Our Super Bowl Spicy Chili!

Are you ready for some football?  For the Super Bowl today, we're about as ready as possible (mostly ready for all the hype to be over).  Oh yes, we'll watch the game alright, and most importantly, we'll enjoy noshing on some good eats the entire time!   On the menu is a pot of hot n' spicy chili, perfect for not only the big game, but also for a February Sunday afternoon even though the sun is shining brightly and the temperature is a spring-like 60 degrees.  So it's not as though we needed some chili to warm up our innards, but rather to just keep with our Super Bowl game tradition!  This chili recipe is a combination of a variety of recipes that I have married together throughout the years.  It is though, fairly spicy in heat and includes three varieties of beans plus some corn.  We just love it and I hope that you enjoy it too.

Favorite Spicy Hot Chili

4 Tbsp. olive oil
8 large garlic cloves, minced through a garlic press
2 - 3 cups finely chopped celery, including the leaves
2 onions, finely chopped
2 large green peppers, chopped
1 can of corn, drained
2 lbs. ground pork
4 - 5 lbs. ground lean ground round
1/2 can chopped jalapeno peppers . . . or better yet, 1/2 of one chopped fresh jalapeno pepper with seeds removed ~ ~ note that using the fresh option increases the level of heat (spiciness).
1/2 cup chili powder
1/3 cup cumin
2 tsp. oregano
2 Tbsp. red pepper flakes
3 Tbsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. paprika
2 28-oz. cans peeled, whole or diced Italian tomatoes
3 6-oz. cans tomato paste
1 28-oz.  can tomato sauce
4 cups water
Louisiana Hot Sauce - - generously sprinkle as much as you like (and we like our chili HOT!)
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Garnish:
Sour cream
Finely shredded 4-cheese Mexican cheese blend
Chopped green onion stems
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Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pan.
Add the garlic, chopped onion, celery, and green pepper to saute'.
Add the pork and beef.  Cook while constantly stirring and breaking down the chunks of meat, cooking until the meat is browned nicely.
Add all of the spices and stir until well blended.
Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce and water.
Add the corn (really this is optional).
Add the jalapenos (use the amount you prefer for heat level).
Heat up the spiciness by adding Louisiana Hot Sauce, about 5 shots to begin with.
Adjust seasonings by adding more where desired, especially the cumin, chili powder, and red pepper flakes!
Cook on low heat for about an hour to allow all of the flavors to blend, adding more water if the chili becomes to thick.  Add a little water at a time until your preference of thickness is reached.
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Garnish with sour cream, Mexican cheese, and chopped green onion stems.
Serve with fresh cornbread and/or tortilla chips.
Also have small bowls of sour cream and Mexican cheese to pass around to your guests.
** This chili freezes very nicely too, since this is a big batch of chili!
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Steaks with Mushroom Sauce & Chive~Garlic Potatoes, Lightened Up!

Yes, you read the name of the recipe correctly!  Did I blow my healthy nutrition path that I've been on for a month now?  Not at all!  This is comfort food at it's best:  Lightened up!  This entree is also light in calories, coming in at about 326 calories for a 4-ounce portion.  This month of February when the winds blow cold and we yearn for foods that keep us more warm and cozy inside, the Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club prepared healthier versions for a wintery "Comfort Food" theme.  Normally when I think of comfort foods, I think fattening, rib-sticking foods that are heavy enough to make me fall asleep on the spot.  So I was really shocked to find so many lightened up recipes for comfy food on the Cooking Light web-site.

As the web-site states, "It doesn't get any heartier then a big piece of steak topped with savory mushroom gravy and paired with creamy mashed potatoes."  So true!  And here it is with reduced calories and fat for us.  Yummo, it was comforting alright!

Trimming the fat off the beef helps reduce the calories, as well as sautéing the mushrooms in olive oil and red wine instead of butter.  All that I can say is that I was totally fooled that this dish is lighter in calories.  What a winner!  It was even raved about by my picky, picky skinny, meta-high metabolism husband, Mr. M. and P.!

I was concerned that I'd gain weight from this entree, but in fact, my weight loss remained steady.  However, you have to remember that I'm also working everything that I put into my mouth into the Weight Watchers program that I'm on as well.  So here's another recipe for you to try.  This really is delicious and I'd recommend it to anyone!

Don't forget to stop over to Val's "More Than Burnt Toast" blog, where she hosts this monthly gathering of healthy recipes from Cooking Light.  I'm heading over there right now to see what everyone else prepared for this comfort food-focused winter season!

Steaks with Mushroom Sauce and Chive-Garlic Potatoes

4 (4-ounce) boneless rib-eye steaks, trimmed (about 1 inch thick)
Season with Nature's Seasons, Mrs. Dash, and any other that you prefer
3/8 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (8-ounce) package sliced cremini mushrooms
1/4 to 1/2 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup water
1 - 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2 Idaho russet potatoes
1/3 cup chopped chives
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Cook potatoes until done (either by microwaved, boiled, or baked in oven) and then set aside and keep warm.
Sprinkle steaks evenly with 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt and any of your favorite herbs and spices.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Reduce heat to medium.
Add steaks to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from pan; keep warm.
Add mushrooms to pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender and beginning to brown, stirring frequently.
Combine wine, 1/2 cup water, flour, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon salt; stir well with a whisk.
Add wine mixture to pan; bring to a boil.
Cook 2 minutes or until thick; stir constantly. Remove from heat.
Mash the warm potatoes.
Stir in chives and garlic powder.
Place small mounds of potatoes on each plate.
Top each mound of mashed potatoes with 1 steak and about 1/4 cup mushroom sauce.
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Valentine's Strawberry, Banana & Pineapple Smoothie!

No, it's not another green smoothie, but is still an extremely yummy strawberry, banana, pineapple smoothie and totally loaded with good stuff to help improve health and lightly de-tox.  Plus the pink color is perfect for the upcoming St. Valentine's Day, one of my all-time favorite holidays, being a romantic at heart!

Today I hit the 10 pound weight loss point since the first week in January . . . I am doing this slowly and intelligently through a change in what I put in my tummy.  I also joined Weight Watchers to someday have a body like spokeswoman, Jennifer Hudson (in my dreams at 56 years old!).

Oh, yes, I did blow it (eating healthfully) for one lunch this week when Mr. M. and P. (meat and potatoes) and I stopped 'where the parking lot is full' at a local new and booming BBQ joint, "The Squealing Pig".

I caved!

However, I did order chicken instead of pulled pork and I did have sweet potato fries instead of regular white potato fries.  Oh yea, baby . . .  it was wonderful!  And absolutely no sweet tea, just lemon water.  Hey, one has to splurge every now and then to stay on this health journey, don't ya think?

Valentine's Strawberry, Banana & Pineapple Smoothie

1 banana
1 cup chopped fresh pineapple (this is your de-tox magic ingredient!)
10 medium to large strawberries
2 Tbsp. coconut water
1 tsp. local honey
1 tsp. chia seeds (swells to 8 times larger in your tummy to help you feel fuller)
2 ice cubes (to chill it)

Blend the banana, add the pineapple, blend again, add strawberries, blend again.
Add the rest and anything else that you like, blend again.

Enjoy the full feeling you get from this pretty pink drink!
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