So, I'll be the first to say that I'm not very good at this blog thing...only 5 posts in like a year. I need to focus on my cooking more. Anyways, over the last 6 months I've been bulking (adding mass through a caloric surplus) and have come up with a few really nice recipes to helping me meet my goals (4000 calories per day). One of these recipes is relatively new...thanks to my investment in a 4 qt Crock-pot for 16 bucks...and it is a high protein chili with a great balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fats w/ the added benefit of VERY LOW sodium.
According to the recipe, as entered into myfitnesspal.com, here are the nutritional (macronutrient) facts of my recipe:
SERVINGS: 5
Calories: 418
Carbs: 46 g (12 g fiber, you'll be whistling dixie)
Fat: 12 g (1 g saturated fat)
Protein: 33 g
Sodium: dependent on the canned tomatos
So here is what you'll need:
1/2 lb - Ground Pork Sausage
1/2 lb - 93/7 Ground Beef or Ground Turkey
VEGGIES:
1 - Medium sized yellow onion
2 - Medium sized Bell Peppers (I used a green and orange one)
2 - Jalapenos
2 - Habaneros (OPTIONAL)
4 cloves - Fresh Garlic
CANNED GOODS:
2 - 15 oz cans of chili beans. I USED "NO SALT" ADDED. This recipe works best with them, and you just have to look at the "Beans" section of your local grocer to find something similar.
1 - 28 oz can of DICED tomatos. YOU COULD ALSO USE FRESH ROMA TOMATOS
SEASONINGS:
PINCH of sea salt or kosher salt
4 tbs - BROWN sugar
Chili Powder
Black Pepper (to taste)
TOOLS OF THE TRADE:
4 qt Crock-Pot (SLOW COOKER)
1 big plastic spoon
Cutting board
Frying pan
Spatula
1 Chef's Knife
1 Can opener
-DIRECTIONS-
1. Prep the slow cooker using a "slow cooker" bag. You can find these in the storage section of the grocery store. DO NOT TURN THE COOKER ON.
2. Open the Chili Beans and Diced tomatos
3. Drain the cans of a bit of their liquid, but not all (approximately a 1/4). This will ensure the least amount of water will be entered into the equation from outside sources.
4. Pour the beans and tomatos into the slow cooker and mix until "well-mixed"
5. Grab both bell peppers and onions. Then cut the tops off the Bell Peppers and clean out the ribs and seeds, as shown. Also peel the onion for cutting.
6. Chop the bell peppers and onions, into small bite size chunks (about a 1/4 inch or so). See below.
7. Clean the habaneros, jalapenos, and garlic cloves and mince them into tiny pieces. WARNING: if you leave big pieces, you will find a spicy surprise at some point.
8. Mix the bell, habanero, and jalapeno peppers as well as the onions and garlic into the slow cooker. See below.
9. BEFORE mixing with a spoon, it is time to season. For chili powder, I eyeball it. If you look below I use a dusting of chili powder to approximately cover the entire top of the slow cooker mixture. This is usually enough to give you a strong chili smell and taste! Add as you see fit.
10. Add a PINCH of salt (we want to minimize salt intake) as well as add the brown sugar and black pepper (to taste). See below.
11. Once the spices are added, mix the entire mixture WELL. You can usually tell when the mixture is "well mixed" by a similar color all over the pot (onions and peppers sort of look red-ish).
12. SINCE WE ARE USING A SLOW COOKER. We will brown the meats. Combine the 1/2 lb of pork sausage and 1/2 lb of ground beef/turkey (beef is shown) into a frying pan and brown it off on high. Make sure you chop it into bite size pieces, like you would for say Hamburger Helper
13. The browning should take about 5-10 minutes. Once this is done, combine the still hot meat into the crock-pot with other ingredients.
14. Mix the entire concoction until it is even throughout.
15. Place the slow cooker on HIGH mode for 5-6 hours. Stir every 1-3 hours to keep the flavors nice and even.
There you go! A solid chili recipe for the baller on a budget. I like to add a microwaved baked potato (1 russet potato w/ fork holes pokings placed in the microwave on high for 8-9 minutes) and pour this chili overtop. It makes a VERY hearty meal that will keep you full for hours.
Bon appetite!
-NG
