Gifts of Garlic

This month I will be sharing a perfect recipe for the Super Bowl and why garlic is so incredible for you. Who knew that you could cheer on your favorite team while keeping your body happy and healthy? 

Happy New Year Friends! Here we are in 2020! Have you started the new year by jumping into your New Year's Resolutions? New eating habits? New workout classes that you've been meaning to try? It's always fun to start a new year and hit the ground running with your resolutions. Don't overwhelm yourself with these changes, take it slowly and purposely. Create the perfect infrastructure in January to build on top of so that come December of this year, you will have reached all of your goals and then some. 

For this blog, I wanted to celebrate a few different things. Comfort food, Trader Joe's, The Superbowl, and Garlic. Not a list you would see together, right? Well, this year we are shaking it up. Even though this weather has been rather mild, there have been a few rainy and chilly days thrown in that call for delicious and warm comfort foods. This doesn't mean you reach for the processed foods filled with all kinds of unhealthy things for your body! Oh no, you can still find delicious and healthy things to not only warm you up but keep your body healthy and happy. Since the Superbowl is right around the corner, I thought a good old fashioned chili recipe would be perfect to share. This recipe was also inspired by Trader Joe's new organic chili seasoning blend, and I can't wait to share it with you! 

What You Will Need: 

• 1 8oz can of Trader Joe's Whole Kernel Corn 
• 1 8oz can of Trader Joe's Organic Kidney Beans
• 1 Tablespoon of Trader Joe's Organic Chili Seasoning Blend (test the blend out first, if you like it a little hotter ad more, if you like it a little cooler start with half a tablespoon!) 
• 1 Cup of Trader Joe's Organic Vegetable Broth
• 1 8oz can of Trader Joe's Organic Black Beans 
• 1 28oz can of Trader Joe's Organic Diced Tomatoes
• 1 6oz can of Trader Joe's Organic Tomato Paste 
• 1 pack of Trader Joe's beef-less ground beef
• Minced Garlic (to taste) 
• 1 Whole White Onion 
• 1 Whole Red Bell pepper
• 1 Whole Avocado (For Garnish) 

Directions: 

• Everyone has their way of making chili. Some like it thicker than others, some like it more on the watery side. That will determine how much Vegetable broth and Diced Tomatoes you use. Experiment with these measurements according to what you prefer. 
• Chop your whole white onion and bell pepper, and mince your garlic. 
• Cook your Trader Joe's beef-less ground beef. Set aside. 
• In a crockpot OR large soup pot pour in your corn, kidney beans, chili seasoning, vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste. Stir together and bring to a boil or let sit in the crockpot on low until it starts to bubble. 
• Add in onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Let cook until soft and stirred in. 
• Add in ground beef. Turn stove down to low and let it simmer for a while, or let it cook in the crockpot on low for a few hours. The longer you let it sit the better. 
• When you're ready to serve your chili, chop your avocado and serve on top as a delicious and creamy garnish! 
• Enjoy! 

Minced garlic was one of the many delicious and nutritious ingredients for our chili recipe. Do you know all the incredible things garlic can do for you? The list is staggering, and I love sharing it when I use garlic in my recipes. 

• Before garlic was used as a staple in many recipes, it was primarily used for its medicinal purposes and dates back to ancient Egypt. 
• It is very nutritious with very few calories. 
• It containes manganese, Vitamine B6, Vitamine C, fiber, calcium, copper, potassium, iron, phosporhous, and bitamine B1. 
• It is known to shorten the length of colds and boost your immune system. 
• It can help reduce blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and improve bone health. 
• It works as an anti-inflammatory 
• It helps treat athlete's foot 
• It is good for your liver
• It may help with cancer prevention 
• Much Much more!

Not only is this such a delicious recipe, but you'll also be giving your body some easy and important nutrients. It's the perfect recipe for every member of the family for a rainy afternoon or while cheering on your favorite team during the playoffs! Enjoy everyone, I look forward to sharing more with you next month!