Like everything we do at Functional Self, our recipes have been designed to help you achieve your optimal state. The foods we eat impact our energy levels, mood and cognitive ability, as well as supporting a healthy gut microbiome. We wanted to create a recipe series that focuses on nutrient-dense real foods that will help you reach your highest level of health and vitality. Functional Self recipes are packed full of nourishing ingredients and will help to provide a clear path ahead for clean eating, regardless of your starting off point. 

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Meat & Five Veg Chilli 

• Level: Easy-moderate
• Time: 45 minutes
• Makes: 4 servings

This beef chilli is full of vegetables and full of flavour! There are five vegetables in this recipe - tomato, carrot, garlic, onion and courgette, plus herbs and spices, and it tastes a treat.  

If you find that you react to nightshades, try omitting the tomato passata and add more bone broth, which gives a lovely richness and ups the nourishment factor.  You may need to go easy on the paprika, chilli powder and spices too, depending on your sensitivity to nightshades.   

Serve with cauliflower rice to provide an extra serving of vege. It is also lovely in lettuce cups, with vegetable noodles or a sweet jacket potato. Perfect for batch cooking, simply freeze in portions, defrost and then reheat for a quick dinner.  

Ingredients 

• 500g minced beef 
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped 
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano 
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 4 dried bay leaves
• 400ml bone broth (or water/stock)
• 600ml tomato passata
• 1 teaspoon sea / himalayan pink salt
• 100g coarsley grated courgette
• 100g coarsely grated carrot
• Handful chopped coriander

METHOD 

1. Prep all the ingredients first (it makes the rest of the process so much easier). 

2. Heat the coconut oil in a large pan. Add the onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, smoked paprika, chilli powder, bay leaves, cinammon sticks and salt and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring continuously. 

3. Break up the mince and add to the pan. Alternatively break up the mince in the pan with a spatula. Cook for 5 minutes then stir in the passata, and bone broth (or stock/water). 

4. Increase the heat and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for a minimum of 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours for really intense flavour. Stir occasionally and keep a check on the liquid level. Tip: If it looks like it is drying out add a little water. If it looks too watery then take the lid off the pan so some liquid can evaporate so you have a really unctuous bowl of chilli to devour.  

5. Approximately 10 minutes before you finish cooking, remove the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves and stir in the grated carrots and courgette. Make the cauliflower rice or other accompaniment.  

6. To serve add a sprinkle of fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime.  

Enjoy!