Spicy Chicken Sweet Potato Chili – Hearty and Healthy!!!

Tags

Chicken, chili, healthy, recipe, slow cooker, spicy, sweet potato, vegan, vegetarian

I’m always looking for ways to sneak additional vegetables into our meals. I happened to have a sweet potato on hand and thought it would be a good add to spicy chili. The sweetness of the potato really balances out this dish! It was an incredibly flavorful! Very hearty and healthy too! You could substitute ground turkey for the chicken or leave the meat altogether for a delicious vegetarian or vegan dish (If you left out the sour cream).

Spicy Chicken Sweet Potato Chili

Makes 6-8 servings

1-2 tbsp avocado or olive oil

1/2 diced sweet yellow onion

3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

2 cans Rotel tomatoes (I used one can hot and one can chipotle Rotel)

1 – 8 oz can tomato sauce

1/2 cup water (rinsed Rotel can and dumped in)

1 pound chopped rotisserie chicken (or 1 pound ground turkey, browned)

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced

1/4 cup roasted red peppers, diced

3/4 tsp cumin

3/4 tsp Hungarian Paprika

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 cup sour cream

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Add oil to Dutch oven or other large pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soften, add garlic and sauté another couple of minute until fragrant. Add remaining ingredients and set to low and simmer for 1-2 hours. You could also sauté the onion and garlic and then throw everything in the slow cooker for 4-6 hours on low. Serve with tortilla chips, sliced green onions, chopped avocado or any other toppings you like on your chili.

Enjoy!!!

Turkey Chili with Pepper Jack Cornbread Dumplings – Break Out that Ninja Foodi!

Tags

chili, Cooking, cornbread, Food, healthy, Ninja Foodi, Pressure Cooker, recipe

So my electric pressure cooker recently died. I’ve kind of been waiting for that day, so I could get one of the new gadgets that came out after I got that appliance. I took the leap and bought a Ninja Foodi. It was a great investment! This thing can just about do anything! Tonight was my first time really experimenting and making up my own recipe. I was incredibly happy with how it turned out!

This chili was delicious and I even managed to sneak in some vegetables! I had some zucchini that needed to be used, so I diced it up and threw it in. It was a great add!!!

I also loved the cornbread “dumplings”! I usually bake cornbread to accompany our chili and most of the time my husband crumbles his up and puts it right in the chili, so I thought I would try and simplify things and cook the cornbread right in the pot with the chili. It was perfect!!!

I hope you enjoy it! It’s a perfect meal as the evenings get chillier!

Turkey Chili with Pepper Jack Cornbread Dumplings (6-8 servings)

1 pound ground turkey

2 – 14 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 – 28 oz can crushed tomatoes in puree

1 – 4 oz can diced chiles

1/3 cup beer

1/2 large yellow onion, diced

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 zucchini, diced

3 garlic cloves, chopped or pressed

1 heaping tablespoon chili power

1 tbsp cumin

3 tsp kosher salt

3 tsp ground pepper

3 tsp garlic powder

3 tsp onion powder

1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1/2 cup pepper jack (or cheddar) Shredded cheese

1 tsp Tajin seasoning

Sour Cream (optional)

Place turkey, beans, tomatoes, chiles and beer in the large pot. Break apart the raw meat. Put on the pressure lid making sure the pressure release valve is in the seal position. Select pressure and set to high. Set time to 15 minutes. Select start/stop to begin cooking.

When pressure cooking is complete, quick release the pressure by moving the pressure release valve to vent. Remove the lid.

Select Sear/Sauté and set to Medium. Select Start/Stop. Add onion, jalapeno, cilantro, zucchini, garlic and spices, stir. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, mix cornbread batter by combining muffin mix, egg, mild, cheese and Tajin.

When chili is done simmering, spoon cornbread batter over the top of the chili. Close the crisping lid. Select Bake/Roast, set temperature to 350 degrees and set the time to 15 minutes. After 10 minutes, open lid and insert a toothpick in the cornbread. If it comes out clean the corn bread is clean. If it’s not done cook for a few more minutes until done.

When cornbread is done sprinkle a bit more cheese over the top of the dish and allow to cook a couple more minutes until chili is done.

The chili is great topped with sour cream. Enjoy!!!

Turkey Chili in the Pressure Cooker – A Revelation for me!!!

Tags

chili, ground turkey, low sodium, low-fat, Pressure Cooker

I’m one of those weird foodie women that loves getting kitchen equipment as gifts. My wonderful hubby bought me this 8 quart pressure cooker for Christmas this year. My son-in-law has been singing the praises of these things and I’ve been wanting one, so my wish has been granted! Last night I used it to make Turkey Chili and wow, just wow!!! My recipe wasn’t really any different that what I’ve used in my slow cooker or dutch oven on the stove, but the flavor was so much better! Every bite was full of flavor! The meat and beans were infused with the wonderful flavors of the tomato, garlic, onion and spices. It was just so delectable! That being said, I was also able to still keep the fat and salt levels to a minimum. Win! Win!

So if you’re like me an new to the pressure cooker scene, here is a great starter recipe for you! My friend, Lisa, also received one and requested some tips, so here you go my friend!

