Delicious chili for those cold rainy Vancouver days!
Texas Beef Brisket Chili
CHILI
Ingredients
- 6 large dried ancho chiles* (about 3 ounces), stemmed, seeded, coarsely torn
- 6 ounces bacon, diced
- 2 onions, chopped
- 15-pound flat-cut (also called first-cut) beef brisket, cut into 2 1/2- to 3-inch cubes
- Coarse kosher salt
- 6 large garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tablespoonschili powder
- 2 teaspoonscumin seeds
- 1 teaspoondried oregano
- 1 teaspoonground coriander
- 1 1/2 teaspoonscoarse kosher salt
- 1 1/2 10-ounce cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green chiles (1 3/4 cups)
- 1 12-ounce bottle Mexican beeR (not paleo)
- 1 7 diced roasted green chiles
- 1/2 cupfinely chopped fresh cilantro stems
- 4 cups1 1/2- to 2-inch chunks seeded peeled butternut squash (from 3 1/2-pound squash)
GARNISHES
- Fresh cilantro leaves
- Chopped red onion
- Diced avocado
- Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- Warm corn and/or flour tortillas
Preparation
CHILI
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Place chiles in medium bowl. Pour enough boiling water over to cover. Soak until chiles soften, at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Sauté bacon in heavy large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat until beginning to brown. Add onions. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle beef all over with coarse salt and pepper. Add to pot; stir to coat. Set aside.
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Drain chiles, reserving soaking liquid. Place chiles in blender. Add 1 cup soaking liquid, garlic, chili powder, cumin seeds, oregano, coriander, and 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt; blend to puree, adding more soaking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if very thick. Pour puree over brisket in pot. Add tomatoes with juices, beer, green chiles, and cilantro stems. Stir to coat evenly.
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Bring chili to simmer. Cover and place in oven. Cook 2 hours. Uncover and cook until beef is almost tender, about 1 hour. Add squash; stir to coat. Roast uncovered until beef and squash are tender, adding more soaking liquid if needed to keep meat covered, about 45 minutes longer. Season chili to taste with salt and pepper. Tilt pot and spoon off any fat from surface of sauce. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Cool 1 hour. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled.
Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2008/10/texas_beef_brisket_chili#ixzz1mzLtnQtH
Here are some healthy yummies! For those of you that like quick, on-the-go type of snacks, LARABAR makes tons of delicious flavors that are great for you and all-natural. With most of the bars only containing 3 or 6 ingredients, they fit right into our nutrition plan. LARABARS are high in sugars so even though they maybe really yummy, make sure to consume them in moderation. I tend to keep a few in my car and gym bag for emergencies.
You can get them by the pack online at http://www.larabar.com/. Costco also has them for around $16 a box, but it comes in a mixed pack.
Apple Breakfast Bake
- 4 large apples (cored & chopped)
- 1# sausage or ground pork
- juice from 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup+ raisins
- 1/2 cup+ pecan or walnut pieces (chopped)
- Coconut oil
- Cinnamon
- Almond meal
Set oven to 350*. Place raisins in small bowl and toss with lemon juice. Set aside. Cook sausage or ground pork. Drain. Drain raisins. Combine raisins, meat, apple, and nuts, mixing thoroughly. Spread in a 9″x13″ pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon, spread little dollops around dish, and sprinkle with almond meal. Cover with foil. Bake for ~25 minutes, uncover, and bake for another 5 minutes.
Can be eaten as is, or if you’re including dairy in your nutrition, a good dollop of yogurt or a splash of Homestead Creamery whole milk would make it pretty yummy. This is a recipe that you can really play with. Experiment with different dried fruits, meats, and even fruit. I’d stick with mostly apple, but throwing in a bit of a firm pear might be interesting.
Thanks Crossfit Blacksburg- http://crossfitblacksburg.com/
Coconut Blueberry Delight Smoothie
Half can of coconut milk
1/4 cup frozen bluberries
1/3 banana
1 raw egg (optional)
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
6 almonds (optional)
2 tsp of honey
Great as a smoothie or freeze it to make popsicles!
Here is a Valentine’s Day treat! Warning: Do not consume in large quantities!
Double Chocolate Cookies from Health Bent
Chocolate and cookies. What more can I say?
- 1 c almond butter, freshly ground from the bulk section or homemade, but most definitely not jarred
- 1 egg
- 1/4 c cocoa powder
- 1/4 c chocolate chips (highest % cocoa, but NOT baking chocolate (bleh))
- 2 t vanilla extract
- 2T – 1/4 c sugar (optional)
Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined. We have had a few comments about people trying to make these and they fell apart. We’re pretty sure that jarred almond butter is the culprit. The oil that separates on top is causing the dry texture. You must, must, must use freshly ground almonds, from the bulk/grind-it-yourself section of your grocery store. Or you can make your own with almonds and a few splashes of almond oil burred in the food processer.
Let’s carry on…
On a parchment lined (or silicone lined) baking sheet, portion out the cookie dough batter by the tablespoon. Use your clean hand to flatten the ball into the desired cookie thickness.
Bake for approx. 12 minutes or until the cookies are relatively hard to the touch.
http://www.health-bent.com/treats/paleo-chocolate-chip-cookies
Celebrity trainer Bob Harper is the latest high profile figure to jump on the CrossFit wagon.
The Biggest Loser star had a chat with Hollywood’s Brick CrossFit this week, where he revealed his love for the sport, calling it “the best eye-opening experience’ he’s ever had in the training world.
Who knows maybe next year Crossfit WOD’s will be a regular occurrence of the Biggest Loser! It’s always nice to see how much Crossfit can change someone’s life.
