Turkey Chilli

Turkey Chili

It's getting to be cooler in Florida.  Nothing I love more then hearty food!  Winter is definitely my favorite time to cook.  We love Chili in our house and this is a typical bowl you would find.  I like to use ground turkey because it is lean and higher in protein then most other choices.  This is a super healthy and hearty meal that will keep you warm! :)

1- bay leaf

1-2 -- pound organic ground turkey (breast is the leanest)

3 --1/4 in side chopped slices of pancetta

4 -- garlic cloves - chopped finely

2-- carrots

1-- chopped green pepper, yellow, red, or orange or whatever looks freshest or mix

1- type of pepper to spice it up … we go Thai Chili Pepper but a Jalapeño will work too. Remember cutting out the spine and seeds will decrease the amount of flame that goes into your mouth and belly!! If you are not into spicy - Omit this whole step!

1-- decent size chopped onion

Assortment of beans around 32 Oz - depending on how beany you want to get.

1 - 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, I only like the fire roasted

Fresh Cilantro

Fresh Green onions

Cumin

Chili Powder

Red Cayanne Pepper

Any type of Cajan type spice you may want to add.  

Salt & Pepper

Sour Cream

Cheese of your choice - Cheddar, Jack, Jalapeño, Espresso Cheese, Parm (whatever you want)

Good Stock (chicken or beef I use - you can do vegetable if you want)

Optional Tomato Paste - I usually try to add

1. Heat a large pot with O.O. and add the Pancetta

2. Once Pancetta is getting crisp, remove from pot and set aside

3. Throw the Ground Turkey in and season with a good amount of salt and pepper, extra kick= add the other spices too and repeat again where it says to!

4. Let it start to brown once it is getting there - add chopped onion, garlic, bay leaf and spices.  I don't really measure spices but basically I got around the pot two times with the Chili Powder, Once or twice with the Cumin, and once with the Red Cayanne Pepper (depends how hot you want it)

5. When the onions and garlic are starting to look shiny and clear - add the carrots and green pepper

6. I let that cook for about 8 minutes or so on medium heat

*** here sometimes I add a tablespoon or two of tomato paste to the mix

7. Next I add a whole thing of stock and let start to bubble slightly

8. Whole peopled tomatoes. I crush each one as i put it into the pot with my hands. I do this with spaghetti bolognase sauce as well. 

9. I dump in the extra juice from the can - I use stock to get it out - why dilute it!!

10. Let it stew for good 20 minutes 'ish. 

11. Add the beans and let it cook on lower heat for an hour or so. I always think the long is better so it's your call here

12. When ready put fresh cilantro, green onions, sour cream, and/or cheese ….

*****You could even squeeze a lime over this!!!

Enjoy!!

Skirt Steak, Beans & Veggies

Skirt Steak is a favorite!!  Love to marinade it and leave it in the fridge for a day.  Sometimes I add the steak to Cuban bread with sauteed onions but other times I stay healthy, no bread.
Marinade:
 Olive oil
 Fresh garlic, minced, maybe 3 clove
 Red wine vinegar almost 1/2 cup
 Soy sauce, couple TBLS
 Fresh squeezed lime
 Lots of freshly ground black pepper
 Nice salt ground
 Fresh chopped cilantro
 Skirt or Flank steak

To cook the steak: 
-Heat a Cast Iron Skillet, Grill, or Grill Pan.
-Cook the steak for about 3 minutes on each side (should come out medium rare).
-Let it rest for 5 minutes before cutting.
-When cutting go with the grain of the meat.

For the beans I use organic red beans and lentils.  Just cooked them in broth, nothing fancy as instructed by the package.

For the veggies I used green beans, asparagus, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower.  I heated up my wok with about two tablespoons coconut oil salt and pepper.  I saute them until they are still crisp.  I don't care for soggy veggies !!!

Healthy Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup

 The weather has dropped and got quite cold here in Florida and also the pollen has left us all feeling as if we are sick. My husband and sister were in the mood for soup so I looked in my fridge to see what I had. I recently purchased a bunch of organic cauliflower and broccoli. I decided these two items would be my main ingredients along with some carrots, shallots, red onion, S & P, fresh herbs; rosemary, thyme, sage and chives.

When making vegetable soup I always feel roasting the veggies gives it a more full flavor.
I combine all the ingredients above and toss them with some good olive oil and put them in the oven for 30-45 min.

In the meantime I heat up some homemade chicken stock. In a large stock pot I crisp some prosciutto slices then remove. In the same pot I add some butter and chopped shallots with S & P. Once they start looking translucent I pour in a bit of Sherry wine and let it reduce.

Once the veggies are finished I let them cool then place them in my Ninja blender with some of the heated stock until puréed.

I combine the purée and shallots and add extra stock to the stock pot.

If you want here you can also add a container of fat free Greek yogurt for added protein and great supplement to heavy cream or half and half. Today I just used broth and cream.

To prepare for serving I grated some Gouda cheese then topped it off with left over fresh chopped herbs from the garden that I used when roasting and crumbled the prosciutto all over! Was so delicious and filling!

Asian Craving

My sister brought up memories of the best Chinese restaurant back in our hometown Pittsburgh, PA, that serves the most delicious lo mein noodles. I have never been able to find a restaurant in Florida quite like that one, but since my sister is living with me I decided to try to make our own version at home. Of course, our own version means tweaking ingredients in order to get premium health benefits. I purchased a pack of soba buckwheat noodles, which are high in protein and amino acids, help reduce cholesterol by acting as an absorbent in the small intestine, have been studied for reducing blood glucose levels in diabetes patients, and are high in fiber. I sauteed the red onion and garlic in coconut oil for a few minutes, adding a little salt and pepper. I then threw in the fresh minced ginger, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, orange bell pepper and allowed them to cook for a few minutes. When they started to crisp I added baby bella mushrooms and shaved a carrot in order to add Chinese authenticity to the lo mein. In a separate pan I heated hoisin sauce, less sodium soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, with white rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, sesame seeds, a little corn starch, and a little sweet chili sauce. Once it was bubbling I cut the heat off, and combined the pasta and veggies in the sauce. Before serving, I added chopped cilantro and scallions and drizzled a little more sweet chili sauce across the noodles. The final product was a healthier twist on our family classic favorite, and most importantly, satisfied our craving!