Slow Simmered Beef Chili

Allow me to put this out to the public: I fucking love chili. I am a spice-a-holic and have been perfecting my chili recipe for quite some time now. I do have a vegetarian black bean chili posted earlier this year: http://foodwithatwiss.blogspot.ca/2013/01/vegetarian-black-bean-chili.html. The recipe is quite similar, only this one has beef in it because as we all know, meat is the most important food group. Also, if you have ever been to Texas, you would know they never add beans to their chili - it's meat and tomato-based sauce with seasonings and it's better that way. I do like to cram as many fresh veggies into every recipe as I can, so there will be some listed.

Slow Simmered Beef Chili:

Yields: 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb ground beef (I use 80% lean ground chuck for this recipe)
1 28oz can diced tomato
1 28oz can crushed tomato
1 6oz can tomato paste

1 large green pepper, diced
1 red onion, diced
4-6 cloves garlic
2 C chopped crimini mushrooms
1 small zucchini, diced

1/3 C chili powder
3 T unsweetened cocoa powder - I will never make chili without this! it's my secret ingredient, be glad that I let you in on it *wink wink*
1 T paprika
2.5 T dried oregano
3 T cumin
3/4 t cayenne (add more or use less depending on your spice preference)

Directions:

In a large stock pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add green pepper and onion. Saute until tender-crisp and onion is translucent. Add garlic, mushrooms and zucchini, sweat veggies until everything is soft and fragrant. Transfer to a dish and set aside.

Break beef into small chunks and brown well. Drain fat from pot, but not all of it - the fat has so much flavor in it, you can't throw all of it away! Return the cooked veggies to the browned beef. Add seasoning and mix well for 2 minutes.

Add diced & crushed tomato and tomato paste to the beef mixture. Bring to a boil and mix thoroughly. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 2-2.5 hours, remove lid for the last hour of simmering. Taste your chili every half hour as the flavor from the spices will increase as it cooks.

Serve over rice, polenta, or "riced" cauliflower. (I like to serve mine over roast sweet potato).

*Optional: feel free to add other "typical" chili ingredients, such as; corn, kidney/black/navy beans, etc.

Enjoy and Buon Appetito!