Paleo Chili

So far this Paleo diet has not been easy. I have found myself not complying with the rules of Paleo a few times, craving sugar and occasionally giving in to those craving. I have various personal reasons for why I think I am struggling with this but whats most important to me is that I don't sweat it and keep trying. Because after all this is an experiment for me, I want to see if I feel different, have more energy or less, if I perform better in my workouts, if I loose weight, gain weight. I might end up loving it and eat this way forever or I may end up saying its not for me. The main thing to remember is not to let a "diet" run your life, don't give it too much energy. Your goal with any food you decide to have in your diet for the most part should  be eat as much as you need to maintain strength, energy, activity levels and a healthy body weight. (I say "for the most part" because I am a "foodie" and love the mere pleasure of food) In the end if you give the diet too much power over you, you are no better off than you were when you started.  

Quoted by Coach Scott Abel

	http://www.scottabel.com

The diet-mentality can never work because its sole/soul focus is of pain/pleasure - which itself creates emotional tension - and emotional tension always seeks relief. So, when you reward yourself with food or pig out - the pleasure is instant but the pain is delayed, and you know it, so it creates emotional tension - Then when you try to compensate and eat less, the pain is instant and the pleasure is delayed, but you need it, and this creates emotional tension - So, the result of both scenarios is emotional tension. And since emotional tension always seeks relief, then the reality math of this can NEVER work. The diet-mentality is THE PROBLEM, NOT THE SOLUTION

If you  decided to start a new eating plan/diet do it for the right reasons and find something that works for you and that you can maintain for life.

When I did a search I discovered there are a ton of Paleo Chili recipes. So many of them look delicious, so many of them don't. On this new Paleo journey I have discovered there's a lot of Paleo recipes that look like dog food, I am going to try my best not to end up in the Paleo dog food category :)

I found a couple different versions of something similar to the one I have posted here. I  took somethings from others, left somethings out, added my own etc...It turned out delicious, the spices add so much depth and really make it something different from your ordinary chili. It somewhat reminded me of the flavorings of a type of mole sauce. I hope you do the same with mine and find away to make it your own as well...after all that is where so much of the JOY of COOKING comes from...SALUTE 

CHILI

2 lbs ground beef or ground turkey

1 onion diced

1 green pepper diced

1 small squash diced (butternut, acorn, pumpkin)

1 jalapeno small dice

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 tablespoon coconut butter or fat of choice

1 cup chicken/beef stock

2 cans fire roasted tomatoes

¼ cup tomato paste

½ can coconut milk

 

1/1/2 tbsp curry

1 tbsp chili powder

½ tablespoon cumin

½ tablespoon paprika

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cocoa powder

1tsp garam masala

AVOCADO CREAM

2 avocados

1 tsp coriander

Zest of one orange

2 oranges juiced

Heat a large soup pot over medium high heat with a tablespoon coconut butter or fat of your choice . Add the beef and let it brown. This should take 5-8 minutes.

While you’re browning your beef  chop your vegetables and make your spice mixture. In a medium bowl, mix up all the spices. Brown the beef first so you can use the fat that renders out to cook the vegetables. Using a slotted spoon remove the beef and place in the spice mixture bowl…leaving the fat in the pot.

Add your diced onion, green peppers, and jalapeno. Let those two saute for a few minutes (3-4) stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Add your diced pumpkin.

Cover and cook about another 8-10  minutes, stirring occasionally until the pumpkin begins to get tender (check with a fork). Add the rest of ingredients and the beef/spice mixture. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer to let all the flavors develop.  Remember that chili is best when it's had some time on the stove, mine sat for an hour on low.

For the Avocado Cream

Add all ingredients to food processor and blend until smooth ( Don't be confused by the ninja and sifter I had to grind up my own coriander since I only had it in whole form)