The Best Chili Of Your Life

Alright. Here's the thing, most weeks I have a day set aside for meal prep. I get the bulk of prep done in that one day so that evening meals are executed like cake- I'm in and out of the kitchen in 20 minutes! This Monday, I set out to prepare our week's worth of meals, and only got one thing done. This chili:

I had the best intentions of making dessert, prep for the rest of the week, and even cleaning the house! All of this was on my list, and I didn't quite hit the mark on completion. But I'm here to declare this chili was absolutely worth it!

I'm not one to dive into lengthy recipes on a regular basis, so be warned. However, this recipe makes enough to feed a village and freezes well. Not to mention, can you imagine anything better on a cold winter day?! (No, you can't.)

This recipe has been closely adapted from Brown Eyed Baker. I knew by the picture on her blog that this was going to be the best chili of my life. LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT IT!

You start by making a homemade chili paste out of dried chilis. YESSS. I don't think I've ever been serious enough about chili to make my own chili paste- "can't I just use a great chili powder and crushed tomatoes??" NO. I promise you, you will never go back.

Moving on.

Dried chili paste made, you move on the blitzing onion and jalapeno in a food processor to the consistency of chunky salsa, which is then cooked until the water evaporates. This all creates a truly magnificent full-bodied texture.

There's also meat in this chili, steak actually. Though not a huge meat eater, it was perfect in this dish. It gets browned, and then has ample time to stew, so it literally melts in your mouth.

I mentioned stewing. The chili is started in a Dutch oven on the stove, then finished in the oven. From top to bottom, this chili took me 3 hours to cook, and I was at yoga for 1.5 of those hours while the chili stewed. Seriously, that's only 90 minutes of work.

Let's get to it!

Best Chili: Chili Negro  serves 6-8

chile de negro, cornmeal, cocoa

• 1/2 cup dried pinto beans
• 1/2 cup dried kidney beans
• 4-6 dried chili de negro or ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed, flesh torn*  (found in specialty grocery stores. I found mine in the Spanish food aisle of Haggen)
• 2 dried arbol chiles, stems and seeds removed, flesh torn*
• 3 Tbsp cornmeal
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp  ground cumin
• 2 tsp cocoa powder
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 medium onions, chopped roughly
• 2 jalapeno peppers, stems and seeds removed, chopped roughly
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes
• 2 tsp molasses
• 1 lb blade steak, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• Sea salt

Method

1. Place dried beans, with enough salted water to cover, in a pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, then cover, remove from heat and set aside. Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees F, adjust rack to middle.
2. Place chiles in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Stir the chiles frequently until the flesh becomes fragrant, careful not to burn them (4-6 minutes). Transfer to the bowl of your food processor.
3. Add cornmeal, oregano, cumin, cocoa, and 1/2 tsp salt to the food processor. Blitz until finely ground. With the food processor running, slowly add in 1/2 cup chicken broth. A smooth paste will begin to form. Scrape down the food processor walls as necessary. Transfer paste to a small bowl. Don't wash out the food processor.
4. Place onion and jalapeno into food processor bowl and pule until you get the consistency of chunky salsa.
5. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onion mixture and cook, stirring as needed, until the water from the mixture has evaporated and vegetables are soft (7-9 minutes). Add garlic, and cook until fragrant. Add chili paste, tomatoes, molasses, and stir until chili paste in fully combined. Add remaining chicken broth, and drained beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
6. While simmering, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in the same medium skillet, over medium high heat. Pat the steak dry with a paper towel and generously salt. Add the beef to the skillet and cook until browned on all sides (10 minutes). Transfer beef to the Dutch oven, stir to combine and return to a simmer. 
7. Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven to cook until beans are fully tender (about 1.5 hours). Let the chili rest, uncovered, then season with salt. 

NOTE: *when handling hot chiles, wear gloves. Capscium is the oil in chiles responsible for spice. It doesn't wash off with water alone, and even some soaps wont fully remove it from skin.

How to Beat the Dry Cold with French Lentil Soup

One thing I really love about this time of year is how clear the days start to become. It's been in the 20's for a week now, with no precipitation in the air. The sun rises earlier every day, the skies are blue, and it looks like Spring, until you set foot outside that is.

