Three Bean Chili - Put to the "Gas" Test

- THREE BEAN CHILI -

I saw this recipe in Terry Walters "Clean Food" Cookbook that I recently bought and thought it looked good. Many people are apprehensive of eating beans (legumes) because of their gaseous side effects. This chili, however, features something called kombu which is supposed to tenderize and help to reduce the beans' unpleasant side effects.

What is kombu, you ask? When I asked my husband and sons they replied - a leaf, a root or seaweed. My son Andrew, guessed seaweed (sea vegetable) and that is the correct answer! Below is a picture of what it looks like:

Some of the many health benefits of beans: they are great for stabilizing blood sugar levels, high in protein, soluble and insoluble fiber. They contain the most fiber of any vegetable.

1 thumb-size piece of kombu 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves 2 onions, chopped,

2 green bell peppers, diced 4 cups chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup tomato paste 1/4 cup red wine

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon cumin

2 tablespoons chile powder 6-8 drops hot sauce

1/4 teaspoon cayenne 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 cups cooked black beans 1 1/2 cups cooked aduki beans

1 1/2 cups cooked pinto beans Water or vegetable stock as needed

Garnishes: chopped scallion, shredded soy or rice cheese, tofu, etc.

Place kombu in bowl with enough water to cover and soak 10 minutes or until soft. Drain, mince and set aside.

In large pot over medium heat, saute garlic and onion in olive oil 3 minutes or until soft. Add green peppers and saute 2 minutes more. Add chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, oregano, cumin, chile powder, hot sauce, cayenne and salt. Add cooked beans and kombu, stir to combine and simmer at least 45 minutes. Add vegetable stock as needed to thin. Garnish as desired. Serves 6.

My boys need a little more protein, so I added bison meat. They loved this chili!

We put this recipe to the test when we went to church later that night and it just so happened to be a mass for "healing of the sick" so of course the church was packed. Well, the kombu seemed to work for three of the four of us. Thank you Jesus, we got out of that service without leaving our mark.

Whether you have digestive upsets due to foods, emotions, health conditions or aging - Shaklee has a product called EZ-Gest that can help. EZ-Gest has multiple enzymes (compared to popular single-function digestive aids) that help with digestive support. I use this product when I have heavy meals. Enjoy!