A Friendly Nudge
...because we all could use a little encouragement!
This week the Washington Post ran an article about a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The study looked at various exercise categories and their ability to reduce blood pressure. They compared aerobic exercise, resistance training, high intensity interval training and isometric exercise training and surprisingly isometric exercise was the most effective.
What caught my attention was their description of one of the isometric exercises. A series of 4 wall sits, 2 minutes long, separated by a rest period of 1-4 minutes. This regiment was done 3 days a week.
At first I thought it was a typo, but I found the journal article and sure enough that’s what it said. There was also a grip isometric and a leg extension isometric.
I’m not suggesting that you start doing 2 minute wall sits, but I’m also not going to do you the disservice of underestimating what you’re able to do. I received a reply to one of my online posts and a 68 year old woman told me that she does three, 4 minute wall sits most days.
So today I’m including a 2 minute wall sit. And the guidance will be similar to all of the rest of the exercises that I post; start where you are. If 10 seconds is as long as you can go, fantastic. If it’s 1 minute and 45 seconds, well done! Let’s get stronger and more resilient and any blood pressure improvement will be a bonus.
This week’s cooking/food section is a little more involved but it is so worth it.
This recipe has already won a neighborhood Chili Cook Off Competition, so prepare to have people begging you for the recipe.
Texas Chili
This is another one that was heavily influenced by Kenji Lopez-Alt.
The first time I had a bowl of chili at the Texas Chili Parlor in Austin, Texas I realized that what I had been making was more like spicy spaghetti sauce since mine was loaded with tomatoes and ground beef. The bowl at the Chili Parlor was with large chunks of meat, plenty of dried chili pepper flavor and not a tomato or bean in sight.
For this recipe, I used 2 dried New Mexico chiles, 2 anchos, and a large guajillo and 2 chipotle peppers from a can of chipotle peppers packed in adobo sauce. I thought I was using a cascabel pepper instead of the guajillo but there was still plenty of spice.
You can find these dried chiles in some grocery stores or there are abundant options on Amazon.
Ingredients:
2-3 New Mexico chiles or other sweet mild ones like costano, or choricero. Stems and seeds removed
1-2 hot chiles like arbol or cascabel. (I used a guajillo instead by mistake but the heat level of the chili was perfect). Stems and seeds removed
2-3 fruity chiles like ancho, mulatto, negro or pasilla. Stems and seeds removed
2 chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce, stems and seeds removed and 2 Tbsp of the sauce
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
4 lbs. chuck roast, cut into 2” cubes, hard fat removed
2 tbsp avocado oil
1 qt. chicken stock
salt to taste
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp ground cumin
¼ tsp allspice
2 tsp oregano
1 oz unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp masa harina
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Topping options are unlimited, a few suggestions include: cilantro, avocado slices, onions or scallions, sliced radishes, various cheeses. Here is another opportunity to play with (personalize) your food.
I use the microwave to soften and mildly toast the chiles. You want them to be fragrant and pliable. You can also do this in a skillet on the stove, you just want to avoid burning them.
Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles and either rehydrate them with chicken stock in a saucepan or with chicken stock in a microwave safe bowl. Heat to a low simmer.
Add the deseeded chipotle peppers and 2 tbsp of adobo sauce and the rehydrated mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Use caution when blending hot liquids.
Cut the chuck roast into 2” cubes and brown it in a heavy pot with 1-2 tbsp of avocado oil (olive oil will work too but avocado is a nice neutral tasting oil with a high smoke point).
Browning the meat helps build flavor, but I only brown it on one side. There is going to be an abundance of flavor.
Remove the meat to a plate and add the onion and garlic to the pot and stir to combine, add the cumin, oregano, allspice, cinnamon, chocolate, and fish sauce, and the chili mixture from the blender, the rest of the chicken stock and the browned meat and any juice from the plate.
Bring to a boil and then either simmer on the stove until the meat is tender 3-4 hours, or put the pot in an oven set to 220 ℉ with the top of the pot just slightly ajar to let steam escape.
Set a timer to check liquid level at 1½ hours. There should be only minimal evaporation.
Once the meat is tender, stir in the apple cider vinegar and make a slurry with the masa harina and slowly add the slurry to the chili, this helps to thicken it and I love the hint of corn masa flavor it adds.
Top it with your favorite chili toppings. Ours are cilantro, chopped scallions, goat cheese, avocado slices and a few thinly sliced radishes.
Enjoy!