It's taken some extra work to stay hydrated in this dry cold. Some things that I've been doing are:

Ways To Beat The Dry Cold

• when you wake, before you do anything else, drink a tall glass of warm water (add lemon if you wish) 
• drink warm water or tea throughout the day instead of cold water
• eat foods that are water-filled, such as fruits and vegetables, and tons of soups!
• lather your entire body with coconut oil right after a shower

Doing these things has made February much more enjoyable. I just came off of a 3 day fruit cleanse (check out my post and learning from last year's Fruit Feast here) as part of Baron Baptiste's 40 Days to Personal Revolution. I love this feast because it cleanses your body from the inside out, emotionally, mentally, and physically. Eating so much water-filled food cleans out your colon, without complex carbohydrates or proteins to keep the train from moving. Also, fruit takes minimal effort for your digestive system to work through, so this gives your metabolic organs an opportunity to restore themselves. By day three, I was feeling on top of the world, energized, light, clear, and clean.

One thing that really stuck with me this year was how to intelligently come off of the feast.
Baron says,

"any fool can fast, but only a wise person can come off of it intelligently"

I took these words to heart, knowing full well that even though I could have eaten everything under the sun on Day 4, it would be best to ease back in. So I started Day 4 with an all fruit smoothie and plain oatmeal. I snacked on fruit throughout the day, then had my tomato & avocado salad with a simple addition of spinach and chickpeas. I was telling a friend about my meal plan for Day 4 and he goes, "Come on! Treat yourself!". I had to laugh and explain to him what a shock it would be to my system to start eating foods that take a lot of effort to digest, such as breads, meats, dairy, etc.

I experimented with a piece of sourdough toast that evening, and it sent my stomach in circles. It was clearly not what my body had been used to and I could feel the effort that it took to digest. Within an hour my stomach was totally fine. I taught Body Combat last night, and had ample energy for class regardless. It always amazes me, the power of our bodies to cleanse and detoxify themselves, as well as work with the food we're given to build strong bones and muscles.

This 3 days during the Fruit Feast is filled with what Baron calls, 'cleansing' foods. Cleansing foods are lighter by nature, and help to clean out the body. In the days post-Feast, we are in a 'building' period. Building foods are heavier by nature. This includes high mineral foods, like fish, beans, legumes, meats, dairy. They are foods that help you to build up your body whereas cleansing foods are those that help you clean out and detoxify your body.

I ate this soup, from Andrea Bemis at Dishing Up the Dirt, throughout the remainder of the week to ease back into processing complex carbohydrates and proteins. This soup freezes well, to be reheated in later weeks for dinner on the fly.
The French influence comes from leeks and fennel, which are also cleansing to the palate.

French Lentil Soup serves 4-6

leeks, fennel, star anise

• 1 cup French green lentils, rinsed
• 5 cups filtered water
• 1 whole star anise
• 2 Tbsp ghee or olive oil if dairy-free
• 2 large leeks, sliced up the the light green part
• 1 large bulb of fennel, chopped
• 2 Tbsp fresh minced ginger
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
•  3/4-1 tsp sea salt

Method

In a large saucepan, combine lentils, water, and star anise. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until lentils are tender.

In a separate large saucepan, heat ghee over medium-high heat. Add leeks, fennel, ginger, and crushed red pepper flakes. Saute, stirring often, until vegetables are soft and begin to brown, about 7-10 minutes. Reduce heat.

Remove star anise from the pot of lentils, pour water and lentils into the sauce pan with leeks and fennel. Season with sea salt and let simmer over low heat for another 15 minutes. 

Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to pulse the soup, careful to maintain some texture. Serve with seedy crackers or crusty bread and plenty of red pepper flakes, and ghee. 


enjoy!

Coconut Red Lentil Soup

It is a grey, grey day in Fuerte.

The calima is coming in thick. Calima is the the hazy result of strong winds blowing from the Sahara Desert, across the Atlantic Ocean, bringing bits of sand and dust particles over to the Canaries. It looks a little something like this..

Satellite shot of the calima. (source: http://www.lanzaroteinformation.com)

Looking out from the terrace of Villa Azul on a clear day you can see down to the harbor, and across the water to Lanzarote.

But today, the same view has been seriously obscured.

 

So what was on the agenda for this evening? Stretchy pants, hot showers, tea, and coconut red lentil soup!

There is nothing more satisfying to me than a warm bowl of soup. I can appreciate soup any day of the year, but especially as the weather cools down, it's important to warm up from the inside out. This soup is thick in texture. Creamy coconut milk and hearty lentils are combined with toasted spices and dotted with raisins for a touch of sweetness. This soup and is a match made in heaved with cardamom scented brown rice and a dollop of plain yogurt.

