Three Squash Beef Chili (AIP, Paleo, Whole 30)

What says comfort during the fall season then a delicious squash soup or a big bowl of chili? Well, I figured why not combine them to make a squash soup chili of sorts. It combines three of my favorite squash: butternut, acorn, and pumpkin. Hope you enjoy this chili as much as I do.

Three Squash Beef Chili

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and diced into ½ inch cubes
• 2 acorn squash, - peeled, seeded, and diced into ½ inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 onion, thinly diced
• 1 cup pure pumpkin puree
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 ½ tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• ½ tablespoon ground savory
• ½ tablespoon ground sage
• ½ tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 cups bone broth

Instructions

1. Fill a steamer pot about 1/4 full of water, and add in/on steam basket. Add approximately 1 ½ cups of diced butternut squash and 1 cup of diced acorn squash to steamer basket. You want to steam about a third of the diced squash. Turn burn on high, cover, and steam for about 15 mins, or until squash is soft.
2. While squash is steaming, in large, deep pot over medium high heat  extra virgin olive oil. When oil is hot, add ground beef to the pot and cook until browned. 
3. Add onions to pot and cook until to just translucent. Turn off burner and set pot aside.
4. By now, the squash should be steamed. Add the cooked squash to a food processor, and blend.
5. Add squash mix to pot with meat and onions. Add the remaining ingredients from the pumpkin puree to bone broth to the pot. Lastly, add in the remaining raw cut squash to pot.
6. Stir ingredients to fully combine.
7. Return to burner, and set heat to high. Stir frequently and bring to a boil.
8. Once boiling, turn heat down to simmer (about a medium, medium low, depending on your stove), and allow to cook uncovered for 1 hour. Stir occasionally.
9. When it is done, remove cinnamon stick, and enjoy!

Recipe note: if you are able to get a hold of a cooking pumpkin, like a sugar pumpkin, you could leave out the pumpkin puree. Instead, peel, seed, and dice the pumpkin and steam and puree a third of it with the acorn and butternut squash. Then add in the raw to the pot with the other squash.

Sage Plantain and Butternut Squash Hash (AIP, Paleo, Vegan)

Sage Plantain and Butternut Squash Hash 

If you follow me on Instagram or are a Facebook friend, you might have noticed I have a slight obsession with plantains right now. They are so complex, if you think about it. Unlike bananas, you can use them throughout their ripening process. Not only that, but at each stage they have a different flavor and texture. Green plantains are very starchy and not sweet at all. The brown plantains are as sweet as bananas. They give you so much to work with! For my first recipe creation, I used green plantains to make a savory breakfast hash.

Ingredients

1 green plantain, peeled and diced

1 cup butternut squash, peeled and diced (or frozen)

1 teaspoon rubbed sage

1/3 cup of bone broth, or broth of your choice

1 tablespoon your favorite cooking fat

Assembly Required

1. Peel and Cut Plantains. Another difference with plantains is how you cut them. You can’t peel them like a banana. Instead, chop off both ends and cut into sections. Then slice off the peel on each side.

Dice the plantain, making sure they are around the same size. 

2. If you are using a fresh butternut squash, peel and cut them similarly.

3. Heat your choice cooking fat in pan over medium-high heat. My choice today was some ghee.

4. Once pan is hot, throw in plantain pieces first and cook them for about 7-8 mins. If you are using fresh squash, add it now as well. If you are using frozen squash, cook plantains first for 5 mins, then add the squash to the pan the final 2-3 minutes. 

5. Finally, add the sage, broth and a little salt and pepper (omit of AIP) to taste.

6. Once it begins to boil, drop it down to a simmer, cover and cook for 5 minutes.

7. Remove cover. If there is any extra liquid left, let it cook off for another 1-2 minutes. 

8. Enjoy! It can be served as side to breakfast, topped with eggs, or even as a dinner side. It makes about 3-4 servings.