Chili on a boat

This is one of my new favourite ways to eat chili. On a boat- a sweet potato boat that is.... Packed full of vitamins and nutrients, it's a perfect vehicle to promote the goodness of this veggie-filled chili.



There's something about making your chili so fancy and pilled high with 'fixins' that makes this dish look like it wants to compete in the 'taste' Olympics.

It all starts with a giant batch of crockpot chili. Perfect for those cold/mild winter days we've been having.  Here's how I make mine.

Veggie-filled Crockpot Chili

Ingredients:

1lb ground meat (I chose beef, but turkey or chicken would be great)
1 onion, finally chopped
1 red pepper chopped
1 can of tomato paste
2 28 oz cans of chopped tomatoes
1 can/jar of tomato sauce
1 can of green chilis
1 can of corn
1 can of black beans
2 TBSP of chili powder
1 TBSP of Tex Mex spice
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
Brown ground beef and onions in a pan, adding some of the Tex Mex spice, salt and pepper too. Drain and add to crockpot with all other ingredients. Cook on low for about 6-8 hours.

Note: You could add your favourite veggies, change out the beans, add more spice with some jalapenos, it's all up to you and your taste.

Some people eat the chili in a bowl by itself. But no, not me, I love to mix the flavours and textures up. I take a sweet potato and microwave it for about 15 minutes (don't forget to pierce it with a fork, so that it doesn't explode). Once you can stick a knife through the middle, it's done. Simply cut it in half, Place in your serving dish, add your chili....

..,, and anything else you love. Here's my favourite combination.  Shredded cheddar cheese, light sour cream, green onions, cilantro and a tortilla chip crushed on top for texture. Amazing taste and texture! The amount of vitamin A and potassium this will add to your meal is incredible, not to mention the fibre boost too.

Living a healthy lifestyle is all about tweaking what you do to make it healthier and wholesome.  I used to eat chili with tons of nachos- loaded with salt, fat and empty calories. Now I choose nutrient dense calories that fill me up and fuel me with good energy!

Superbowl Chili and things

For the big day, it's our tradition to make some chili. This year was no different... I made it in our new crockpot and it turned out nice and spicy... no beans please though (Melanie and I don't like them).

Superbowl Chili

Here's my recipe:

1lb of extra lean ground beef

1 onion chopped

28 oz can of chopped/seasoned tomatoes

28 oz can of tomato sauce

1/2 green and half a red pepper chopped

chili powder or cayenne pepper and sweet chili and peppers seasoning

Brown the beef in a pan with the onions, add some chili powder or other seasonings to your liking... about 2 Tbsp. Add the cooked beef, tomatoes, sauce and peppers to the crockpot. Add a bit more chili powder, salt and pepper to taste. Cook on low for about 7-8 hours. I serve it with about a 2 Tbsp of shredded low fat cheddar cheese.

Nutrional Information: (serves 7 people, about 1.5 cups per serving)

182 calories, 10g carb, 8g fat, 17g protein, 2g fibre, 5g sugar

This is what I like to serve the chili with. Tortilla chips. I found these at the Organic Garage. They pretty much contain only real ingredients : White corn, sunflower oil/and or corn oil, salt. That's it!

Here's the Dets...

When I was at Whole Foods, I was looking at their baked goods to see what I could get that would be a nice treat with the Chili. You have to be careful, some items contain bad fats and things... so read the ingredients... But I did find the giant Pretzel Twists, delicious!

And these Challah Cheese Rolls.... a nice treat- not a low fat option, but a nice addition to the chili for the Superbowl- it's about 200 calories per roll, but with the chili being pretty low in calories- it works out. Even though I just watched the Half-Time Show with Madonna... I still participated in the Superbowl.