Meat

Chunky Turkey and Veggie Chili

I think I’m a little bit obsessed with this chili. I’ve been eating a bowl of it every single day. And when it ran out? I made another batch. And another. All of this started because I had one lonely zucchini sitting in my produce drawer that I wanted to do something with. After taking a look around, I realized all the other vegetables I had on hand and decided right then and there to throw them all in a chili. I happened to have canned tomatoes and ground turkey on hand anyway so it was a no brainer. The result is this Chunky Turkey and Veggie Chili.

Onion, green pepper, red pepper, zucchini, and carrot are all sautéed with ground turkey until the veggies are soft and the turkey is cooked through. A few spices are added along with canned tomatoes and chipotle in adobo sauce and then the whole pot simmers until the flavors meld and the chili is hot and bubbly. I’ve made this chili with both ground turkey and ground chicken and have no preference. Want to use ground beef? Go right ahead! Chili is so easy to make and easily adaptable to accommodate picky eaters. Make it with beans, or don’t. Make it with meat, or don’t. Make it spicy, or don’t. I’ve been making a batch every single week for the last month. I portion it out immediately into containers to keep in the refrigerator so that I can grab one at lunch and heat it up quickly. What I love about chili (especially in the winter) is that it’s satisfying. I’m never let down and always feel warm and comforted when I’m done. Chili, you have my heart.

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Chunky Turkey and Veggie Chili (makes 5 servings)

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 medium green pepper, chopped
  • 1 medium, red pepper, chopped
  • 1 medium zucchini, chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped carrot
  • 1 lb. ground turkey (or ground chicken)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder (or regular chile powder)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 28-ounce can petite diced tomatoes
  • 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped

Melt coconut oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, green pepper, red pepper, zucchini, and carrot. Cook until vegetables soften, approximately 6 minutes.

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Add ground turkey, salt, and pepper and cook for 10 minutes or until turkey is no longer pink.

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Stir in chile powder and dried oregano.

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Add tomatoes and chipotle pepper in adobo sauce; stir. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

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Top with sour cream, cilantro, cheese, green onions or any of your favorite chili toppings.

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Chicken Curry

How do you feel about take-out? When someone says “take-out” to me, my mouth waters. Take-out for me is typically Chinese food but in my head, it’s anything satisfying, flavorful, and non-American. When I was in London a few weeks ago, I had dinner at an Indian restaurant and we ordered a bunch of dishes for the table. Every single dish was so insanely good, I was in heaven. Since I wasn’t aware of any really good Indian restaurants nearby, I decided to make this Chicken Curry at home.

Chicken and bell peppers are sautéed before being mixed with a mixture of coconut milk, red curry paste, lime juice and soy sauce which is cooked until thick and bubbly. The result is a lively yet mellow chicken curry that really hit the spot. Red curry paste has a mellower flavor (in my opinion) than curry powder and isn’t as overwhelming on the senses. The coconut milk is creamy and subtle and makes for a perfect base for this sauce. This dish is an ideal example of something I would want for take-out. Luckily, a new Indian restaurant opened up right next door to my Chinese go-to. I stopped to look at the menu last time I was there and I’m pretty sure I know where my next take-out order is coming from.

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Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt. Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes or until browned, turning once.

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Add bell pepper to pan; sauté 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

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Remove chicken mixture from pan. Combine juice, soy sauce, curry paste, and sugar in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add juice mixture and coconut milk to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 12 minutes or until slightly thick. Return chicken mixture to pan; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

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Serve over rice.

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Additions:

  • Red bell pepper

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light magazine

Sesame Teriyaki Wings

Happy New Year all! Anyone eat wings over the holidays? I’ve been eating chicken for a long time now but this whole time, I’ve refused to eat chicken on the bone. People know this about me. The bones, the gristle, the skin. No thanks! Then, when I was in Toronto for work a few months ago, my co-workers ordered wings at a restaurant and I didn’t speak up. I hesitantly tried the wings and decided, surprisingly, that they were great. I’ve been on a chicken wing kick ever since. In fact, I find myself craving them. So I decided I was ready to buy some frozen chicken wings and make these Sesame Teriyaki Wings myself.

Cooked chicken wings (I followed the package directions) are tossed in a mixture of teriyaki sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and sesame oil and sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds. Sure, these aren’t your typical wings, no buffalo sauce or blue cheese in sight, but if you like Asian-flavors like I do, you won’t mind. As these wings cooked, I saw things I didn’t want to see so by the time they came out, my appetite was lost. While I’m clearly not ready to be making chicken on the bone at home, the sesame teriyaki sauce is great with a salty sweetness that I love from Asian flavors. If someone else prepared these for me in a restaurant, I’d love them. But, next time I think I’ll make this sauce for boneless chicken wings. Lesson learned.

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In large bowl, whisk together teriyaki sauce, rice vinegar, dark brown sugar, and toasted sesame oil.

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Toss sauce with cooked wings and sesame seeds.

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Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Like It

Source: Good Housekeeping magazine

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