Chocolate Chili

This week marks the halfway point of the paleo challenge at CrossFit 406. In honor of making it 30 days, (and let's face it, I'm not getting enough chocolate from Coconut Chocolate Larabars), I made Chocolate Chili. This ingenious recipe comes from Well Fed, written by Melissa Joulwan. I'd say it's an amazing cookbook, but it really could be a textbook for a paleo-ized eating transformation. And for anyone else who, as a general rule, likes food. (Her blog, The Clothes Make The Girl, is also pretty great.) Lucky for me, I like food. A lot.

My brother and I grew up with a mom who cooks. I don't just mean turns on the oven and opens the cookbook. I mean she actually creates. Food is the medium for her art, and through it, she poured her love out to our family. Because of this, I am not afraid of spices. Sometimes I even go a little overboard, which is why I loved this recipe. 

 
My favorite thing to do in a recipe like this is if you don't have access to fresh herbs (a rarity in Montana) the next best thing is to invest in a little mortar and pestle. Grinding up some of the bigger leaved herbs releases a lot of flavor right away into your chili. 

Why tomato paste is always smaller than the rest of the tomato family is one of the mysteries of life.

Here we are! Delicious Chocolate Chili. Check out Well Fed, and go eat some food.