Coconut Red Lentil Soup (serves 6-8)

•  2 cups red lentils
• 7 cups water
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 2 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
• 2.5 Tbsp curry powder 
• 2 Tbsp ghee or olive oil
• 8 scallions, sliced thin
• 1/3 cup golden raisins (brown is absolutely fine too, golden is great for the sake of appearance)  
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 14 oz can full-fat coconut milk
• 2 tsp sea salt
• Serve with cooked brown rice, plain yogurt, fresh coriander and/or extra scallions

 Directions 

1. Rinse the lentils until the water runs clear. Place them into a large soup pot with 7 cups of water, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, adding diced carrot, and half of the ginger. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes or until the lentils are soft.

2. Meanwhile, in a dry skillet, add curry powder over low heat. Toast until fragrant, being careful not to burn. This toasting really elevates the dish and adds depth in flavor. I was out of curry powder, so I used a 2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp red chili powder, and a pinch of cardamom. 

Dry roasting my curry substitute

After your spices become fragrant, set them aside and wipe out the skillet.

3. Over medium heat, add ghee or olive oil to the skillet. Ghee, or clarified butter, will give you a distinctly rich and authentic Indian flavor. For some, this can be too rich with the coconut milk as well. Personally, I used olive oil. 

Scallion, fresh grated ginger, and raisins

 4. Add to the skillet your sliced scallion, the remaining ginger, and raisins. Saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously. Add in the tomato paste and saute for another few minutes, continue to stir. Finally, layer in the toasted curry powder and stir to fully combine.

Tomato-curry mixture. Beautiful, no?

 4. Add the tomato-curry mixture, coconut milk, and sea salt to your pot of lentils, stir to combine fully. Let your soup simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes. The longer you let it simmer, the more the lentils will break down and thicken your soup. 

5. Dish a portion of brown rice into your bowl, and pour your soup over the dop. Dollop with plain yogurt, and garnish with fresh coriander or scallion!

Stay warm and eat well my friends!

Ciao!

 



  

Fruit Feast Recap + Spicy Melon Gazpacho Recipe

What on earth is a fruit feast?

A three day fruit cleanse, as prescribed by certified Baptiste Power Yoga Teacher, Kristy Summers. This cleanse comes into week four of Baron Baptiste's 40 Day Revolution (read more of the back story here). Those three days had more of an effect than I originally thought.

Honeydew, papaya, mandarin, and kiwi fruit salad

  Here's a little recap of my three day detox.

Day One:

I worked to find a balance between eating enough in the morning, and then snacking every two or so hours. I found the trick is to eat before hunger strikes. I made the most instant quick fix meals I could, a lot of mixed fruit salad, avocado with cucumber and lemon juice. As easy and instantly gratifying as possible. I had a massive persisting headache, probably the result of zero sodium, caffeine, and a lack of water. My strength felt very low but you are encouraged to maintain physical activity, so I practiced yoga for half an hour and got so upset when my body wasn't performing to the degree that I'm used to. From there, I went on a mini roller coaster of emotions. Feeling everything from homesickness, to frustration, to guilt, to just plain pissed off. Cleansing is not just a physical task, we end up cleansing from the inside out, emotions, skin impurities, etc. Day one was rough, but it gets better.

Day Two:

No headaches whatsoever, my energy levels increased dramatically. After I got off of work, I got in a solid hour of yoga. And in the evening, went on a hike up to the volcanoes with Manuel and had a little yoga photoshoot for his upcoming Ashtanga Specialty Week at Azul. I made a conscious effort to drink more water, and started drinking coconut water to restore my electrolytes. This wonderful isotonic saved me. I continued to eat very plain meals, with lots of grab-and-go raw fruit snacking. In the evening, I steamed a courgette and ate it alongside my avocado salad. I truly underestimated the power of a warm meal. This made me feel so satisfied, so nourished. I started to get a little creative, and simmered some sliced apples with chopped dates and a squeeze of lemon juice. Quite the treat.

Day Three:

My strength and energy stayed steady. My biggest challenge continued to be getting creative in the kitchen. On my final day I made a gazpacho consisting of a small avocado, two small tomatoes, half of a bell pepper, and lemon juice. I also blended up some frozen watermelon cubes with the fresh lemon juice and zest for a refreshing afternoon treat. My third day was a lot like day two. I really had to keep up with my hunger and make sure I was eating enough (as an aside, I was still eating between 1,800 and 2,100 calories, this cleanse is not meant to deprive the body of energy).  

I enjoyed the lightness I felt in my body. My food never weighed me down. I could eat lunch, and then exercise right afterward without feeling strained or uncomfortable. In every day life at home, what I eat and when usually depends largely on my physical activities for the day. For example, I would eat more complex carbohydrates and grains earlier in the day when I knew I would be endurance or interval training, and then intentionally not eat anything too heavy before training. I would consciously eat more protein after weight lifting and the day after. And for yoga as well, I would try not to eat anything too heavy before my practice so that I could move and twist without strain. Here, I found I didn't have to worry about that, I was in a constant state of lightness.

