Steeler Playoff Game - Bison Chili for Tailgate

Shiitake Mushroom

Shiitake and Crimini Mix

Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins

Mmmm...tasty!



Happy Friday!  This is the first time I am blogging live!  Meaning - I am actually posting while I am cooking!  Fun!

It has been a tough week for M and I.  We found out we were pregnant on Saturday morning only for it to end in a miscarriage on Tuesday.  But like everything in life, we are not in control.  God has a plan and only gives us as much stress as we can handle.  I am actually handling it better than the first one (March of 2010).  All we can do is pray that we get pregnant again and it is a healthy one!  We have two beautiful, amazing daugthers who we adore and are very thankful for.

On a lighter note - the Steelers play the hated Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field tomorrow at 4:30.  We had a bye last week, so if we win tomorrow, we are off to the AFC Championship (hopefully not in New England).

I decided to make something new for the tailgate - Bison Chili.  I have made chili before, but not with Bison and not this particular recipe.  This is a 100% clean recipe and it has been fun to make thus far.  I hope it tastes as good as it smells!  I got the recipe from googling "eat clean bison chili."  I acutally get 90% of my recipes from goggle!  Or my Clean Eating cookbooks.  Bison is a fantastic alternative to beef.  It is incredibly lean and full of protein.  One Bison burger can have as much as 28 grams of protein!  I hardly ever buy beef anymore - at least to cook at home.  However, I am not afraid to order a giant Prime Filet at a restaurant any chance I get! 

There are a lot of ingredients and it is a little time intensive, but it looks like it will be amazing.  Also - I am enjoying a nice glass of red wine as I cook this - as I said - it has been a tough week.  =)


INGREDIENTS:  (This recipe is not original.  It is adapted from http://www.organicauthority.com/).

3-4 tablespoons EVOO (I use Light OO)
1 pound grass-fed ground bison
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
4 to 6 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
1/2 pounds crimini muchrooms, chopped
1/4 pound shiitake mushroom caps, sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons of chili powder
1 1/2 tablespoons adobo seasoning
1 1/2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon chipotle seasoning (I used the sauce)
1 cup red wine (I used cabernet)
1 1/2 cups red kidney beans (I used Pinto)
1 1/2 pounds chopped organic tomatoes (I used canned)
3 cups beef stock
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons brown sugar (I used agave nectar)
1 tablespoon molasses
1 cup cheddar cheese (I used a Mexican cheese blend)


DIRECTIONS:

• Heat a deep, large skillet or a pot over high heat. Add 2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and the meat. Season it with salt and pepper, browning and crumbling meat, for 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer meat to a plate and return pot to stove.
• Keep pan at high heat, add another tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, coat pan, add the mushrooms and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sautee mushrooms until browned and tender, remove from pan.
• Add remaining veggies to the pan, once the onions, peppers and are soft add the mushrooms, back to the pan.
• Add 1 cup of red wine to pan to deglaze pot and reduce to a syrup. Add meat back to the pan, season with chili powder, adobo, cumin and chipotle seasonings.
• Add red beans, tomatoes, stock, bay leaves, brown sugar (I used agave nectar), molasses to pot.
• Simmer for 45 to 1 hour, until flavors combine. 

At home, I served it with a dollup of plain Greek yogurt and a little shredded cheddar cheese. 

At the tailgate, I had people grab a plastic cup, put the jalapeno cornbread muffin in the bottom of the cup and then pour the chili over it.  Grab a fork or a spoon and dig in!  It was very, very tasty and kept us all warm while hanging out before the game.  It was only 30 degrees for goodness sake!

Also -  You can make this a day ahead, reheat and serve! In fact it tastes better when the flavors are allowed to sit for at least one day.