Cocoa Chili

Whoa, what a whirlwind the past week has been!  Here's a quick and easy chili to make for dinner this week, for those days that you really don't feel like cooking! You may even have all these ingredients at home already!  This cocoa chili is great for anyone on Candida Clear, or eating paleo or Whole30!  The cocoa gives it a nice little twist and rich flavor. Don’t worry, it doesn’t taste like chocolate!

Ingredients
1 medium onion chopped
Garlic- 2 cloves minced
3 TBS cocoa powder (unsweetened)
3 TBS chili powder
1 lb ground beef
3 TBS tomato paste
3 cans diced tomatoes

Directions
Sautée garlic and onions in coconut oil for 3 to 5 minutes.
Add in tomato paste, cocoa powder and chili powder.  Stir for 1 to 2 minutes.
Add in ground beef and cook for 5 minutes.  (Not all of the beef will cook and that's okay. The rest will be cooked when you bring the soup to a boil.)
Add in diced tomatoes and bring to a boil.  Then simmer for 15 minutes.

You can either enjoy right away after it cools down or put in a crockpot on low after it has boiled. I think the longer it cooks the better tasting it is!  

My Favorite Guilt Free Salad Dressing

Photo: Tessemae

It's always better to make your own condiments and salad dressings, but sometimes we just don't have the time!  I've found a brand that is both tasty, good for you, and available in your local grocery store.  

Tessemae’s is one of my personal favorites. The story behind the brand is so cool, and they're committed to healthy eating and healthy living. Not to mention, everything is all natural and Whole 30 approved! You can find them at Kroger’s or Whole Foods in the refrigerated section by the boxed salads. If you want to see the whole line of dressings/sauces visit their website.

My personal favorites are Lemon Chesapeake, Lemon Garlic, Balsamic, Mild & Hot Buffalo Sauce, and BBQ Sauce. I haven’t tried them all and there are many more flavors online compared to what is in the store! I won’t lie the ranch was kind of stretch, so if you are a ranch person I would try something else.  It wasn’t quite like I was expecting. The other ones above are much much better.

I use it on my salads, season my chicken or dip veggies in it.  I love carrots and celery dipped in lemon garlic! Check them out at the grocery store or online and let me know what you think!

Paleo Tomato Soup

There are so many tomato soup recipes out there, so I figured I would try my hand at one of them.  It was super easy to make, very tasty and completely dairy free!

Ingredients
1 Onion, chopped
1 TBS Coconut Oil
1 TBS Olive Oil
1/2 cup fresh Basil
1-2 tsp Sea Salt and Pepper
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
3 cups of Chicken Stock
5 Tomatoes- Vine (I used 4 large tomatoes)
6 oz Tomato Paste

Instructions
Cut tomatoes into quarter slices and toss with olive oil (I did melted coconut oil), sea salt and pepper.
Roast tomatoes on a baking sheet for 30 minutes on 350 degrees
With about 5 minutes to go on the tomatoes melt 1 TBS of coconut oil over medium heat in a large soup pan
Saute onion and garlic (until onion is translucent)
Add in your roasted tomatoes and saute for 1 more minute
Add in 3 cups of chicken stock, the basil (I ripped mine into smaller pieces first), and the tomato paste. 
Stir until tomato paste is dissolved into the broth
Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to low and cover pot
Let covered pot simmer for about 30 minutes
Pour soup into a food processor or blender and mix up until nice and smooth

Last but not least... Enjoy! (And even top with your fresh basil... so tasty!)

Recipe from Primal Palate.