Never Too Hot For Chili

I got home yesterday, quickly ran out the door for my 33 minute run (to add to my 30 minutes of weights and 40 minute walk) and the whole time I was running in the 77 degree heat, all I could think about was the chili I was going to make for dinner. I had some organic ground beef, veggies, and tomato stuff...that's all I needed.

I still had about 20 minutes to make up to get to my 120 minutes of exercise for the challenge, so after dinner I spent well over an hour pulling staples out of the floor. We just tore carpet out of our bedroom, and the staples remain. It is a lot harder than it sounds!

The chili was so good, I kept returning to the kitchen for spoon fulls while it cooled. Luckily, I saved just enough to have for my lunch today.

Caveman Chili

1 large onion (I prefer sweet onion, like walla walla)
1 green bell pepper
2 large carrots
3 stalks green onion
2-3 cloves garlic
1 pound ground beef
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp sea salt
fresh ground pepper

Chop onion and garlic. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pot/stockpot. When the oil is warmed up, add the onion, garlic, and some grinds of fresh pepper. While the onion is softening, chop up the green pepper, carrots, and green onion, add to pan. Cook the veggies for 5-7 minutes, just till they are cooked, but not totally soft. Add the ground beef, and a few more turns ground pepper. Once the beef is nearly cooked, add the can of diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Fill the empty diced tomato can with water and add to the pot. You may need to add an additional can full if the chili is thick. The chili will thicken up as it cooks further, so you don't want it to be at chili consistency right away. Add the 2 bay leaves, chili powder, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper. Turn the burner down below medium and let simmer for 10-15 minutes, until all the flavors have incorporated, and it has thickened a bit.

Don't blame me if you end up eating this all at once.