cook for 5 minutes to sear meat and help hold in the juices during the long, slow cooking process.  Remove ribs from oven and turn off broiler.  Set oven temperature to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remove ribs from baking sheet and transfer them to a deep baking dish or pan.  Add ½ C water to the bottom of the pan and place lid on pan.  Cook, covered, for 3-4 hours (2-3 hours for Country Style).

Serve with a large side of broccoli or collard greens and watermelon for dessert!

Optional:

Add Cayenne to seasoning mix for a spicier version.

Flavorful Friday- 2 Side Veggies- Broccoli and Collard Greens Recipes!

Flavorful Friday!  2 Side Veggies- Broccoli and Collard Greens

Happy Friday, everyone!  For today's Flavorful Friday edition, I thought I would bring you two side dishes that are well-loved in our home and kitchen, Sautéed Broccoli and Sautéed Collard Greens.  We all have busy lives and sometimes bringing a wholesome, nutritious dinner to the table can seem daunting at best.  Here are two recipes that are quick, easy, flavorful, and nutritious!  The recipes call for frozen veggies, which are a go-to in my kitchen on busy days, or days when my energy is low.  While fresh is generally best, frozen is the next best alternative as foods are preserved at the peak of their freshness and no salt, preservatives, or other chemicals are added.  Buy organic if you can for the best, highest quality foods.  You can also buy fresh veggies on sale and freeze them for later use.

These sides go great with just about anything, from Roasted Chicken or Salmon Cakes, to basic beef, chicken, or pork meals.  I would love to hear what you pair these veggies with and how it goes in your own kitchen!

I'm here to serve, so let me hear from you with requests on what you would like to read about from this Country Mama Hippie Chic!

Have a blessed and beautiful weekend!

(And to those in the Plano area, the Plano Balloon Festival is this weekend!)

~Country Mama Hippie Chic
AKA Brandi Schunk

Sautéed Broccoli

Sautéed Broccoli Recipe

Ingredients:

½ Tbsp Unrefined Coconut Oil

1- 14oz Bag Frozen Broccoli Florets

1 Tbsp Organic Butter

¼ tsp Celtic Sea Salt

¼ tsp Red Chili Pepper Flakes (optional)

Instructions:

Heat 8” cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.  Add all ingredients to pan in order listed above, then stir and cover for 3-4 minutes.  Remove lid, stir and then cook for 5-10 minutes until desired tenderness is reached, stirring occasionally.  Serves 2-3 side portions.

Options:

• ·      Serve topped with Grated Parmesan Cheese.
• ·      Serve topped with Sesame Seeds.
• ·      Leave off Red Chili Pepper Flakes for a mild version.

 Sautéed Collard Greens

Sautéed Collard Greens Recipe

Ingredients:

¼ C Slivered Almonds

2 Tbsp Bacon Grease, Butter, Ghee, or Unrefined Coconut Oil

1- 12oz Bag Frozen Chopped Collard Greens

¼ tsp Celtic Sea Salt

1/8 tsp Ground Pepper Medley, or to taste

Instructions:

Add Slivered Almonds to a dry 8” skillet.  Turn heat to medium-low and allow almonds to toast for 3-5 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds to a minute to keep them from scorching.  Once Almonds are lightly browned, add Bacon Grease, Butter, Ghee or Coconut Oil to pan and stir.  Add Frozen Chopped Collard Greens, Celtic Sea Salt, and Ground Pepper Medley to pan and stir.  Increase heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.  Serves 2-3 side portions.

Options:

• ·      Sesame Seeds can be used in place of Slivered Almonds.
• ·      Mustard Greens can be used in place of Collard Greens.
• ·      Serve topped with Grated Parmesan Cheese.