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Quick & Easy Chili at Home

Daylight savings time has us falling back and the sun is setting earlier. Days are getting darker, nights are getting colder and we’re moving through Fall quickly, on our way to Winter. The change of seasons and weather provides us the opportunity to cook different dishes in order to keep our bodies warm and even capitalize on different foods that are in season. One food that you can make all year round is chili, but there’s something special about having a warm bowl on a cold night.

We’ve presented loads of different recipes on the blog, in different forms. Sometimes we use recipe cards; sometimes we don’t. Sometimes we use lots and lots of work; sometimes we don’t. One thing we always want to do is include lots of delicious pictures, but this time around, we’re going to use these pictures as the recipe.

During (nearly) every stage of the cooking process, we’re going to show you a picture and only provide a brief description as to what is going on. Since we’re not baking, precise measurements aren’t as important, and since we’re making chili, there aren’t any complex techniques. Plus, the most important thing to remember is that this is YOUR chili, and you should adjust the seasoning to make your mouth and tummy happy. (If you want to throw some serious heat in there, go for it!)

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Red wine
  • Vegetable stock
  • Potatoes, cut into chunks 
  • Fresh or canned tomatoes 
  • Seasoning like oregano, paprika, and salt & pepper
  • Beans
  • Fat, such as butter
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Step 1: Caramelize onions and garlic in a stockpot.

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Fuel Your Mornings with Optimum Nutrition

We know, we know. Years ago, we told you to stick to a high-quality product from a reputable company and use it as an anchor in your diet so that you can make sure you get enough protein without taking in too many calories. Well, years have passed and you’ve made progress, but at this point, you sure could use some relief from that same morning protein smoothie that you have. Luckily, Optimum Nutrition has perfect timing and a new product that is exactly what you might be looking for.

Well… actually, they have two new products. Whey & Oats has a larger serving size with more calories and protein than the Greek Yogurt Protein Smoothie, but neither of these products are high in the sugar/carb or fat departments. They walk that fine line of trying to fill you up in the morning so you’re not reaching for snacks all day without leaving you so stuffed and weighed down that you just want to go back to bed.

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Simple Summer Recipes with Al Fresco

Of course we know what you’re thinking! After all these years, we have a pretty good idea what you’re looking for…Summer recipes on (nearly) the last day of Summer… isn’t it?! Really?! Well… don’t fret too much. It’s an idea you probably haven’t had before but what if some delicious Summer-inspired recipes could be replicated inside your home. Sure, it might be too cool or too windy to fire up the grill, but you don’t need to! After all, when you use your noggin, we all know that anything is possible.

Hot Dogs can (and often do) sketch a lot of people out. We’ve all heard the horror stories about what exactly is in that hot dog, but instead of opting for a Hot Dog in a Bun, turn things a lot fresher and a little more fun with this healthier sausage based twist. Honestly, there’s only one thing you’ll need since it is the base of this concept and that is…Sausage.

Now, we’re pretty darn particular when it comes to grocery store sausage offerings so we’re going with Al Fresco’s for a few reasons.

1. You can’t find it in every grocery, so it’s just a touch on the higher end. (Which is a good thing!)

2. It is easy to remove the “casing” from the sausage, which we’re going to do to help cook it.

3. It tastes good! That means… flavor and texture. It basically makes your mouth dance a little.

Here is the “recipe” for this dish, which is going to be more of a “how-to” since we want you to do the hard part!

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4th of July Dessert: Cannoli Dip

Independence Day (or July 4th…or 4th of July) is TOMORROW! Do you have something that you’re going to bring to that BBQ or party? No?! Well good thing you found us because I have a 4th of July-themed dessert that takes under ten minutes (perhaps under five minutes if you don’t diddle daddle in the kitchen like me). Who doesn’t love a cannoli? You know, the Italian dessert of creamy middle surrounded by pastry? It kind of looks like a rounded dessert taco. Anyhow, it’s one of our favorite desserts here at Hungry & Fit. However, we don’t have the time to make the dough, cook the pastry in its perfect shape, and then pipe the filling in. Let’s just skip to the good stuff–the filling!

I was watching The Kitchen one day on Food Network and the Sandwich King (Jeff Mauro) made this recipe. I changed it up a little bit and subtracted some sugar so that you can have a sweet treat for this 4th of July. Feel free to get creative with the toppings. I made it as red, white, blue as I could!

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Sharky’s: A Local Chain We Can Get Behind

You know… there’s something special about chains. There’s this attraction to Subway and McDonald’s. No matter where you are, you feel that magnetism around something familiar and it draws you in. Whether we’re driving cross-country or I’m studying in Korea, I know that there is something I like here, but dang, do I feel bad eating it. Imagine there were chains with that sense of familiarity and comfort, that you didn’t feel bad visiting? 

Fortunately for all of us, those chains are emerging and while they might not have 100 billions customers served yet, they’re steadily growing. One of those chains, for those of us in Los Angeles is Sharky’s. In short, Sharky’s provides you with healthy and delicious Mexican food options so that you can enjoy all of the classics at their many convenient locations, without worrying about eating unhealthy. 

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Easy Protein Ball Recipe

Yesss! Another easy, delicious protein recipe! These are some of my favorite snacks. I snagged this protein ball recipe from Carrots n Cake, one of my favorite fitness bloggers. I love this protein ball recipe because it’s customizable. You can use any protein powder you want, you can add any spice you desire, you can add hemp seeds, or almond butter, or whatever! Then, you just keep them in the fridge and they’re a great quick pop-in-the-mouth snack. This helps keep you away from the unhealthy snacks. People usually eat unhealthy snacks because they tend to be a lot easier. Sometimes, healthy snacks take a while to make, or you really have to think about it, or it’s inconvenient. Having this in the fridge can be a lifesaver!

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5 Healthy Snacks to Have at Home

Here at the Hungry & Fit household, we know that what you put in your pantry is what you will put in your stomach. That’s why we typically don’t stock junk in the house. However, we are HUNGRY and Fit, and let me tell you, I get hungry very often. So, instead of yelling hangrily at Hungry, we always have a healthy stock of snacks at home. We go through lots of different snacks, but here are some of our favorites:

Snacks for the whole family!

Snacks for the whole family!

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LA’s Best Burger and Fries? (Humble Potato Review)

It’s a very dangerous game at play when you declare that your goal is to go out to eat every week at a different place. Why? Because temptation. Desire. Lust, if you will. While fighting off all of those primal feelings, and avoiding ordering our favorite pizza, we ventured into areas surrounding Culver City to find new eateries. Why? Maybe we were feeling adventurous or maybe we thought we’d been slacking as food bloggers. Either way… this happened.

Stumble to Humble. I can’t remember how this happened. I think we were wandering around Washington, knowing that it is full of amazing eateries. While Humble Potato wasn’t on our list before, despite a very chilly meal there, it is now. Why? Because they have the best burger and fries in LA. But don’t take my word for it; we want you to go and tell us if you think we’re out of our minds. (We already know that we are!)

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