KT Cooked It: Bean-Free Chili

I'm sure that many of you are thinking at least one of the following: (1) why chili three days before Thanksgiving? And (2) why "bean-free"?

Answers. First, my preceptor was telling me today about how she made chili over the weekend, which turned into a lively discussion about soups and such being one of the great parts about the cold weather. Second, I try not to eat grains or beans because I've found over years of searching for the ideal nutrition to fuel my strength, endurance and physique goals that following the general guidelines of the Paleo diet works best for me.

On that note, I decided to make my favorite chili for dinner! This is an original recipe that I've perfected over the past year, and now I'm going to share it with you!

What you need:

2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped 

1 large green pepper, seeded and chopped

1 large red pepper, seeded and chopped

1 large orange pepper, seeded and chopped

1/4 of a large red onion, chopped 

1lb lean ground beef

28oz can of diced, stewed tomatoes

1cup chicken or vegetable broth

1 Tbl chili powder

1/2 Tbl cumin

1/2 Tbl garlic salt

1/2 Tbl onion powder

1/2 Tbl cinnamon

1/2 Tbl cocoa powder

1 tsp paprika

First, pour the can of tomatoes into a large pot with the vegetable broth over medium-high heat. 

Next, chop your sweet potatoes into small pieces and add them to the pot with the simmering tomatoes. 

While the tomatoes and sweet potatoes are getting warm, chop up your remaining vegetables and sautee them with a little coconut oil over high heat in a skillet until they are tender. Once tender, add them to your pot. 

Then, brown the ground beef and then add the beef to the pot. I don't drain my meat; I add the meat with the oil from the meat that is in the skillet. 

After mixing everything together, I added my seasonings as above. Of course you can change the amount that you add. These are simply the measurements of spices that I've found to work for me. Also, I know that cocoa powder and cinnamon may seem odd, but they really give the chili a kick!

Once you've added the spices, mix your chili and let it sit on medium to medium-high heat for at least 30 minutes to allow the potatoes to get nice and tender while the seasonings blend together.

Mmmm, yummy! Of course you can add beans if you like beans, or you can take out the meat if you follow a vegetarian diet. Chili is versatile. And delicious :)

Enjoy!