Mama's Chili

To my surprise and absolute delight, this Chili recipe came out really good. Salamander couldn't get enough of it (but alas, as legumes are glutamate bombs, I did have to limit his portion sizes), and even Potatey, who typically won't go for anything that includes foods mixed together, had some.

It's a crock pot recipe. The original recipe called for 8 hours at the lowest setting. I think I had my chili in the crock pot well over 10 hours at its lowest setting (I kinda forgot about it).

1/2 lb of already cooked beef stew chunks (I had some leftovers from beef I had cooked for a beef stew a few days ago; I used grass fed beef this time, and OMG, what a difference in flavor and tenderness)
1/2 lb ground beef, browned
4 strips of organic, uncured bacon, cut in 1/2 inch pieces, browned and crisped
1 can organic black beans
1 can organic red kidney beans
1 can organic cannellini beans
1 large can Muir Glen diced tomatoes
1 can Muir Glen no salt added tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
2 scallions, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all ingredients in crock pot, mix well. Cover and cook chili on lowest setting for at least 8 hours (but as I said, I cooked mine longer than that).

Baked Beans

Salamander LOVES baked beans, but as legumes are a high glutamate food, we do need to be careful. But I'll typically try to make him these *Baked Beans* once a week.

My version is a stove top version, haven't developed a good oven based version yet.

I use canned organic kidney beans (either the light ones or the medium red ones - while the dark red ones are yummy, they may just tip the glutamate/salicylate scale too much), or canned organic pinto beans. I am sure you can use dried beans (which you will need to soak then) as well.

1 can organic beans
1/2 cup ketchup (I use my own ketchup for this)
1 tbs honey or agave syrup
Pepper, salt to taste

Mix beans, ketchup and honey in a medium sized sauce pan. Simmer over medium to low heat for about 45 minutes, until the beans are nice and soft and the flavors are all well blended. And viola. Done.

If I have them, I'll serve these beans with uncured, antibiotic free, etc etc beef hotdogs.

I am very very picky on my beef hotdog brands; the Applegate Uncured Organic Beef Hotdogs have consistently worked well for us. Quite a few of the other GFCF etc approved version, both Applegate and from others, have triggered projectile vomiting out here.. I don't think it has anything to do with the hotdogs, it's just that my boys' stomachs and intestines are, well, what can I say....

The thing is, these hotdogs are uncured, so they don't keep long. When I buy a pack (typically during a raid of a WFM), I make sure that I used them all up within a 3 to 4 day period. I tried buying in bulk and freezing. Doesn't work. Boys inevitably get stomach upsets, including vomiting, from frozen and then defrosted hotdogs. Again, I don't think it has anything to do with the hotdogs themselves....