The Best, Almost Paleo Chili

Last week I was perusing pinterest and saw a pin for a yummy looking chili that claimed to be the best as well as paleo. I found it from this blog.
Her exact recipe is paleo, but when I was thinking about the traditional chili I've always had included some beans, which her recipe did not. So, I included a can of kidney beans. I'm not really familiar with the paleo diet, but I think it doesn't include beans, or only some beans? If you can clarify, let me know, cause I don't care enough to look it up but if one of my friends wants to enlighten me, please do so.

Best Paleo (almost) Chili

Ingredients:

2 lbs. of grass fed ground beef

1 large zucchini, chopped *I had a hard time finding large ones, so I actually bought 3 smallish ones

1 medium sized sweet onion (yellow), chopped

1 tablespoon of coconut oil

1 large can of crushed tomatoes

1 small can of tomato paste

1 small can of water (I just reused my tomato paste can)

3-4 tablespoons of chili powder

1 tablespoon of granulated garlic

1-2 tablespoons of paprika

3 teaspoons of salt

*can of kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Directions: On medium heat cook down your coconut oil, then add your chopped onion and cook for several minutes until they become fragrant and softened, I think I cooked mine for 4 minutes? I didn't really time it. Then stir in a dash of salt and a pinch of your chili powder. Incorporate the ground beef and cook it with the onions, add a tablespoon of chili powder and paprika and a teaspoon of salt. Once the ground beef is completely cooked include the zucchini and let sit on medium heat for a few minutes, I stirred mine in and then let it sit without touching for three minutes. Next, add in the tomato paste, the can of tomatoes and the water and the rest of the seasoning. Stir all together and let simmer on the stove for 1-2 hours. I turned the heat down to the middle of low and medium. About every twenty minutes I would check on it and give it a good stir (but only because I have never left anything on the stove for 2 hours and so I wasn't sure how it would go). I let mine cook for just about the full two hours, most of the liquid was cooked down by then and supposedly the flavor is best by the two hours. 

This chili was so delicious. Seriously, I will definitely be eating and making this probably for the rest of my life. The prep was so easy with only two veggies to chop, but there is the wait time. 

Anyone have any chili recipes they want to swap? It's my new found love. Also, I have never been one to include much spice, and I mean, three T of chili powder and two of paprika? That is UNHEARD of for me, but I decided to trust the recipe (plus her kids eat it, so I figured it couldn't be that spicy, right?) and I'm so glad I did. It is not spicy at all, probably because the spices are all cooked down, but I've never had any chili that flavorful. I loved it, if you can't tell.