Slow Cooker Style Chili With Chicken (or Beef), Tempeh and Dark Beer

Just a word about one of the "special" ingredients, tempeh.....

In case you don't know what it is, tempeh (pronounced tem-pay) is a chunky and nicely textured cake of fermented soybeans that originates from Indonesia. The fermentation process the soybeans undergo en route to becoming tempeh actually make them more nutritious and more digestible (and also eliminates those enzyme inhibitors anti-soy enthusiasts are always griping so much about.) Tempeh is also surprisingly yummy and super versatile!! You can do all sorts of exciting things with it including grilling, roasting, marinating, pan searing, etc. However, when you mix tempeh with ground beef it pretty much takes on the flavor of the meat you are cooking and just blends right in. And because the protein in tempeh is far more digestible than what you would ingest through animal protein (thanks to tempeh's fermentation process), combining tempeh with other meats greatly aids in overall digestion. Oh yes, and tempeh is also very, very, very rich in tummy-filling, waist-slimming fiber (about 11 grams of fiber per 16 grams of carbs).

Chicken Chili

Where to buy tempeh?

Luckily tempeh is becoming much more mainstream these days and many supermarkets now carry it (and of course you can find it at pretty much any natural foods stores). Look for tempeh in the refrigerated section of whatever store you buy it from.

I always love hearing feedback. So, if you try this recipe and like it (or don't!) or if you make any changes please let me know. Happy Healthy Eating!!

Ingredients (Serves: 8)

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon unrefined sea salt, plus more to taste
1 pound lean organic pastured white meat ground chicken (or grass-fed ground beef or ground ostrich)
3 tablespoons white whole-wheat flour
1 (8-ounce) package tempeh, crumbled
3/4 cup yellow raisins (optional)
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes with juices
2 (14.5-ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 packed tablespoons chopped canned chipotle peppers (seeds removed) in adobo sauce
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup canned pumpkin (optional)
1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red peppers marinated in oil, drained and patted dry
1 (12-ounce) bottle dark beer
11/2 cups shredded low-fat organic extra sharp cheddar cheese
6 scallions, finely chopped

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add onion and garlic, and saute 5-6 minutes, until onions are soft. Season the onion and garlic lightly with salt. Add the ground chicken (beef) and saute, breaking meat up with a spoon, until the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and stir until well blended. Stir in the crumbled tempeh. Season again with salt to taste.

Transfer the onion, meat, and tempeh mixture to a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in the raisins, tomatoes, pinto beans, and chipotle peppers.

Place the chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, pumpkin, red peppers, and beer in a blender and purée until smooth. Add the beer purée to the slow cooker. Place the cover on the slow cooker and cook the chili on low heat for 5-6 hours. Allow the chili to cool 15 minutes before serving. Season with salt. To serve, ladle the chili into deep bowls and top with shredded cheese and scallions.

Serving Suggestions: For a complete meal try serving with corn bread muffins and a spinach salad topped with avocado, sundried tomatoes, lime juice, flax oil, shaved almonds and chopped Kalmata olives.

Slow Cooker Style Chili With Chicken (or Beef), Tempeh and Dark Beer

To get free daily updates on whole foods nutrition, whole foods cooking video demos, nutrition advice, 30-minute workouts, healthy product reviews and more visit Ivy Larson at http://www.hotandhealthyliving.com.

Ivy is a healthy lifestyle coach who runs http://www.HotandHealthyLiving.com. Along with her husband, Andy Larson, M.D., Ivy is the author of the bestselling Gold Coast Cure, Fitter Firmer Faster and Whole Foods Diet Cookbook. A popular figure among national media outlets, Ivy has appeared on such shows as Good Morning America, CNN, and Fox News. She currently makes regular appearances on Lifetime Television.

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