Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili

 

Even without kids, it's good to find ways to sneak in a healthy food like pumpkin!

 

 

TURKEY WHITE BEAN PUMPKIN CHILI (crock pot)

 

cooking spray

2  pound lean ground turkey

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

1 cup diced onion

3  garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons cumin

2  (15 ounce) cans of great northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 (150 ounce) can pumpkin puree

1 (4.5 ounce) can chopped green chiles

2 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder  

1 teaspoon oregano

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper to taste

fat free sour cream for topping (optional)

chopped cilantro and chives for topping (optional)

Heat a large heavy sauté pan over high heat and lightly spray with oil. Add meat and cook, breaking it up until white, about 5 minutes. Add to crock pot.

Add olive oil to the sauté pan, then onions and garlic, sauté about 3 - 4 minutes; add cumin and sauté another minute. Add to crock pot.

Add beans, pumpkin puree, green chiles, broth, chili powder, oregano, bay leaves, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.

 

Remove bay leaves and adjust seasoning to taste before serving.

Add optional toppings to each serving.

SuperFood Salad

 

 

This is my version of a salad that they sell in the Deli department at Kroger.

 

The main ingredients are mixed in a proportion that you like, it was pretty random on my part.

 

chopped raw kale

quartered cherry tomatoes

dried cranberries

cashews, halves and pieces

shelled edamame, thawed from frozen

 

I made up a dressing of light mayo, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper (very little mayo) and stirred that in.  

 

The Kroger version also has fresh blueberries and sunflower seeds.

 

It makes me feel good to eat something that seems so healthy and it tastes good too!

Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

 

 

 

Wow, it's been a while since I had time or felt like trying something new. My new job is wearing me out! Cooking has been feeling like a chore lately rather than the fun hobby that it can be. But anyway, I finally made the time this weekend.

 

This soup was sooooooo good. I felt like I was in a gourmet Thai restaurant eating it.

 

 

THAI CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

adapted from Fitness Magazine via Pinterest

 

1 tablespoon sesame oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons minced ginger

2 large skinlees, boneless chicken breasts, diced into 1-inch pieces

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter

1 cup crushed tomatoes

6 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon fish sauce

6 ounces rice noodles

2 cups shredded cabbage (I used the pr-shredded coleslaw mix)

1 cup canned bean sprouts, drained

1/4 cup chopped green onions

 

In a soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger and chicken. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until chicken is no longer pink.

 

Dissolve/stir the peanut butter in the crushed tomatoes; add the mixture to the soup pot along with the broth and fish sauce. Bring to a boil. Add the noodles; reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the cabbage and cook another 5 minutes. Stir in the bean sprouts and green onions; turn off the heat.

 

Garnish with cilantro and chopped peanuts if desired.

 

Yield: 5 or 6 servings

 

 

I garnished with cashews since that's what I had on hand and served with some spring rolls (from the freezer department of the grocery store).