Chili

I know what you're thinking... "It's not winter! Why is she making chili?!" I do normally prefer salads in the summer but hey, I needed a change from my usual foods. I used the recipe on the package of the veggies as a guideline because I wanted more protein/fat and fewer carbs than the recipe called for.

It called for 2 cans of black beans and a pound of ground beef so I added more meat and took away the carbs by using 1.5 lbs of extra lean ground beef (I probably should have used lean for more fat) and only 1 can of black beans. Problem solved.

I really liked the frozen veggie blend of corn, red and green peppers, and onions. Just the way I like my chili. Brown the meat, add the veg, and cook for 5 minutes. 

Add in the tomatoes, beans, and seasoning, and simmer covered for 30 minutes. It did call for an additional simmering for 15 minutes uncovered but mine was already pretty thick from the extra meat. If you do this as well you could probably get away without the uncovered simmering but decide that after the 30 minutes. I tend to like thick soups and stews but if you like it a bit thinner you'll want to skip the 15 minutes.

I did have a few spoons of it for tasting while cooking (how could you not?) and then divided the pot between containers. The package said it made 8 servings but these are my meals, not a side dish, so I wanted bigger portions.These containers are 2 cups so there is a chance I may not even be able to finish it haha, I guess we'll see for dinner tomorrow. 

Ingredients:

• 1 package of Arctic Gardens veggies for chili OR
  *3/4 c each of onion, green pepper, red bell pepper, and corn
• 1.5 lbs lean or extra lean ground beef
• 1 - 19 oz can of black beans
• 1 - 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 - 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
• 1 small can of tomato paste
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• optional: fresh cilantro for garnish

As a side note for the nutritional information keep in mind that tomatoes are high in sugar and are actually a fruit. If you've done 21 day fix the tomato sauce is considered a purple container.