From as far back as I can remember, I always had a problem with beans of most kind. I have tales from kindergarten about the chick pea situation in one of the soup they served weekly and how I had to negotiate a tolerable ratio for my bowl with the cook – the agreement was a single chick pea per bowl, but I had to actually eat it in front of an educator… it was an event every week -_-

Turned out I find legumes as undesirable in chili than in soup. Yet I like chili – how comforting it is in winter, how the spiciness helps with congestion, how it is full of flavor and how deep and complex this flavor can be. And just the process of making chili… it’s a bit like brewing a potion. I was therefore really glad when I heard Dr Sheldon Cooper say that real chili does not contain beans. AH!

In its bean-less form, chili happens to be a fantastic paleo meal that can be prepared in advanced and stored for these lazy days when you feel just like ordering pizza.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 lb beef (chuck, tenderloin) in small cubes (I don’t know much about meat cut… I just bought cubed beef for braising, and re-cubed them smaller)
• 1 tsp ancho chili powder
• 1 tsp chili peppers flakes
• 1 tbsp cumin seed
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 cups onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup beef stock
• 2 cans (28 ounces) of crushed tomatoes (or 1 can crushed, 1 can whole or diced tomatoes… I just prefer the texture of all crushed tomatoes)
• 4 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 bell peppers, chopped

Instructions

In a large pot over high heat, add half of the oil (1/4 cup). When the oil is hot, add cubed meat and brown on all sides. Remove browned cubes from the pot and set aside.

Combine remaining olive oil (1/4 cup), ancho chili powder, chili peppers flakes, cumin seeds, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and chipotle peppers in blender or food processor and blend about 30 seconds, until it looks like a paste.

Return your large pot to medium heat and cook ground meat until it’s nicely browned.

Add onions and seasoning paste to the beef and cook until the onions are slightly translucent.

Add the beef stock, bring to a simmer and cook until stock is slightly reduced.

Add in the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, chopped pepper and browned cubed meat.

Stir all ingredients and simmer for about 2 hours.

Eat what you can and store the rest!

Adapted from the book Paleo Comfort Foods by Julie & Charles Mayfield.

The bowls are Buddha Bowls from Flavour Design Studio. They make everything taste better.

Ingredients

2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
2 garlic cloves, passed through a garlic press (separate)
1 chicken breast
6 cups chicken broth
3 tbsp fresh grated ginger root
2 tbsp lime or lemon zests (or both)
Vermicelli (it will take less than a package)

Vegetables (to taste)

Bok choy, chopped
Shiitake mushroom caps, sliced
Carrots, cut in julienne
Broccoli florets

Garnish (optional)

Green onions, trimmed and chopped
Fried onions

Preparation

Preheat the stove at 425 °F.

In a resealable plastic bag combine the soy sauce, honey and one of the garlic cloves and mix well. Add chicken breast, close the bag, and let marinate for 10 minutes in the refrigerator.

Put the marinated chicken breast on a baking sheet and place in the stove for 15 minutes or until cooked.

Meanwhile, bring the chicken broth to a boil in a large enough saucepan. Add the ginger, the lemon/lime zests and the other garlic clove. Reduce heat and let simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the vegetables and vermicelli noodles. Don’t cook for too long; the vegetables are best when still a bit crunchy and the noodles require very little cooking time.

Serve the soup in large bowls and top with slices of chicken breast. Garnish with scallions and fried onions.