Turkey Black Bean Chili

I don't know why but making chili has always kind of intimidated me. Every chili lover I've spoken to has said that it takes all day to cook, you have to have the right proportion (and kind) of beans, or is it no beans? The right kind of meat, the right chillies, the perfect blend of seasoning. It all just seemed really daunting for a dish that I don't really love that much.

However, chili is a great meal for those cool nights in the fall and the even colder nights in winter, when you want something rich and hearty to "stick to your ribs" and warm you up. Vince really likes chili, and all types of stew for that matter, and started begging me to make it for him. My quest for a simple yet tasty chili recipe began.

Right around that time I was discovering new food blogs. I was still pretty new to the whole blogosphere so I was very excited to find cooking related blogs. I stumbled upon one of my now favorites, PreventionRD. She was holding a chili contest on her blog. I scrolled through and waited patiently for the "right" one to appear.

Just by chance, she posted the perfect recipe on October 11, 2010. Our second anniversary. It was fate. I made it with a batch of corn bread and Vince devoured it. He was elated that I made him chili and I was happy that it not only tasted awesome but only took about an hour to make. I have been making this same recipe ever since.

So, once the temperatures dropped below 60* I decided it was time to make a batch of chili in our new house. It would be Max's first time having it. I wasn't too worried because the kid loves spicy food. I sometimes have to put hot sauce on his food to get him to eat it. Weirdo. Anyway, it was a huge success! This is the most I have seen him eat of any one food at a time. I think it knocked Chicken Tikka Masala out of first place for being his favorite food. He had three helpings at dinner, then he had it for lunch the next day and wanted it again for dinner! Seriously he could not get enough. He cried when we ran out. So I'll be making a double batch next time to freeze some. I might throw in a few more veggies too, just to get him to eat more of them.

Turkey Black Bean Chili

Adapted from PreventionRD

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Large Onion, chopped
1 Green Bell Pepper, seeded and chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, seeded and chopped
2 Tablespoons Minced Garlic
1 Pound Ground Turkey
2 15oz Cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed
14oz Diced Tomatoes (I use fresh but canned work too)
15oz Tomato Sauce (I use homemade but canned or jarred work too)
3 Tablespoons Chili Powder
1 1/2 Tablespoons Ground Cumin
1 teaspoon Dried Oregano

Directions

1. Heat the oil in the bottom of a large stock or soup pot.
2. Add the onion, garlic, and bell peppers.
3. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened.
4. Add the turkey and cook through.
5. Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce the heat and cover.
7. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. Turn off the heat and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
9. Serve topped with diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions, or anything else you feel like putting on it!

Yields 8 (1/2 cup) servings

Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs

I'm not a big red meat eater. Vince would eat it at every meal if I had enough of it in the house. Thankfully, I do the shopping and the cooking so we only have red meat a couple of times a month. I will admit that I get a little bored with my familiar poultry recipes so I'm always on the lookout for something new to try. I love meatballs, of just about any kind. They are easy to make, freeze well, and can be eaten tons of different ways. I've tried several different meatball recipes using ground turkey and just haven't hit upon one that we really like yet. Ground turkey is pretty bland. You really have to season it well to make a great dish with it. I'll keep trying but I haven't found the right combination yet.

This recipe was really good. It is well seasoned and the sauce is fantastic. Vince is not a big fan of teriyaki, so he probably won't request this one again (although he'll eat it if I made it). I really did like it and it was easy to throw together. It would make a great appetizer for a party or holiday dinner.

Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs

Adapted from A Seasoned Greeting

Ingredients
1 lb Ground Turkey
2 teaspoons Minced Garlic
2 teaspoons Ground Ginger
2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley
1/8 teaspoon Ground Cloves
1/8 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1 Large Egg
1/4 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper

Sauce:
1/3 Cup Rice Vinegar
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup Water
1/4 Cup Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
1/4 Cup Canola Oil
1 Tablespoon All Purpose Flour
1/8 teaspoon Ground Ginger
2 teaspoons Minced Garlic

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil and grease with cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, mix all of the meatball ingredients together.
4. Form into golf ball sized meatballs.
5. Arrange the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until browned and cooked throughl
7. While the meatballs are cooking, make the sauce.
8. In a small saucepan, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients.
9. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
10. Cook until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
11. Brush the cooked meatballs generously with the sauce and then return them to the oven for 5 minutes.
12. Serve the meatballs with the remaining sauce either spooned over top or in a small dish for dipping.

Yields: 24 meatballs (4 per serving)

Lasagna Stuffed Shells

I can't remember having stuffed shells. I'm sure at some point in my life I did, but I just don't remember it. They look good, and they smell good, but they are filled with evil, evil cheese. I wanted to try them out but honestly didn't think they would be good with nothing but pasta and tofu in them. Then I found a different recipe and my whole view changed.

I have already perfected dairy-free lasagna. I love it but it is a pretty heavy dish. Tons of pasta, sauce, meat...well, tons of everything really. These shells seemed like the perfect solution. I could have the taste of lasagna that I loved but in a smaller commitment. I love how they turned out. I will be making these again, once my freezer stash has dwindled.

Lasagna Stuffed Shells

From Allrecipes.com

Ingredients
1 Box Jumbo Pasta Shells (about 40 shells)
1 Pound Ground Turkey
12oz Firm Tofu
8oz Veggie Shreds Parmesan/Mozzarella Mix Flavor
2 Large Eggs
1 1/2 Jars Tomato Sauce (I used Tomato & Basil flavor)

Directions

1. In a large stock pot, bring about 4 quarts of water to a boil.
2. Once the water is boiling, salt the water generously and add the shells.
3. Cook the shells for about 10 minutes. You want them to be slightly under-done.
4. While the shells are cooking, cook the turkey in a skillet and set aside.
5. In a bowl, mash together the eggs, tofu, and veggie shreds.
6. Once the shells are cooked, remove from the water and rinse with cold water.
7. Spread tomato sauce on the bottom of two 9x13 baking pans (or 3 8x8 pans).
8. Take a shell and spoon about a teaspoon of turkey into the bottom of it.
9. Next, spoon a heaping teaspoon of tofu mixture onto the turkey.
10. Place the shell into a baking dish.
11. Continue with the remaining shells.
12. Once all of the shells are in the pans, spoon tomato sauce onto the top of each shell.
13. Bake the shells at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, just until the cheese/tofu is melted.

Optional: Feel free to cover the tops of the shells/sauce with more shredded cheese.

Yields:12 servings

These are really filling and very yummy. They freeze well too. The best part is the stats.