A Friendly Nudge - TANSTAAFL
...because we all could use a little encouragement!
TANSTAAFL (there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch) was the name of one of my favorite bars in college, but it’s also an invaluable thing to understand.
Getting and staying healthy is fairly simple but it is definitely not easy. It takes effort and consistency.
There are no magic beans or berries, no blue zone secrets, no secret proprietary formulas. Even if something like Ozempic gets you started, eventually dietary changes and exercise have to join the party if you want the changes to be sustainable.
If we want to have sustained health and vitality we have to do the work.
I love this quote from Thomas Edison: “Opportunity is missed by most people because it’s dressed in overalls and looks like work.” I think the same thing can be said for health.
The work or exercise doesn’t have to be so intense that you can’t walk the next day, but it does need to gradually become challenging enough that our bodies interpret the signal that they need to get stronger to meet the new demands.
Eat real food, get outside and walk, stand on one foot and practice your balance several times per day, and spend a few minutes every day asking your body to do things that challenge it. Those things will change your health. They’re not sexy and they take time to work. But they do have a bit of magic. Long before you start to notice physical changes, you’ll start to notice a little extra spring in your step. You begin to realize that you’re becoming someone that can do difficult things. That realization can be life changing.
Now that we’ve got that figured out, let’s explore one of life’s other mysteries or maybe your mind is firmly made up - what’s the best chili?
Texas Chili
This may look familiar. I posted it about a year ago and since it’s Super Bowl weekend, I knew that I had to repost this. This recipe has already won one neighborhood chili cookoff. If you use it and our crowned Chili Master of the Universe, the only acknowledgement that I want is for you to post a picture of your trophy or ribbon. A modest portion of any cash prize is always appreciated.
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!
Now that I’ve stirred things up with my “best chili” declaration or unleashed a torrent of “what do you mean no beans?”, let’s put all of that energy to work with some exercise snacks.
As always, if any of these feel like they’re too much, either skip them or modify them so they feel more appropriate.