Posts tagged ‘Chili’

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November 18, 2012

Another Chili Recipe…With a Pumpkin Twist

There’s nothing better than a big bowl of chili to accompany football watching (/noshing) on a cold Sunday afternoon. Hearty, delicious and beyond easy to make. One batch, dinner for a week. Or if you live with two boys, like me, a meal and a half total. Tops. Let’s just say Mike isn’t shy when it comes to seconds or thirds of this stuff and I don’t blame him. Although I’m a fan of old-fashioned chili, I wanted to add a little pizazz to the norm so experimented with pumpkin. I couldn’t help but think–or should I say dream–of this warm concoction during my Tough Mudder a few weeks back so after completing all of those obstacles, I tackled this kitchen feat. It hit the spot. I was cold and knew a hefty serving of spicy goodness would do me well, heating me up from the inside out and lending a hand in my recovery. Protein, check. Carbs, check. Veggie-packed sweetness with a kick of jalapeño…check, check and check. Adding pumpkin for depth and texture was a fabulous idea, if I do say so myself. Watch out, healthy chili recipes! This one will knock your socks off.

Ingredients
1 small yellow onion
2 green bell peppers
1 small jalapeño
2 Roma tomatoes
1.5 pounds ground turkey
28 oz. can of tomato purée
15 oz. can of pumpkin purée
1 cup dried black beans (soaked and cooked)
1 large garlic clove
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup water
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash of cinnamon and cayenne pepper
Sliced avocado to top, duh.

In a large pot, heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil over medium heat. Chop up and toss the onion, bell peppers, jalapeño, tomatoes and garlic into the pot. Stir until the onion is cooked through before mixing in the turkey. Once the turkey is browned, add pumpkin, tomato purée and water. Bring to a boil, combining beans, corn and spices. Simmer for 15-30 minutes and serve. Yep, it’s that simple. Want to add in other veggies? Go for it! Remember this recipe? I like chili. Can you tell? Warning: leftovers are just plain amazing.
What’s your twist on the traditional chili recipe?

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren

Posted in Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish | 1 Comment »

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January 29, 2012

Sweet Potato Turkey Chili

When I asked Mike what he wanted to do for his birthday dinner last weekend, he texted me back a one word response: “Chili.” Instead of making this recipe, which has been receiving some rave reviews lately, I decided to switch it up a bit. Enter my new favorite food. Sweet potatoes. Chili lovers, brace yourself.

Ingredients
(Inspired by Cookie + Kate’s Vegetarian recipe)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 sweet potatoes, cubed
3 carrots, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1 12-oz. can crushed tomatoes
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 package ground turkey
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more if you like it hot!)
2 teaspoons ground coffee
Dash of cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil 

Start by cooking up the turkey with a little garlic and olive oil. Set aside.

In a large pot or dutch oven, sautée the red onions and garlic in a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Once the onions are translucent, throw in the rest of the veggies. Stir occasionally so everyone gets fair share at the heat! 

Add in the canned goods (strain and rinse the beans first!), spices and turkey after the vegetables are lightly browned. Stir, reduce the heat and cover. Now it’s a waiting game…the more patient you are, the better it will be! Give it at least an hour to thicken up and for the sweet potatoes to soak up all the yummy flavors.

Once the chili is all hearty and ready, it’s time to serve! Top with sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (for a healthy swap!), cheese, sliced avocado, green onions, etc. I spooned mine into hefty mug for easy indulging, curled up on the couch in front of the Giants game. Who’s ready for the Super Bowl? ME! Boyfriend will be working on the sidelines. SO JEALOUS. My plans are still up in the air.
What’s your favorite game grub? How do you put a health spin on it? 

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren

Posted in Dinner, Lunch | 7 Comments »

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February 4, 2011

Foodie Fact Friday: Super Bowl Edition

Beer, chicken wings, nachos, pigs in a blanket…the Super Bowl has turned into a tradition focused more on binge eating and drinking than watching the actual game. No matter where you end up plopped in front of a television, there will undoubtedly be a buffet of junk food, calories and fat. Just because the guys on your flat screen are running around and sweating doesn’t mean you can gorge yourself! Try noshing on some of my healthy-alternatives below, all previous posts of mine (a little walk down memory lane).

Kiwi Salsa

Black Bean and Corn Salad/Salsa

Crispy Roasted Chickpeas

Hummus

Turkey, Brie and Apple Sandwich

Turkey Chili

Gingery Turkey & Cucumber Pitas w/ Ramen Noodle Salad

No Bake Cookies

For more ideas and healthy recipes check out FitSugar.com or EatingWell.com. Have fun this weekend! Let’s go Giants! …oh wait, they were awful this year. Fail.

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren


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October 23, 2010

Chilly Weather Calls for Turkey Chili

It was Lindsay’s 20th Birthday (one of my DZ little sisters) so we celebrated the other night with a festive fall harvest themed dinner party. What was on the menu? Turkey Chili and Autumn Sangria! It was the perfect way to warm up at the end of a stressful week. (Midterms, bleh!) I’ll let the recipes speak for themselves.


Ingredients for my modified recipe:
(I combined Martha Stewart’s Vegetarian Black-Bean Chili and AllRecipe.com’s Simple Turkey Chili)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 lbs ground turkey (we used 3 lbs because I had quite a few of hungry bellies to feed)
2 onion, chopped
4 cups water
2 (28 ounce) cans canned crushed tomatoes
2 (16 ounce) cans canned kidney beans – drained, rinsed, and mashed
2 cans (19 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 zucchini (about 1 pound total), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
2 carrots, thinly sliced
Bag of frozen corn, thawed (I forgot to add these, woops! Next time…)
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1/4 cup chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Place turkey in the pot and cook until evenly brown.

In the meantime, cut up zucchini, carrots and onion.

Once the turkey is cooked, add in onions and cook until tender.

Pour the water in the pot.

Strain kidney beans.

Strain black beans.

Mix in tomatoes, beans and garlic.

Season chili powder, paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt and pepper. Add in the rest of the vegetables. (I forgot the frozen corn, yet I don’t think it would have fit in our biggest pot anyway!)


Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Taylor was on stirring duty! We need to invest in a larger pot for next time…as you can see, it was full to the brim!

Serve with bread and slices of avocado. Yum! There is literally nothing better than a cup of chili on a chilly day. The birthday girl loved it, as did the rest of my DZ family (plus Taylor)! Many, including myself, went up for seconds!

Successful fall harvesting! Taylor got in the spirit with her festive outfit. The Autumn Sangria was also a fantastic touch (which, thanks to Google, I found on InnTheKitchen.com).

Sprinkled with Love,

Lauren

Posted in Dinner | 5 Comments »

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