Sunday is a day of rest and relaxation.
While it can be a productive day- hiking, cleaning, preparing for the week ahead- we always slow down at the end of the day for Sunday Night Football. What better way to recharge and reset than with a warm, nourishing bowl of chili on cold November Sunday nights watching the game?
I love chili because it is filling and nourishing. It fills me with memories of mom throwing ingredients in a big pot so she can run down and enjoy the game, jumping up and down, yelling at the TV. Because of it’s high protein content, it is also very filling and satisfying to the body, as well as the soul.
While low-fat sour cream and canned beans used to be staples in our Sunday meal, today, we know better than to use low-fat products and BPA-ridden canned goods. For a more nutritious and less hormone-disrupting dinner, try substituting plain yogurt (exclusive ingredients: milk and live cultures) for sour cream, and raw beans (sold in bags, soak in water over night, then rinse before adding) for the canned variety.
This recipe meets my top criteria for an ideal meal: 1. Nutritious and 2. Easy. Weekends are precious so I'm not wasting them eating something that will make me feel bloated, tired, or hungry, and I'm not one to spend much time in the kitchen (just ask my husband). So this meal is perfect for me, and anyone else who likes to be able to set it and forget it, but feel nourished and satisfied.
Sunday Night Chili Recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1lb grass-fed ground beef (or buffalo or turkey)
- 15oz of black beans
- 15oz of pinto beans
- 15oz of kidney beans
- 1 chopped onion
- 2 chopped bell better (try a variety of colors)
- 15oz of tomato sauce
- Chili powder, oregano, salt and pepper
- 1 dollop of Siggi’s plain yogurt
- Avocado, slided or cubes
Directions:
- Cook beef in oil and salt and pepper until brown
- Add onion and peppers and sauté
- Add beans, tomato sauce
- Add chili powder, oregano, salt and pepper to taste
- Bring to a boil then simmer for 45 minutes
- To serve, add a dollop of yogurt and several slices or cubes of avocado
A Few Helpful Tips for Enjoying Your Chili:
- Using raw beans, rather than canned beans has several advantages
- Avoid BPAs (hormone disruptors) that may be lurking in the cans
- soaking raw beans overnight helps to make them more digestible so you won't get bloated and gassy
- Yogurt is a nutritious alternative to sour cream (if you choose to add dairy to your chili), but only if you choose the right yogurt. Ideally yogurt should be plain and include only 2 ingredients: milk and live, active cultures (avoid any yogurts, for any purpose, if they have added flavors/fruit, sugar, or other sweeteners- you're better off starting with plain and adding your own fruit or honey)
- Avocado adds some color to your chili as well as a good source of fat