Super Bowl TREATS!!!

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Paleo Chili Cups

Category: Appetizer, Side Dish Tags: bean-less chili, paleo chili, super bowl appetizer 1 Comment

With the Super Bowl around the corner these Paleo Chili Cup recipe come at a great time, a hearty hors-d’oeuvre without the mess of a bowl of chili, and with a far better presentation.

There are so many misconceptions about the Paleo or Primal lifestyle, one of them being that we eat primarily meat. I have to say that since going primal, my intake of meat has not increased, but my vegetable consumption more than doubled. A couple of years ago, I would have made this with a can of gas-inducing, tummy-bloating beans and wheat flour, which I have now replaced with fresh  vegetables and a much more nutritious plantain cup.

When choosing the plantains make sure their peel is green, as when they start to get yellow they become sweet and soft. You can also serve the chili in raw bell pepper “cups” instead.

Ingredients for the chili:

2 tbsp of lard, coconut oil, or tallow
2 medium onions, chopped
3 slices of bacon, chopped (optional)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound of ground meat, I used organic ground chicken
1 teaspoon ground coriander2-3 teaspoons ground cumin1 tsp of smoked paprika3 cups of crushed tomatoes or plain roasted tomatoes, if using my homemade recipe, avoid the spices3 cups of chopped vegetables. (I used carrots and celery)1 tbsp of lime juice2-3 tsp of chili powder1 large jalapeño pepper, seeded, finely chopped (optional)Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Cilantro and green onions to garnish

Ingredients for the Cups:

6 green plantains
4-5 eggs6-8 tbsp of lard, coconut oil of preferred cooking fat1 tsp of cumin1 tsp of garlic powderSalt to taste 

Preparation:

•  In a medium saucepan sauté the onions, bacon and garlic in the cooking fat, until the onions become transparent. (If using bacon you may need less oil).
• Add the meat and cook until it is medium-well done, breaking up the big chunks of meat.
• Add the tomato, vegetables, lemon, jalapeño, and spices and continue to cook over medium/low heat until the vegetables are tender.

For the cups:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
•  Peel and slice the plantains, the easiest way to peel a plantain is to cut off the ends off, cut the plantain in half, cut a slit lengthwise on the peel and separate the peel from the plantain.
• Place the plantain slices in a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until the plantains are soft.
• Allow the plantains to cool.
• Place all ingredients in a food processor and run until a dough is formed.
• Line the inside of a greased muffin tin with a 1/3-inch layer of this dough.
• Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the plantain cup is set and crispy.
•   Fill the cups with chili and garnish with green onions and cilantro.
• Serve immediately.

For other Super Bowl recipe ideas try my bacon wrapped dates or my bacon wrapped scallops

Day 1 Conquered!!!

Hey Whole 30 team......hopefully you had a great eating day like I did and you are feeling excited about creating healthy choices and being in control of the food choices you make. I know some of you have bought the book, It Starts With Food, and have either read it cover to cover.....or are making yourself familiar with the rules for the next 30 days. Last weeks blog entry I directed you to the books website so you could poke around and download the cheat sheets, and short cuts for you to have on hand.

I have heard from some of you that there is some confusion as far as TIMES to eat. Please make it easy on yourself and not worry about sticking to times.  Eat a post workout "meal" 75 minutes to an hour before training (this doesnt count as a meal....) eat a post workout meal within an hour of your training. Have breakfast, lunch and dinner. Try to stop eating a few hours before going to sleep for the night. Stay away from snacking if possible. Every meal you should eat enough that you are satisfied, but not full. Each meal should consist of lean meats, green vegetables, and healthy fats. Use sweet potatoes sparingly.....I recommend using them in your POST workout meal, as they help replace glycogen stores efficiently.

Stay away from sugar, dairy and gluten. Drink coffee black with cinnamon.....

YOU CAN DO THIS PEOPLE! I believe in you! I also understand that change is hard and starting something new takes at least ten days for it to become a HABIT! sooo.... trust in the process, okay?

I also have been asked quite a lot about what to have on hand in the pantry. Here are some products I highly suggest you purchase from Whole Foods and keep them on hand for the next 30 days. 

gluten free Siracha, coconut vinegar for making salad dressings and such, almond oil for salad dressing and grilled meats, and coconut aminos...treat like soy sauce. 

I made kale salad and made my own salad dressing out of these:

a little coconut vinegar, almond oil, crushed garlic, himalyan salt and papper to taste. Mix well then drizzle over the salad. YUMMY!

My dinner:

I sprayed the grill with coconut oil spray then added chicken that was marinated in coconut aminos and spices, boneless ribs marinated in garlic and aminos with ginger and spices. Grilled til nice and brown and cooked through.

I then baked a couple sweet potatoes (always make MORE THAN YOU NEED so you have left overs). I sliced the cooked sweet potatoes length wise and put a patt of coconut butter on top. I sliced up a few pieces of applewood organic no nitrate bacon and cooked til crispy - topped the potatoes with a little of those. Then I sliced up some colored peppers, onions and cooked through adding cilantro to taste. add the meat to the pl;ate and viola! DINNER IS SERVED!!!

What did you have to eat today? 

Post how Day 1 went for you to the comment section, or email me at sharibaby2@netzero.com and Ill post for all to read. 

REMEMBER..... I BELIEVE IN YOU!