BEST Sweet Chili With Chickpeas
I’ve always known in my heart of hearts that there are never any mistakes. The world is changing rapidly and we’ve all been placed in quasi-forced meditative spaces where, if we don’t go mad with boredom, we may actually take some time to reflect deeply on our lives.
This pandemic is asking us, What is really, really important to you? It’s also inviting us to reflect upon the almost prolific distractions that we are faced with on a daily basis. Being at home as much as we are has turned many of us into internet and social media junkies.
Again, if we look at life through the lens that there are never any mistakes and that there is an Infinite Intelligence from which we are not separate, I think it was incredibly interesting timing that The Social Dilemma came out just as the pandemic was really taking root.
This timely documentary brings a crucial message to humanity: Our attention has been hijacked by Big Tech and its associates in order to drive profits into the hands of its creators and to keep us distracted, addicted and numb.
Shit. Is that all?
I know I fall down rabbit holes all the time as I peruse YouTube and find myself an hour later watching videos on things that would otherwise never even interest me left to my own, autonomous devices.
We’re also tricking ourselves into believing that while we ‘interact’ with others (often in knee-jerk ways) on our social media sites, that we are somehow being social. But this couldn’t be farther from the truth from an evolutionary biological standpoint.
We cannot trick our brains into believing that we are in moments of true connection or social interaction while our eyes look at pixels on a computer screen. Our brains, thank goodness, are much smarter than that.
We rely on touch, body language, unfettered eye contact and many other biological markers to satisfy what constitutes a true connection with other human beings.
The fact that anxiety and depression are at all-time highs amongst adolescents is testimony to a social experiment that has gone very badly. We need people. Not people on screens, but actual people.
And our evolutionary needs go even deeper than this.
We need people, we need sunshine, we need good, deep sleep and we need nutrient-dense food that our grandparents would actually recognize. Contrary to modern marketing, we can only go so far without these fundamental elements.
This is one of the reasons I’m so passionate about healthy, healing foods.
My body was made to consume hearty, nutrient-dense foods. I love anything warm and filling and that sticks to my bones. And in the heart of winter, I really love a meal-in-a-bowl that fills me up and packs a healthy punch.
I never really liked conventional chili. Firstly, having Crohn’s Disease and consuming beans isn’t exactly a match made in heaven. “Beans, beans the magical fruit, the more you eat the more you toot!”
Bloody right!
Sooo, I started making chili years ago with chickpeas instead. The chickpeas seem to go easier on this sensitive tummy and I, personally, much prefer the texture. I also sweeten this chili up with some unrefined coconut sugar and add warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and even ginger.
The combination of these sweet and warming spices with the chili powder and garlic really do work!
This chili is super easy to make, really. I measure nothing and just add ingredients to taste. But I’ll try to parse out an ingredients list that makes sense for you. After you make this chili once, adjust it to your own tastes and let your imagination lead the way – always.
Get your hands into this food. Put on some music, shut down your computer and enjoy the simple and profoundly fulfilling experience of creating a healthy, delicious meal that fills you up and makes you smile.
Ingredients:
2 lbs of grass-fed ground beef
2 large tins (796 ml tins) of diced tomatoes
1 small tin of tomato paste
1 can (398 ml) of chickpeas
2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
3 large garlic cloves, crushed
1.5 tbsp of ground cinnamon
1 tsp of ground nutmeg
1 tbsp of ground ginger
5 tbsp of chili powder
2 tbsp of ground cumin
½ cup of coconut sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large dutch oven or pot, brown the ground beef and add all of the spices and sugar. After meat has been browned, pour off about half of the fat and add all of the other ingredients. Simmer on the stove for at least 1 hour.
Add any shredded cheese or sour cream and sprinkle some fresh coriander leaves on top of the bowls of chili.