OK OK OK... it may be true... I recently took the plunge and have been going a little MORE Paleo these days; and NOT because I am on some sort of "diet" or anything like that. {EWWWW I dislike that word!} If you find yourself asking, what the freak is that "P" word?!?!! Don't worry, I had NO idea what it was when I first saw it either and quite honestly, I thought "great, another DIET".... until I researched, read and understood. Paleo is a way of eating like our ancestors (eat WHOLE foods, unprocessed, nutrient DENSE, nourishing foods. AVOID foods that cause inflammation! BUUUUUUUT, lets save the whole Paleo explanation for another post.) I am doing it because I like the idea of eating WHOLE FOODS that come from the Earth and not something that is processed or designed to alter the tastes so that we like it. Am I perfect, NOPE. Am I trying, YUP.

I made this Paleo Chili and although it WAS super delicious and super EASY to make, it was more of a Meat Sauce rather than a Chili because there are NO beans in it--- YES, Paleo = NO BEANS! So if you are here expecting beans, ya better skip this one. All in all, use it as a Chili OR as a meat sauce cause its still YUMMO!

PALEO CHILI (I used a Crock Pot aka Slow Coooker)

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground meat (I used 99% fat-free turkey and 94% lean ground beef)
3 cloves garlic, chopped (I buy the FROZEN cubes from Whole Foods)
1 cup onion, chopped
4 cups zucchini, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
15 ounce can tomato puree
3 Tablespoons Chili Powder
2 Teaspoons Ground Cumin
2 Teaspoons Oregano
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
·1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional for serving and is NOT Paleo so pick your battles... haha)

Directions:

In your crock pot aka slow cooker, dump ALL ingredients (NOT CHEESE) in and mix well. (If you do NOT have a slow cooker or prefer to use the stove-top, prepare in the order listed--- aka brown the meat, add the veggies, cook, add seasonings, simmer for a few hours or until cooked well.)
Cook on LOW heat for 8-10 hours; stirring towards the last hours.
Serve with a little cheese on top.
Serve and ENJOY!

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!