Quick AIP chili

It was 3pm and the kids and I were on the way home in the car when my older one asked if we could have chili or stew for dinner. I thought to myself " chili or stews take forever to simmer to be good…" I agreed anyway because the kids have been so patient when I was down with a UC flare recently. I know I had veggies at home so I picked up some ground meat at the butcher and headed home to try this quick experiment.

When I got home, I posted for advice on my FB AIP Canada group. Of course, my trusted friend didn't take long before they replied with suggestions. I browsed though the links and gather all my ingredients and started cooking. I was concerned how it would taste without the tartness of tomatoes. So I dug in the fridge and found the sour cherries from my Aunt's tree that no one seems to want to eat. I pitted them and set aside for the dish. I also added apple cider vinegar in place of the tomatoes. 

The result was surprising good. I am a planner and prefer not to cook on the spot, but I think with all the cooking and experimenting I have done in the kitchen, I had a good idea what might work with what. Or maybe there was a bit of luck on my side too. "The cherries were a nice touch"my hubs said. and my current favored kobucha squash added great texture and thickness to the chili without thickener or beans. 

I made a big pot but there was no leftover after.

AIP chili

Kid dug into it before I could take a photo

Serve 5  Prep 10 mins Cooking 45 mins 

Ingredients

• 3/4 lbs. ground meat ( I used meatloaf mix - veal, beef and pork )
• 2 strips nitrates free bacon, cut into small pieces ( I use the Trader Joe's ones ) 
• 1 tbsp duck fat ( or bacon, coconut oil) 
• 2 c bone broth
• 1 zucchini, cubed
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 1 small beet, grated
• 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
• 1/4 small kobucha squash, cubed ( about 2 c)
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 stalk celery
• 3tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 10 sour cherries
•  sea salt to taste

Instructions

1. Heat heavy pot to medium heat
2. brown chopped onions and garlic in fat
3. add celery and carrot, sauté for 5 mins
4. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, brown chopped bacon ad ground meat 
5. add meat into heavy pot of vegetables
6. add kobucha and zucchini, sauté for another 5 mins
7. add sour cherries, apple cider vinegar and bone broth, stir, cover and let simmer until all vegetables are soft. The kobucha cooks down to a mush which will thicken the chili

Added bone broth ice cubes

sprinkled with freshly chopped herbs