Turkey Chili

I made a batch of this, along with my White Chicken Chili, for our Super Bowl Party. Normally, that White Chili is the star of the show but this Turkey Chili definitely gave it a run for its money. There was hardly any left and I made a ginormous batch! The best part? It's HEALTHY!! Hahaha, suckers! It's super easy, too. I threw everything together in the Crock Pot before church and it was ready just before kick off. But if you're cooking for a family of 4-5, I highly recommend halving this recipe.

Turkey Chili
(Recipe from Hungry Girl To the Max by Lisa Lillien)

Ingredients:

One 29-oz. can tomato sauce

One 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained

One 15-oz. can chili beans, not drained

One 15-oz. can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup chopped baby carrots

1 cup canned whole sweet corn kernels

2 bell peppers, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1 - 3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped, sauce reserved (the more you use, the spicier your chili will be)

2 tsp. chopped garlic

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 lb. raw lean ground turkey

Directions:
1) In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except for turkey.
2) Add 2 tsp adobo sauce from the canned chipotle peppers (more if you want a spicier chili).
3) Mix ingredients well.
4) Break up the ground turkey into small chunks and place in bottom of Crock Pot.
5) Pour mixture on top of turkey; mix well.
6) Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours (or high for 3-4).
7) Season with salt if desired.
8) Stir well before serving.

Mashed "Potatoes"

My favorite foods are potato salad, loaded baked potatoes, potatoes au gratin, french fries and MASHED POTATOES. Yeah....naughty, naughty, naughty, and OMG! So, you can understand my grief when I had to say good-bye to spuds. And I'm not going to lie, I may or may not have relapsed a few times. They're just so darn delicious, y'all!! However, I might have found the solution. Drum roll please............cauliflower! Roasted and mashed tastes just like, and dare I say "better," than a heaping mound of glorious taters! And, if my math is correct, they are 12% of the calories in a regular serving of mashed potatoes and have less than 3 grams of fat. As a recovering potato addict, I can honestly say you will not be disappointed!

Mashed "Potatoes"
(Recipe from Now Eat This! by Rocco Dispirito)

Ingredients:
1 large head cauliflower, roughly chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 oz. Greek yogurt (I used Chobani, plain non-fat)
Ground parsley

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2) Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.
3) Spread chopped cauliflower out on the prepared baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4) Place another sheet of foil over the cauliflower and roll up edges to form a sealed package.
5) Roast cauliflower for 20 minutes. Carefully remove top piece of foil and return to oven for another 15-20 minutes, or until tender.
6) In a mixing bowl (or food processor for a more pureed consistency), combine roasted cauliflower and yogurt and mash until desired consistency.
7) Season with salt, pepper, and top with a pinch of parsley.


Goes great with Mushroom Meatloaf!

Mushroom Meatloaf

I decided to try a new meatloaf recipe to cut a few calories. I'm trying to load up on protein and this definitely did the trick. I highly recommend this whether you're on the Healthy Train or not. It's easy, it's yummy, and it's good for you. I paired this with some delicious and nutritious Mashed "Potatoes" that I will post next. So hop on board, 'cause this train is bound for glory!

Mushroom Meatloaf
(Recipe from Now Eat This by Rocco Dispirito)

Ingredients:
4 oz. portobello mushrooms
2 garlic cloves
1/3 cup egg substitute (I used Egg Beaters)
1/3 cup ketchup (reduced sugar is ideal but all I had was regular ol' Heinz)
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cups whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2) Place mushrooms in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped; scoop into a large mixing bowl.
3) Place garlic cloves in food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add egg substitute and 1 Tbsp of ketchup to chopped garlic and puree until smooth.
4) Add mixture to mushrooms.
5) Add the beef, chopped parsely, panko and salt to the bowl. Season with black pepper to taste.
6) Take off your jewelry and, using your hands, mix ingredients until evenly combined.
7) Place mixture in a greased loaf dish.
8) Spoon remaining ketchup on top and spread evenly.
9) Bake for 18-20 minutes.
10) Let sit for about 5 minutes before cutting into slices.

Makes 4 servings; 212 calories per serving

Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts

As hooked on meat as I am, I was skeptical about this recipe. I made it for dinner last night and can now say that I was completely stuffed! I'm a huge fan of quinoa but usually as a side for a huge hunk of meat. The sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts provide enough protein that you don't miss it. So bust out that food processor and give veggies a chance!

