Walnut Chili for a belly friendly super bowl taco filling

I feed this walnut chili to avowed carnivores and have never gotten any complaints – in fact, they are confused by how good it is without being meat, and grateful for how great they feel after eating it. 

Even though I’ve never caught the football bug, I am super super-bowl friendly. 

I fully support any kind of gathering where friends get together to be rowdy, have a laugh, and argue about the merits of our great culture, while eating great food, and drinking excellent libations.

And when I say great food, I mean it! I always focus on quality when I eat in  quantity 

Let’s face it, the super bowl is all about indulgence – and I see indulgence as a way to liberate our sensual selves without the self destruction normally attached to it.

So, here are some tips on how to indulge without the bulge:

1. If you have control of the menu, make sure to have the best quality and healthiest versions of the foods everyone loves: guacamole, salsa, organic corn chips, crockpot chili, popcorn with nutritional yeast, etc…

2. If meat is on the menu, get the best quality possible, organic, grass fed. If you are meat-free, you can also get Gardein Brand fake meats that most people will love – these are fun foods, not health foods 

3. Be radical – go wheat and dairy free – you will beat the bloat and feel way better at the end of the day. If you really want to avoid bloat, try veggie chips – Terra chips are a good brand – instead of corn chips.

4. Pile on the veggies and guac – they will fill you up and nourish you.

5. Going to a party hosted someone else? Have a protein shake before hand, and then take a couple of side dishes and snacks you can share and enjoy with everyone.

6. And ladies, I will be saying this till the cows come home – SAVOR!

Life is too short to not take pause and luxuriate in the present moment. And that means taste your food and drink! Take. Your. Time. Chew and enjoy every bite.

The great thing about being older is you don’t have to give a rat’s a$$ about what people think. Do the super bowl the way that you want to. Which may mean, not doing it at all!

Have a great weekend and check out this indulgent and healthy recipe:

Walnut Chili

Walnuts are the meatiest nut of them all, an anti-inflammatory brain food and this dish makes a fantastic vegan taco filling:

2 cups walnuts soaked for a minimum of 4 hours, drained and rinsed

2 cups diced onions

2 T avocado, grapeseed, or coconut oil 

light sprinkle of salt

1 1/2-2 cups jarred diced or crushed tomatoes (avoid the BPA in canned tomatoes)

1 T chipotle with adobo (you can find this in the international section of the grocery store in small jars or cans)

1 tsp smoky paprika

1 T wheat free soy sauce (or salt to taste if you are avoiding soy)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

black and white pepper

• Heat up a skillet, add the oil and saute the onions, sprinkle with salt to soften and keep stirring as they brown and get rich and caramelized
• Put the walnuts in a blender or food processor and pulse until the texture of ground meat
• Add the tomatoes, spices and soy sauce to the onions, simmer for a few minutes
• Stir in the walnuts until they are heated through but not overcooked
• Adjust the seasonings, turn off the flame, use as you would any chili or taco filling

For extra credit, use lettuce leaves instead of taco shells to freshen this dish up, lower calories, and add more phytonutrients.