ACHOO! chili

ACHOO! chili

How about getting some immunity-boosting help from your dinner? Foods rich in vitamins A, C and E, plus zinc can help fight off your next cold — and can help soothe its symptoms if you do catch a bug. The red peppers, chili powder, carrots, sunflower seeds and parsley in this recipe provide the vitamin power. Grass-fed beef and mushrooms pack the zinc. The allicin in garlic is a potent antioxidant, but it works best when garlic is raw, so stir it in at the end.

1 1/2 pounds grass-fed lean ground beef
1 medium red or yellow onion, diced
1 Tbls. dried parsley
2 Tbls. chili powder
2 cups chopped carrots
2 large red peppers, chopped
2 cups sliced white or cremini mushrooms
1 32-oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 – 2 cup water or vegetable broth (or more if desired)
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbls. minced fresh garlic
Fresh parsley
1 cup sunflower seeds
Cayenne pepper sauce (optional)

In a large soup pot, saute the onions and carrots in 2 tablespoons of water until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, about 7 minutes more. Stir in the red pepper, parsley, chili powder and mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms begin to give up their water. Add the crushed tomatoes and water, adjusting water to the consistency you like. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the peppers soften. Add the salt and stir in the raw garlic. Serve, topping with chopped fresh parsley, sunflower seeds, and a few shakes of cayenne pepper sauce, if desired.