I don't follow recipes. At least not very well. I cook in my Dad's style. Open the cupboard and refrigerator, take out a bunch of ingredients and improvise. I keep lots of fresh veggies in the house as well as lots of herbs. You can't go wrong with these two staples.
For the beef lovers in my house, I made a paleo chili-style dish that was fast, easy and totally satisfying, especially on a cold rainy night. It features bacon, ground beef, sweet potatoes, rice and beans; all organic, of course. I did not add the usual red peppers or chili powder since my son is allergic to both. So it doesn't have the traditional chili taste but is still quite a hearty dish.
In a large skillet:
-fry up 4-5 pieces of nitrate-free bacon, set aside when cooked but keep bacon drippings
-cook 1 large chopped red onion and 4-5 stalks chopped celery in bacon drippings until tender but not mushy (I don't like mushy)
-add one pound crumbled ground beef, along with black pepper, thyme and crushed garlic cloves to taste, and cook until brown
-add one box Trader Joe's beef broth, a splash or two of red wine, and one sliced or chopped medium sweet potato
-simmer until liquid cooks down about a third to a half
In the meantime:
-make one cup brown rice according to directions
-open one can Trader Joe's kidney beans
When ready to serve:
-add beans to beef broth mixture
-serve over rice or simply stir in rice to entire mixture and serve blended
I added steamed asparagus as a side dish but a salad would be nice, too. A hunk of good bread would be awesome but we're shying away from gluten for now.
Served with a glass of red wine, it makes for a quick, easy and satisfying meal. Did I mention that I made it ahead of time and simply reheated for dinner? Enjoy :-)
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