Gazpacho

I wish I had more spectacular fruit recipes to share with you. Pictured above is the gazpacho that I made on day three. While it was refreshing, it could have seriously used some non-fruit ingredients, like salt and olive oil. I have another recipe for gazpacho that makes for a really lovely, velvety soup for those warm summer days (trust me, save this recipe, you'll be glad when you dig it up six months from now)

Spicy Melon Gazpacho (serves 4)

• 1 ripe cantaloupes (a ripe cantaloupe will smell slightly sweet, and will give a little when you press your thumb into the end opposite the stem- ripe cantaloupe is they key)
• 1/2 english cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 orange bell pepper, chopped (buy organic or wash well, pesticides really stick in to the skin of bell peppers and can leave a terrible after taste in your soup)
• 1/2 cup sweet grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 extra small habañero chili (about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon, depending on your spice tolerance, chopped)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 Tbsp red wine or sherry vinegar
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/2 ripe avocado 
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Olive oil and fresh coriander to garnish

Directions

1. Cut your cantaloupe in half, spoon out the seeds, discard, and continue spooning out the melon into a large bowl.
2. Add to the bowl, chopped cucumber, onion, bell pepper, grape tomatoes, habañero, garlic, sea salt, vinegar, lemon and orange juice, toss to combine.
3. You may want to work in two batches depending on the size of your blender or food processor. Add the ingredients from your bowl to your food processor, pulse a few times to get a uniform, slightly chunky texture. From here, add the avocado, this will give your soup a beautiful velvety thick texture, without the addition of bread as more other recipes call for. Let your food processor run on a high speed for a few minutes until fully pureed. Continue to let it run as your slowly drizzle in the olive oil, this will further emulsify your soup and enhance the texture.
4. Strain your soup through a large fine meshed sieve and into a large bowl. This will sift out any remaining chunks, or bits of skin from the bell pepper, etc. 
5. Cover the soup and let it rest in the fridge for a few hours to let the flavors mingle, it's even better the day after. 

Enjoy with grilled shrimp, fresh crab or a green salad. This soup is sweet, savory and adds a nice little kick to any meal.

 .     .     .     .     .

What the Fruit Feast Taught Me

• Keep up with your hunger.
• Eat before you feel famished, this inhibits eating large portions trying to catch up with your hunger. It also keeps cravings from sneaking up on us. When our blood sugar is stable, we are stable. 
•  Add kindling to the fire.
• Eating smaller amounts in more regular intervals is like adding kindling to the digestive fire, it still allows the fire to burn furiously, whereas a big dense log takes considerably more energy to burn, and slows down the flame.
• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
• This aids digestion and keeps things moving throughout the day and between meals. A tall glass of lemon water in the morning does wonders for detoxifying the body. Chase that with ~64 oz more throughout the day.
• Cleansing isn't just for your body.
• My mood and emotions got stirred up as well. Changing our physical circumstances allows other things to bubble to the surface as well. I like to think we cleanse from the inside out.
• We have hard-wired eating patterns and we don't even know it.
• I began to notice how I seek a particular foods after my meals to somehow 'fulfill' my hunger. It's usually something sweet like dried fruit or bread with honey, and it was like once I ate that my meal time was over, that's when I was satisfied. Cleansing, I was able to see that habit, and make a conscious change to stop it. Our personal satiety should be the cue that mealtime is over, not a specific food or taste on the palate. Think about your own eating patterns, do they serve you well?
•  Be adaptable to change
• We get upset when we get attached to a situation, a way of eating, a way of working, a system that we use, etc. and that situation changes. When you are able to change with your circumstances and surroundings, you can thrive happily. Work with what you're given, and create the things you want.
• Cleansing is not for everyone
• I have admittedly been anti-cleansing. I think the body has an amazing ability to cleanse itself, organs like the liver and kidneys are detoxifying machines. When we feed our body with whole foods, as close to nature as possible, we give the body they necessary tools to cleanse itself and get rid of the trash. However, what I got from this cleanse was not physical. It was much more of an exploration of my own habits and tendencies. I do think it's a good learning experience. I do not think it's a good way to lose a few inches before your reunion. If you do decide to cleanse, do your research. Some cleanses do more harm than good and deprive the body of essential nutrients, consult a physician and know what you're doing.

Detoxification can be such a controversial subject, I'd love to hear about your thoughts and experiences with cleansing, comment below!

Until next time,

Ciao!