I’ve also given some choices i this recipe, so if you’re missing some ingredients you don’t have to buy new things and you can play with the spice level. While I added quit a few spicy ingredients, I found this recipe to still be on the mild to medium side.

Turkey Chili in the Pressure Cooker

Makes 4-5 servings

1 pound Extra Lean or Lean Ground Turkey

1/2 large or 1 small red onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp cumin

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp ground chipotle chili pepper or more chili powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (Leave out to reduce heat)

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp dried oregano

14 oz can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup beef broth

14 oz can dark kidney beans, rinsed and drained

14 oz can black beans or more kidney beans, rinsed and drained

4 oz can diced green chilies

8 oz can tomato sauce

2 tbsp tomato paste (Tip: I find most recipes call for these smaller amounts, so I buy the tube of paste, not so many of the cans)

2 tbsp Frank’s Red Hot Sauce or a hot sauce of your choice (You can leave this out to reduce heat)

Optional, but yummy toppings: sour cream, diced green onions, shredded cheese

My pressure cooker has a non-stick pot, so I just sprayed it with some cooking spray to start. If your’s doesn’t have a non-stick pot you will want to coat well with oil. I then used the meat (or saute) function to cook the meat, onion and garlic until the meat was lightly browned and onion was tender. Next add all the remaining ingredients and give a stir. Close and lock your pressure cooker. Set to high and let it get fully pressurized then lower heat to low pressure and cook for 15 minutes. I then let the pressure escape naturally and then opened and served.

The whole thing took about 30 minutes and tasted better than slow cooked chili of the same recipe.

Enjoy!

Homemade Chili – Is There Anything Better on a Cold Winter’s Night???

Tags

chili, Cooking, Food, kitchen aid grinder, recipe, slow cooked, tomatillos

  
Is there anything better on a cold winter’s night than a bowl of hot chili with a slab of warm, fresh baked cornbread??? Maybe, but chili is up there! On this particular occasion, I was cooking on the weekend and decided to get creative and invest a little more time into my concoction, but chili can be as easy as throwing some ingredients into the crock pot too, so don’t let it intimidate you! I just find chili in any shape or form to be a very satisfying one pot meal! And not to brag,but I did win 2nd place in my church’s chili cook off a few years ago! LOL!

I’ve been trying to make better use of the few overpriced attachments I have for my Kitchen Aid mixer. One my husband bought me is the food grinder, so for this batch of chili, I decided to grind my own meat. I had some nice top sirloin steaks on hand that looked so nice and lean, I figured I would give that a whirl. You could also use ground beef or ground turkey, if you’re trying to keep the fat level down. I use the turkey quite frequently.

I also decided to jazz this version up by adding some roasted tomatillos and fresh peppers. This also isn’t necessary, if you’re trying to keep it quick and simple, but it sure adds a wonderful layer of flavor! 

Now for the big debate! Chili purists will tell you if there are beans in it, it’s not chili! OK, good for you! Personally, I like beans in mine. I’m usually making chili hoping for a hearty dinner and the beans add to that. Plus, beans are really good for you!

Without further ado…

Kel’s Homemade Chili

1.5 pounds ground meat (As mentioned above, I chose to grind top sirloin steak. I ran it through my Kitchen Aid grinder attachment twice)

6-8 tomatillos

4 Serrano chilies

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

2 garlic cloves, diced or pressed

1 – 14.5 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 – 14.5 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 – 28 oz can crushed tomatoes in puree

1-4 oz can tomato paste

2-3 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

If you’re going to grind your own meat, cut your meat into chunks small enough to feed into your grinder. Feed a few pieces in at a time pushing them through the grinder. I ground all my meat once and then ran it all through a second time. 

  

Spray a skillet or frying pan with olive oil and brown your tomatillos turning frequently. Your tomatillo’s skin will brown in spots and they should start to soften. When tomatillos are almost done, add your fresh chilies. I used serranos, but you could use any type. Just keep in mind the amount of spice you want in your chili. When tomatillos and chilies have softened, remove from heat and allow to cool. While these are cooling you can begin to brown your meat. I used my Dutch oven. You can also use a big pot. You want something that you can simmer your chili in without scorching and that has a cover. When meat is almost browned, drain off any fat. This sirloin steak was so lean, I did not have any fat to drain off. When meat is almost cooked, add your onions, garlic and red pepper. Cook until vegetables are softened and reduce heat to simmer.
   
 

Once cooled a bit, cut the stems off your chilies and put in a food processor or blender and add whole tomatillos. Pulse/blend tomatillos and chiles until well blended and fairly smooth. You don’t want to get a huge church of chili in on bite! Add blended mixture to meat mixture.

Add remaining ingredients to your mixture and stir well. Bring to a simmer over low heat. Cover and cook for at least an hour. I like to let my chili simmer for a while, kind of like my marinara sauce. You can even use your slow cooker. I think cooking it on low for a longer period really allows the flavors to mingle and develop.

I like to serve my chili with a side of cornbread. On this occasion, I used a Marie Callendar cornbread mix and added jalapenos and fat free cheddar cheese to it. 

I offered fat free sour cream, fat free shredded cheddar, pickled jalapenos and cilantro as garnishes for the chili. Delicious!!!

Enjoy!