Friday, October 25, 2013

Pumpkin Cocoa Chili


As fall begins to set in our seasonal produce changes and the warm, wintery foods that comfort us find their way back onto our tables. Winter squashes, pumpkins, stews, soups, nourishing, nutrient dense. We all crave a warm meal that deeply satisfies.

Pumpkins are not only for decorating, they not only have nutritional benefits but they are delicious as well! This Pumpkin Cocoa Chili is one of my favorite recipes using pumpkin that has both a savory and sweet flavor. The spices of the chili bring out the flavor of the meat but he pumpkin adds this wonderful sweetness that rounds the dish out perfectly!

Pumpkins and other winter squashes can seem so difficult to cook but if you simply place the pumpkin in your oven whole and bake at 350 degrees for about a half hour or until soft then you can very easily cut it open without any strain! You can learn to include these nutrient dense foods into your meals regularly with this technique!

Recipe:
1 small pumpkin
1 large onion
3-4 cloves garlic
2T ghee
1lb stew meat, grass-fed
32oz canned diced tomatoes
1 green bell pepper
1T paprika
2T chili powder
1T chipotle powder
1T cinnamon
1T cocoa powder
1t sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

1. Get the pumpkin in the oven! While it's baking dice onions, bell pepper and garlic.
2. Heat the ghee in your stove top pan and add diced vegetables and stew meat. Saute on medium for about 10 minutes.
3. Add spices and canned tomatoes. Mix well.
4. Cover, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Let flavors mingle and vegetables cook for about 30-45 minutes.
5. When pumpkin is soft, remove from the oven. Let cool to the touch and when you can handle it, slice open, scoop out the flesh, remove the skin and add 1inch by 1inch cubes to the chili. Mix in well!

This dish is perfect for a seasonal party or fun family dinner. Enjoy with salad, organic corn tortillas, some brown rice, or steamed greens!

*original recipe from Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilipo.

6 comments:

  1. Can you do a post on foods and herbs that are good for flu season??

    ReplyDelete
  2. or...direct me to a previous post from last year?

    ReplyDelete
  3. i feel like this is just the recipe i was looking for, for the holidays. it fits perfectly well for every ocassion plus it is easy to make and so delicious. thank you for posting with this

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