Warm Quinoa Salad
(Recipe from Katherine Martinelli)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups red quinoa, cooked according to package instructions

2 sweet potatoes, skinned and cubed

1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3/4 lb Brussels sprouts, shaved OR put through the food processor

1/4 cup real maple syrup

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup blanched almond slivers

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Kosher salt

 

 

Directions:

1.  Cook quinoa according the package; set aside.

2.  Place cubed sweet potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Simmer until tender, about 10-12 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3.  In a large skillet, heat oil on medium. Add shredded brussels sprouts and saute until lightly browned. Remove from heat.

4.  Add cooked quinoa and sweet potatoes to sprouts. Mix well.

5.  Pour in maple syrup, cranberries, almonds, cilantro and salt. Toss and serve warm.

 

Tips:

• Soak brussels sprouts for 10 minutes in warm water and cut off stems before shaving, shredding, chopping, or food processoring.
• Always take your Herbalife!

 

 

 

 

Livin' the Herbalife

2013 is all about getting healthy. Therefore, I am going to try and give my blog a bit of a face lift and from now on, I'm going to start posting healthy recipes. Oh they will still be delicious...believe you me. But I'm all about nutrition and living a healthy life style. My husband has lost 20 lbs in the last few months and I support him 100%. He started taking Herbalife and after seeing incredible results, has started sharing his story to empower others to do the same. I'm by no means trying to lose weight but I am dedicated to getting into better shape. While eating healthy and working out daily, I am also taking the Herbalife 24 program for strength training and performance improvement. If you are wanting to lose weight, gain weight, get healthier, relieve stress, improve your sleeping habits, have more energy, etc.......check out Herbalife. It can change your life!

 



Taco Soup

I have been severely slacking in the blogging department. Which is a shame because I have tried some fabulous recipes here lately that I totally forgot to take pictures of. Hopefully, the following masterpiece will make up for my absence. I teach a cooking class for adults with severe mental disorders and this has, by far, been their favorite recipe. It's perfect for a cold night, which here in Oklahoma we're starting to have a lot of, and it's incredibly filling and actually pretty healthy! Oh and hello, it's ridiculously easy. Almost too easy. Say hello to your new favorite weeknight dinner!

Taco Soup
(Recipe from High Heels & Grills)

Ingredients:
1 can black beans, drained
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can whole sweet corn, drained
1 can chicken breast, drained (the larger size can)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can green enchilada sauce (in the Hispanic foods section)
1 can chicken broth
1 packet taco seasoning
Shredded cheese, optional
Sour cream, optional
Tortilla chips, optional

Directions:
1. Combine all canned ingredients and taco seasoning in a large pot.
2. Heat on high until soup just starts to boil, stirring frequently.
3. Garnish with cheese (I use taco, fiesta, or Mexican blend) and sour cream.
4. Serve with Tortilla chips.

 

 

I would say this yields enough for 5-6 people

 

Soundtrack:

Alison Krauss & Robert Plant - "Killing the Blues"

Brad Paisley & Alison Krauss - "Whiskey Lullaby"



Avett Brothers - "Down With the Shine"

Chicken & Biscuits

Do y'all like Cheesecake Factory?? Well, I sure do. And I always get 1 of 2 things; either Chicken Madeira or Chicken and Biscuits. This recipe is the closest I've found to tasting like my favorite CF entree without that awful guilty feeling you get after spending WAY too much money on dinner. You can whip this up for a weeknight meal or double it for company. It's sure to impress even the pickiest eaters!

Chicken & Biscuits
(Adapted from Marie's Cooking Adventures)

Ingredients:
1 refrigerated tube biscuits (if you get the thick kind-which is all they had-cut them in half. I only ended up using 3 biscuits cut in half)
1 can reduced fat cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 can LeSeur peas
3-4 cooked chicken breasts, shredded (I boiled mine for 20 minutes)
1-2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 Tbsp milk
salt and pepper to taste

*Before*

Directions:
1) Cook and shred chicken.
2) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
3) In a large bowl, combine soup, sour cream, chicken, peas, milk, and butter, salt and pepper.
4) Transfer mixture to greased casserole dish.
5) Sprinkle with cheese, how ever much or little is up to you (I just put enough to cover the mixture).
6) Top with biscuits (once again, I ended up using 3 large Homestyle biscuits, cut in half)
7) Cook for 30-35 minutes or until tops of biscuits are browned and mixture is bubbly.

Enjoy!!

*Eat me!*