Three-Day Wheat Chili

Makes approx. 5 gallons of chili (if you are going to put three days of work into it, you’ll want something to show for it)

The Story Behind The Recipe
I had eaten wheat chili before. My mother had tried a recipe someone had given her, and I liked it. It was really more of a curiosity than a serious recipe for me, though.

One day, a close friend and co-worker was given a health warning by his doctor, concerning his weight and his heart. He needed something healthy, but with flavor he could enjoy. I knew of the health benefits of whole grains, as well as the benefits of peppers for the heart, so I set about turning a basic, curiosity of a recipe, into a heart-healthy dish that is enjoyable to eat. It took two years of experimenting, but it was worth it.

Put 2 pounds of “Whole Soft Wheat Berries” in a large bowl. Add 6-8 cups of filtered water, and cover. Keep at room temperature. Drain and replace water about once every two hours (if you don’t, your wheat will ferment, and ruin your chili). Place wheat in the refrigerator when you go to bed.

NOTE: You can skip the next step if you are going to cheat, and use canned tomato juice. Be warned, however, that even the low sodium juice will add significant salt to your chili, and may affect the end result.

Fill a 5 gallon pot about 1/3 full with peeled tomatos (cut as small as you can manage). I recommend the larger tomatos (non-beefsteak varieties), that have more juice and less flesh for this stage, since you are going to be cooking it down into juice anyway. Add 4 cups of filtered water, and cover. Simmer on medium-low heat for 4-6 hours, stirring occasionally. If you use a fleshier tomato, you may need to mash through your tomatos as they cook down (a potato masher is nice if you have one). You won’t need to do this with the juicier tomatos.

Reduce heat to low, and continue simmering until you are ready to go to bed. Turn off heat. You can safely leave on the stove until morning.

Turn the heat back on to low heat. You will keep it here all day, and will need to stir occasionally to prevent burning at the bottom of your pot.

Peel and finely chop about 2 pounds of carrots, and add them to the pot. Ordinary carrots from the supermarket are fine. I personally prefer fresh, organic carrots for their richer flavor and water content.

Add two envelopes of Lowery’s Chili Seasoning. (Some people may believe that this is technically cheating, but I just haven’t had the time to perfect my own spice mix) Optionally, you can also add a teaspoon of ginger powder.

Wash peppers and remove the seeds. (all but the Habanero and Serrano peppers) Chop finely, and add to the pot. I use a variety of peppers to get a rich flavor. There are hundreds of varieties of peppers, so feel free to experiment. Here are the peppers I use:

2 x Green Bell Peppers
2 x Red Bell Peppers
1 x Yellow Bell Pepper
3 x Anaheim Peppers
6 x Green Jalapeno Peppers
4 x Red Jalapeno Peppers (if you can’t find red, just use more green)
2 x Serrano Peppers (save for day 3)
1 x Habanero Pepper (save for day 3)

Don’t forget to continue stirring occasionally, all day. You don’t want it to burn. Keep the pot covered when not stirring or adding ingredients.

About midway through the day, drain your wheat berries, and add them to the pot.

Cut (as small as you can handle) and add about 4 large beefsteak tomatos. Fleshy tomatos are good at this stage.

When you are ready to go to bed, turn off heat. You can again safely leave on the stove until morning.

NOTE: Find some disposable rubber or latex gloves. I recommend washing your hands with the gloves on to ensure that the gloves are clean, and don’t have any powdery residue on them. You will be handling the hotter peppers today. I didn’t use gloves once, and my hands lost all sense of touch for three days, but felt like they were on fire the whole time. Get the gloves!

Turn heat back to low, and continue to stir occasionally to prevent burning.

Wash remaining peppers, and remove seeds. Cut these SUPER FINE, and add to the pot.

Now chop and add your onions. Again, I like to use a variety (I use about 3.5” diameter onions. Adjust the quantity as needed.). Feel free to experiment, but here are my recommendations:

2 x Large Yellow Onions
2 x Large Red Onions
1 x Large Black Onion

NOTE: Technically, a Black Onion is an aged Red Onion (not rotten). They darken to a nearly-black, purple color as they begin to dry and age. I like to use them in my chili because they bring a little sharper flavor. You know you have a really good one if the onion springs open when you start cutting it. If you don’t know how to select a good Black Onion, without getting a rotten onion, just substitute a Red Onion.

Finally, cut up another 2-3 beefsteak tomatos and add to the pot.

I don’t bother with meat in this chili, because I think it has plenty of flavor and texture, but if you want meat, this is the time to put it in.

Simmer another 2-4 hours on low heat.

Your chili can now be eaten, but it will taste even better the next day.

