Highlighting grass-fed beef: Texas Chili & Beef Stroganoff

Today I'd like to post two recipes I made this Sunday - I was able to put both the chili and the stroganoff "sauce" together in about 45 minutes.  These meals we will eat during this next week - all I have to do is reheat the chili in a saucepan and toss a salad together for one dinner, and cook some gluten-free kid-friendly pasta and steam some broccoli for the other.  There will even be leftovers from that, so I have a couple no-cook lunch options as well.

Texas Chili:

1.5 lbs ground grass-fed beef (local if possible)
1 medium or 1/2 large organic* onion
1-2 chopped organic* bell pepper (or poblano or jalepeno, whatever's on hand and however spicy you want!)
1/2-1 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt (or other high quality mineral salt)
2 T. ground organic* chili powder
1-2 T. ground organic* Spanish paprika
1 t. ground organic* cumin
1 c. crushed organic* tomatoes (I slow roast mine and then mush up before freezing in small batches, but you can also use canned)
1 c. beef broth (preferrably homemade)
1 can/box organic* pinto beans (or black, kidney, navy - whatever your family likes)


Brown beef over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to med-low and add onion and peppers and half the recommended salt above; cook 5 minutes or until veggies are tender.  Add chili powder, paprika, and cumin for 1 min.  Deglaze the pan by adding the tomatoes and juices and scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.  Stir in the broth and beans.  Taste again now and re-salt as needed.  Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 30 min-2 hours.
Serve with sliced avocado or grated raw cheese and minced red onion.


*I use organic ingredients as often as possible, though even I am still trying to replace old spices, etc. with organic.  This reduces my family's toxic load and exposure to rotten pesticides and herbicides in fruits and vegetables.  If you don't have organic or can't find it, no worries - just use what you have!  It will still be a healthier meal for your family than if it were from a restaurant or box.

Easy Beef Stroganoff

1/2 lb ground grass-fed beef (local preferred)
2 T. grass-fed butter
1 med or 1/2 large organic onion, chopped
16-24 oz chopped white or cremini mushrooms (slice if you like, the chopping hides the mushrooms better for my kids!)
1/2 - 1 t. salt
2 T. fresh organic lemon juice
1 T. dijon mustard
8 oz. organic cream cheese or sour cream (I used the yogurt cheese I get when I make whey for my fermenting projects - it is kind of in between store-bought cream cheese and sour cream and is perfectly delicious!!)
3 T. whole raw milk
3 T. chopped fresh organic Italian parsley**
Serve over pasta or rice of your choice. 

Brown beef over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to med-low and add butter, onion, mushrooms, and half a teaspoon salt.  Saute about 5 min until veggies start to brown slightly.  Reduce heat to low, cover and let cook another 5-10 minutes until veggies are super-soft (this step for kid-friendliness, feel free to skip!).  Remove cover; add lemon juice and deglaze the pan, scraping the browned bits off the bottom.  Remove pan from heat; add dijon, cream cheese, and milk and stir until well-blended.  Sprinkle with parsley just before serving. Serve immediately over pasta or rice - or refrigerate for later!  If you refrigerate and reheat, I recommend adding a couple tablespoons of milk so it doesn't dry out.

**This is where my herb garden becomes my favorite cooking tool.  Herbs are easy-to-grow plants, and the perennial versions are the most bang for your buck - plant a rosemary, Italian parsley, oregano, sage, winter savory, bay laurel, or lavendar plant, and you will always have it on hand!  I am also growing cilantro and dill from seed in my garden over the fall/winter/spring.  They are annuals but can reseed themselves if you allow them to dry out before removing the plant.  Dried versions will also work, but you will need to use only 1/3 the recommended amount above.

Bon appetit!
Jill