Chili Walkthrough

 Low-carb flu seems to be wearing off.  I have shed all of my extra Christmas poundage in just a few days.  Extra padding really can fall off rather quickly after a binge.

Tonight's supper was 2 parts.  Tomie had salmon and broccoli waiting for me when I got home.  Note my own clever touch of Louisiana.  Bam!





Nourished, I started the chili (about a 1.5 hour gig by my watch).

Ingredients (Pictured):

• Ground Axis Deer
• Onion
• Okra
• Tomatoes (2 cans whole, 1 can paste)
• 1 Chili in Adobo
• Seasonings

I also ended up adding 2 squash and some stock.  Chili isn't about having a plan, it's about dismissing our illusions of control and letting go.

Bit of olive oil, brown the onions, and then add the meat.

Wait for the meat to brown (pictured below) and make sure to work most of the big chunks out with your spoon.

Then, I add the stock, tomatoes, and smoosh those up with the spoon.

Traditionally I'd add 1 or 2 beers (which cook into sugars and add sweetness) at this point, but alas, this month that wouldn't fit with my dietary goals.

I chopped the okra while simmering the tomatoes and then, after adding over half the package above, I decided that a bit of diversity was needed, so I hacked in 2 squash.

I hit the gym and let the chili "rest" after about an hour and a half of simmering.

I came home to a very nice bowl.  Not very spicy, actually, and less sweet than I am accustomed too, but nourishing and very good.



Today turned out much better than yesterday and I feel very good about my chances of keeping a decent degree of dietary purity this month.

Next week looks to be a whack of overtime at work, so that might throw a wrench at me, but I'm pretty stoked to see how the month turns out.