Wheat is composed of basically three parts: the bran, the germ, and the endosperm. Most whole wheat products you buy at the supermarket, aren’t really the whole wheat, it is usually missing the germ. Processed grain and flour has had both the bran and the germ removed.

The bran is the outside layer of the grain, and is a rich source of many vitamins and minerals like magnesium, riboflavin, thiamin, phosphorus, niacin, iron and zinc. Almost all of the fiber within the grain comes from the bran.

The germ is the part of the grain that a new plant would sprout from if you were to plant it. It is a concentrated source of vitamin E, magnesium, riboflavin, thiamin, phosphorus, niacin, iron and zinc. The germ also contains some fat, and more protein than most meats. Wheat germ has been found to be very effective in controlling and losing weight.

The endosperm contains starch, and a very small amount of vitamins.

Hot-pepper ingredient slows cancer in mice

Capsaicin, the compound that gives hot chili peppers their zip, kills cancer cells in a test tube and slows the growth of pancreatic and prostate cancers in mice, two studies show.
A University of Pittsburgh Medical School team led by biochemist Sanjay K. Srivastava implanted pancreatic tumor cells from people into mice. The same day, some of the mice began receiving oral doses of capsaicin while the others got saline solution.
After 38 days, tumors in the capsaicin group were half the size of the tumors in the mice getting saline.
Although spicy, the capsaicin didn't cause any gastrointestinal problems, says Srivastava.
In a similar study, researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and the University of California, Los Angeles implanted human prostate-tumor tissue in mice. Some of the animals subsequently received capsaicin orally while others didn't. After 4 weeks, the tumors in mice getting the capsaicin were only one-fourth the size of tumors in the other mice, the scientists report in the March 15 Cancer Research.
The findings are provocative because this particular prostate cancer came from "quite an aggressive cell line;' says study coauthor James O'Kelly, a pathologist. "But we're not advocating that people start eating a lot of hot peppers to treat their prostate cancer;' he says.
Both teams of researchers became interested in capsaicin after Japanese researchers reported 5 years ago that the compound killed leukemia cells in test tubes. Similar lab tests by Srivastava's group indicate that capsaicin induces suicide by tumor cells, while O'Kelly and his colleagues found signs that the compound stifled cell proliferation in some tests and induced cell suicide in others.

-- American Association for Cancer Research Washington, D.C.

Seven Benefits of Capsaicin

• Fight Cancer
A study published in Cancer Research found that capsaicin caused cancer cells to commit suicide. The substance caused almost 80 percent of prostate cancer cells to die in mice, and prostate tumors treated with capsaicin were about one-fifth the size of those in untreated mice.
"Capsaicin inhibits the growth of human prostate cancer cells in petri dishes and mice," says lead researcher Dr. H. Phillip Koeffler, director of hematology and oncology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and a professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Further, researchers say capsaicin pills may one day be used to prevent the return of prostate cancer.

• Provide Pain Relief
A topical form of capsaicin is a recognized treatment for osteoarthritis pain, and may also help alleviate pain from diabetic neuropathy.
Capsaicin is also known to inhibit Substance P, a neuropeptide that is the key transmitter of pain to the brain. Substance P can cause swelling of nerve fibers, which may result in headaches and sinus symptoms. Studies have found that capsaicin both relieves and prevents cluster headaches, migraine headaches and sinus headaches.

• Prevent Sinusitis and Relieve Congestion
Capsaicin has potent antibacterial properties that fight and prevent chronic sinus infections, or sinusitis. Because it is so hot, it also helps to stimulate secretions that help clear mucus from your nose, thereby relieving nasal congestion. This phytochemical may also help relieve sinus-related allergy symptoms.

• Fight Inflammation
Capsaicin is a potent anti-inflammatory agent. It works by inhibiting Substance P, which is associated with inflammatory processes. Capsaicin is being looked at as a potential treatment for arthritis, psoriasis and diabetic neuropathy.

• Soothe Intestinal Diseases
A Duke University study found that capsaicin may lead to a cure for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The substance can also help to kill bacteria such as H. pylori, which can help prevent stomach ulcers.

• Burn Fat and Lose Weight
Capsaicin is a thermogenic agent, which means it increases metabolic activity. This, in turn, helps to burn calories and fat. Many popular "fat-burning" supplements on the market contain capsaicin, as the substance may significantly increase metabolic activity for over 20 minutes after it's eaten.

• Protect Your Heart
Capsaicin may help to protect the heart by reducing cholesterol, triglycerides and platelet aggregation. It may also help the body dissolve fibrin, which is necessary for blood clots to form. Further, cultures around the world that use hot peppers liberally in their meals have significantly lower rates of heart attack and stroke than cultures that do not.

-- www.SixWise.com