Chili is a great cold weather meal! In a perfect world, I would soak and cook my own kidney beans and use tomatoes I had canned during the previous summer. If you have time for that, great! You can even cook a large quantity of beans and freeze them in batches for future use.

Instead, this recipe uses canned products from the store. Great to have on hand when you need to make a big pot of chilly in a pinch.

Find organic when you can. When purchasing canned goods stay away from cans that are line with plastic. And, whenever possible, try to get tomato products in glass jars instead of metal as the acid in the tomato can etch into the metal over time. (If you purchase canned tomatoes, it is best not to hold onto them for long periods of time.) For the same reason, it is best to cook chili in a non-metal pot like ceramic, enamel or glass, especially if you store the left overs in the refrigerator in the same pot.

I like to include a few extra veggies in any sauce I make, so this chili includes shredded carrots and pieces of kale. You might notice the extra color but it does not affect the taste!

Fast and Easy Beef Chilly

3 tablespoons of organic coconut oil
1 pound ground beef*
1 medium organic onion
3 cloves of garlic
2 medium organic carrots
3 stalks of organic Lacinato/dino kale
2 cups of beef or chicken bone broth
2 14.5-oz. cans of organic diced tomato
2 15-oz. cans of organic red kidney beans
1 7-oz. jar of tomato paste
2 tbsp. organic chili powder**
Celtic or Himalayan salt to taste

*to convert to vegetarian chili, substitute meat with two additional cans of beans, using pinto and/or navy bean

**premixed spice or combination of chili, cumin, oregano and paprika

In a large pan, add one tablespoon of coconut oil and ground beef and cook on low, breaking up the meat into smaller chunks as it cooks. While the meat is cooking, chop the onion and garlic cloves into small chunks, shred the carrots, and tear or cut off the kale leaves into small pieces. (You can use the kale stems but that will change the texture of the chili.)

Turn off the meat when close to fully cooked and leave to the side. In a large pot, add two tablespoons of coconut oil with the onion, garlic, carrots, and kale. Sauté on medium heat, stirring until onions are translucent. Then add bone broth and both cans of tomatoes. Drain and rinse the canned beans and add that as well. Bring to a medium boil and then added cooked meat (draining some of the fat if you like), the chili powder, and tomato paste. Simmer on low for at least 15 to 20 minutes (or longer if you want it thicker). Salt to taste before serving or let each person salt their own portion.

Serves 4 to 6 people. Garnish with chunks of avocado. Serve with toasted gluten-free bread or non-corn tortilla chips and a side salad.

This article was written by Sharon Harmon, founder of Life Design for Health. As a “Health Designer” she has a passion for helping people find their way back to optimum health. Please contact her if you would like to know more. There is a great deal of health-related information in her blog articles and on her website. Including additional suggested resources (books and articles) by topic, a pantry list that is gluten-free, dairy free and GMO-free, and a healing foods list.