Unfortunately, this realization comes at the time when I need to start planning and creating recipes that lean more towards comfort food. Fall means warm, hearty meals. Casseroles, tailgate food, baked goods, etc. But don’t worry, I don’t plan on making you all suffer with me;) If I post a recipe that is “light”, I promise, it will be every bit as good as its fattier counterpart.
Just this last weekend, Chris asked me to make something good to eat while he watched football. I knew he was expecting some sort of tailgate delight such as nachos, French fries, burgers, etc. I ended up making him my “light” chili. I also baked up some sweet potato fries, and I topped the fries with the chili. Chris loved it, and he never even realized it was healthy. But I knew.
Today, I will show you how to make my light chili. This is a recipe I created years ago when I was doing “Weight Watchers” to lose baby weight. It is yummy and super filling. It is filled with lots ‘o veggies and lean turkey breast. The best thing about it is that you get to eat a ton of it for not a lot of calories. This recipe makes a ton, but don’t worry, it keeps in the freezer.
I use extra lean turkey breast for the meat in this chili. Extra lean means it is made from boneless, skinless turkey breasts. It can be flavorless, but don’t worry….we will jazz it up.
I also used Gourmet Rooster Whiskey Apple BBQ sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, kidney beans, black beans, garlic, corn, a bell pepper, zucchini, carrots, red onion and a packet of chili seasoning. My body almost goes into shock when I eat this because this is a ton of veggies for me. Waaaaay more than my body expects.
Once the meat is cooked, I take it out and set it aside. I put in a bowl….I didn’t just chuck it on the counter.
See how I have everything diced up in about the same size? This takes only a couple of minutes….even less when you buy pre-chopped onion like I did;) I am the Queen of laziness…..that probably also contributes to my immense proportions.
I stir all of this together and let it go for another 10 minutes. This is necessary to soften up the carrots. Make sure you scrape the bottom of the pan when you stir. You want to get all the brown bits! That is flavor;)
The chili is essentially done at this point. This chili has virtually no fat in it. Like I said above, you can eat a ton of it…and it will still be good for you! It has fiber, protein and lots of vitamins from the veggies. Look at me, bein’ all healthy.
Like I said above, I baked up some sweet potato fries so that my chili could be used to make chili fries! I peeled 2 large sweet potatoes and cut them into sticks. I sprayed them with cooking spray and sprinkled them with salt and pepper.
I realize that a sweet potato and a regular white potato aren’t that different calorie wise. I chose sweet potatoes because they are packed with vitamins and other good stuff. I figure if I am going healthy, I might as well go all the way.
I topped my fries with a full cup of chili, low-fat cheese and non-fat sour cream. I also sprinkled on some reserved red onion. See what I mean? This is a ton of food! And it is food that will make your whole family happy….including the men that can “stop snacking after 10pm” to lose 15 pounds. Unfair.
You should try this for your next tailgate, or party, or family dinner! Especially if you resemble a Sumo wrestler…like me!
Court’s Light Chili
1 pound ground turkey, extra lean
¾ cup red onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
¾ cup zucchini, diced
¾ cup carrots, diced
¾ cup bell pepper, diced
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup Gourmet Rooster BBQ sauce
1 packet of chili seasoning
15 ¼ ounce can corn, drained
15 ¼ ounce can black beans, drained
15 ¼ ounce can kidney beans, drained
In a large pot sprayed with cooking spray, brown the turkey meat, about 5 minutes. Remove meat and set aside. In the same pot, add onion, garlic, zucchini, carrot and bell pepper. Sauté, over medium high heat, until the veggies are softened, about 10 minutes.
Add turkey back to pot and stir in crushed and diced tomatoes, tomato paste, BBQ sauce and chili seasoning. Cover the pot and let simmer, over medium heat, for 10 minutes.
Remove lid and add beans and corn. Recover and let simmer for at least another 10 minutes.
Serve with low-fat cheese, raw red onion and non-fat sour cream.
Mannnnn this looks good. I need to get me some more BBQ sauce!
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