Cuban-Style Picadillo Chili

I love food that comes from many different cultures around the world. My tastes vary from Asian cuisine to Ethiopian and all the way down to South America. One of the most interesting food cultures can be found in Cuba, where they always put a unique spin on everything they do! I found the original recipe on Ziplist for Turkey Picadillo Quinoa Chili and adapted it to what I had on hand. It turned out amazing! I would make it again in a heartbeat. I love Cuban cuisine and am no stranger to a good picadillo, this one combines sweet, salty and savory in a well balanced easy to make chili that is hearty and healthy for the whole family. Which means my 9-month old daughter devoured it like it was going out of style. I must admit, though, that she has good taste.

Cuban-Style Picadillo Chili

2 Tbsp. EVOO
1 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small to medium zucchini, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground chipotle chili powder
3 cups beef stock
1/2 cup uncooked organic quinoa, rinsed
1-28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup sliced green olives, rinsed
1/4 cup raisins
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
Optional toppings: chopped cilantro, chopped avocado, grated cheddar cheese, etc.

In a large dutch oven, add half the EVOO and cook the ground beef (or any ground meat you have on hand) until cooked through and no longer pink. Remove to a separate dish and set aside. Add the onion, red pepper and zucchini with the remaining EVOO and cook until softened, adding the garlic during the last minute, so it doesn't burn. Add the spices and stir around until it smells AMAZING (about 1 minute). Then add the beef stock and the quinoa. Cover, reduce the heat to low and set simmer 15 minutes. Add the beef back to the pot, along with the tomatoes, olives, and raisins. Bring just to a boil and reduce heat to low, and allow it to simmer a few minutes. Add the tomato paste if you want a thicker chili, or leave it out if you like a looser chili. Serve with the optional toppings and nice fresh, soft bakery buns.

You could also serve this over rice, or use it as a filling for stuffed peppers, in tacos or in pastry like homemade empanadas. Possibilities are endless with a a creative mind. It is also incredibly easy to make into a vegetarian chili by omitting the beef, adding 1 cup of chopped cremini mushrooms and substituting the beef stock for veggie stock. I made the vegetarian version of this for my brother and he loved it!

The Case For Buying Organic

Most of us are aware of the ongoing debate of organic vs. non-organic. I hear from other moms all the time: 'we can't afford to eat organic' or 'that's just a load of hooey'. I, for one, believe that to make sure my children can be the healthiest they can possibly grow up to be, I must start somewhere. I started by taking baby steps: every time I went grocery shopping I would try a new organic product. This went on for about a year, and now we drink organic milk (tastes WAY better), eat organic fresh fruits and vegetables, honey, pasta, tomato sauce, tortilla chips, salsa, sour cream, juice, and the list goes on. The more people buy organic, the more the market swings in that direction and the prices come down.

I look back about 5-6 years ago, when my son was a toddler, as a single mom I couldn't even fathom buying organic. It was so expensive! "6 DOLLARS FOR AN APPLE!?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!"  But now it's approximately 1 dollar for an organic apple (or cheaper if you buy in bulk from online distributors, such as SPUD.ca). It's simple economics, supply and demand if you will.

I borrowed an interesting cookbook from the library a few weeks ago, titled Everyday Flexitarian. This is a wonderful cookbook. It can be broken down for Vegetarian and Meat-lovers alike in a single recipe. In the forward, the author, Nettie Cronish, explains why it is important to eat organic. (She gets her information from the Organic Consumers Association):

• Organic foods contain higher levels of beta carotene, vitamins C, D and E, and essential minerals.
• Organic foods are free of food additives (such as colour dyes), flavour enhancers (like MSG), artificial sweeteners (like aspartame and high-fructose corn syrup), contaminants (like mercury), and preservatives (like sodium nitrate).
• Organic animals are drug free: they are not given antibiotics, growth hormones, arsenic or genetically modified vaccines; they are not fed slaughterhouse waste, blood or even manure (chicken manure is reportedly used sometimes as a supplement to a cow's diet), thus eliminating the risk of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, aka mad cow disease.
• More than 400 chemical pesticides are used in conventional farming, and residues remain on or within the cell walls of produce even after washing. Children are especially vulnerable to pesticide exposure.
• Organic food is not genetically modified.

Now, if money were not a factor would you choose organic or non-organic foods? Now that we know what is lurking at the supermarket, can we really ignore the facts that things like dyes, aspartame, HFCS and nitrates are going into our children's mouths? ONLY WE CAN INITIATE CHANGE. Nothing will change unless we do it first.

Do it like I did, in baby steps. Here is my 3-step guide to getting your family eating healthier, more beneficial foods:

1. OBSERVE:  Next time you need to go buy groceries, just observe. See what kinds of organics are available at your local supermarket and what the price difference is. Some supermarkets such as Loblaws (Superstore, Extra Foods, No Frills, etc.) are actively trying to keep the price of organics within a reasonable range of the non-organics. They do this to encourage people to buy organic even if it's not in their budget. For example, today at my local Superstore regular bananas are $0.77/lb and organic bananas are $0.97/lb. Only a few cents difference! Even if you're buying a crap load of bananas, it's only a $1 difference for 5 lbs of organic bananas.
2. ACT:  Once you know what is available, buy it. Start with just fruits, or just vegetables. It can be daunting when you realize just how much organics are out there. If you start small it will be easier. Organic apples are the best fruit to start with, and any other thin-skinned fruits as they soak up pesticides like a sponge. Even washing only gets rid of the stuff they spray on right after they're picked. The chemicals they spray on fruit while its growing is ingrained into the cell walls forever. Yum...
3. MAINTAIN:  Once you're on a roll, all you have to do is maintain. If you run out of ketchup, go buy some organic ketchup. Heinz even makes organic ketchup now.

See? Once you get going, it's as simple as 1, 2, 3. My family eats about 60-70% organic now. We will eventually be moving into the organic, grass-fed meats department. But this is our final step in the organic process. Look for this logo on certified organic Canadian products: 

Another great step to take is to plant a garden. I have a 10' x 10' plot in our local community garden (that's 100 square feet of gardening space!) and I purchase organic seeds online. This helps cut down our grocery bill in the summertime. The other day, I pulled at least 5-6 lbs of green and yellow beans, 2 lbs. potatoes, 8 large beets, a handful of fresh peas and a nice handful of cilantro (ALL  FOR FREE!). We had a feast to say the least. I encourage you to start your own organic garden, either in your own backyard or find a community garden in your town or city. The internet is full of information for brand-new gardeners. Even if you don't have a green thumb, you can grow a garden, trust me: the sun and the rain do most of the work.

Follow my blog here and I will continue to post tips for buying organic and also delicious recipes for you to try in your own kitchen.