Easy Healthy Chili made in bulk at start of the week

[liquidstayce]

Ingredients:
2 lbs of Chopped Turkey
1 40 oz can of Dark Red Kidney Beans
3 packets of Chili Seasonings - can find them by the taco shells, etc
1 15 oz bottle of medium chunky salsa - I used Chi Chi's last night
1 15 oz can crushed tomato
2 cups of water
smart balance cheddar cheese

(sometimes I also add in some vegitarian or fat free refried beans
to thicken up more but last night I didn't)


Brown turkey meat and drain the fat once brown (VERY IMPT TO DRAIN FAT - Do not cook with it)
Add in all the rest of the ingredients
Cook uncovered at a low enough temp so that it simmering and not
splashing all over your stove
Time - Cook as long as you want and keep the temp low. Minimally
you should cook for 30 minutes. Yesterday I had it cook for several
hours on very low heat. Make sure you save the leftovers... it will
taste even better the next day. Sprinkle some cheddar smart
balance cheese on top of it. If you want to make it even more spicy
add in check out the Goya Salsita Hot Sauce - Salsa Picante. It is
green. Gives it a good flavor. I just let people add to individual
portions. Can also add a side of your favorite tortilla chips. I
like the trader joes guacamole chips or the tostitos lime ones.

Inividual Portion size.... 1/2 cup to 1 cup chilli plus about 10 tortilla chips

[mofish]

Yummy, recipes like this are what I need, easy and last for days in the fridge. Thanks.

[Jennay]

Is Smart Balance cheese real? Or processed healthy stuff to imitate the real thing? Ps. what's wrong with real cheese?

[liquidstayce]

Cheese grows on cheese plants so obviously it's not processed!!! LOL All cheese is processed. It's probably one of the first processed foods ever made by humans who discovered that milk didn't 'keep': it curdled, especially in warm weather. The curds (solid lumps) could, they found, be drained and pressed into a block of whitish stuff which they could keep for many months. The longer they kept it, the stronger it got. Today, cheese is mostly made in factories under strictly hygienic conditions using special microbes which make the milk curdle.

Smart Balance cheese is an excellent source of calcium with none of the cholesterol and saturated fat of regular cheese. High in protein and less than 1 gram carb per serving. Available in mozzarella and cheddar-style shreds. Helps deliver the right balance of fats without the bad things in regular cheese like saturated fat.

All things in moderation are good. There are no bad foods in my opinion. Just better options depending on your preferences and dietary needs and goals. Americans make food bad because they eat huge gigantic portions.

So regular cheese is fine if you stick to the one ounce portion and just make an informed decision based on your caloric goals.. that is if you have any yet. Remember I am trying to keep my calories around 300 - 350 calories a meal so if I can save as few here and there sometimes I do. I rather eat a little more chilli then the cheese. Sometimes I do use regular cheese.. actually quite often. However, when I do I typically will stick with just 1 oz portion so I can minimize my consuption of both the added calories and sat fat. 1 oz regular cheese is about 6 grams of sat fat and double the calories of smart balance. Make sense?

[Harrison]

Chili is not chili unless it is filled with beef.

[liquidstayce]

bet you couldnt tell the difference if I served up this chilli to you

[Harrison]

Maybe not...but it would have to be amazing

[Tossica]

I make chili all the time and my GF talked me in to using turkey the last few times. You really can't tell the difference.

My chili > all

[brinstar]

fyi i use ground turkey instead of beef when i make hamburger helper

not only is it way healthier but i actually prefer the taste now

[Harrison]

I'll have to try it...

I'll post my "results" when applicable

[The Kizzy]

TRANS FAT IS EVIL, DON'T EAT STUFF WITH TRANS FAT.

My chili is the greatest, thank you very much.

[liquidstayce]

well you are all invited to come visit us in MD and I will make it for you np~

[Darcler]

Be there for Christmas

[liquidstayce]

woot.. that would rule you know =) Actually Dana has to work that week so we will be stuck here. I think his mom might come out the week after though for New Years. New Years party!!!!

[Oofdaa]

Toss in a bit of chipotle. Yummy. I've been using ground turkey or chicken in alot of my cooking the last few years... Just have to have the right spices so it's not so bland.

[liquidstayce]

yum.. Hi Oof! Talk to any of the old Sealers lately? I spoke to Hile/Gary via email. He is getting married to a girl he met via SIMS!!! How cool is that!!?? They just moved in together. I still pop over on the EQ TFS boards and post in the officers section from time to time. Bummy seems to be doing well still leading the troops. Good to still see some old faces around.

[Oofdaa]

I haven't really kept in touch...... my bad. Just have gotten so busy with all the kids and work I just have time to browse around once in a while. Baby Emma is 17 months now and I take care of my nephew 4 days out the week, plus the 2 teenagers and Ed.

That's cool Hile meeting someone, but I guess we did the same via EQ huh? hehe

[Jay]

NT party at LS's house? I'll bring the grey goose.

[liquidstayce]

lol Ero - Bring it!

Oof - You are a busy momma and aunt!! I envy you =) Ya.. Not complaing at all. EQ kept me sane for a long time an I got a good husband out of the deal... even if he was a mangina suxrogue = major phat lewtz. ccc~ Now these days he plays LS in WoW TFS. I have not even touched my character at all.

[Metranon]

my new favorite chili recipe out of the 6 or so i've tried, although traditionalists will hate it:

Southwest White Chicken Chili:

3 Large boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 med. size ears of corn (or 1 large can of corn)
1 can white navy beans
1 can Pinto beans
1 can garbanzo beans
4-12 cloves of garlic to taste (i use a whole head)
1 small onion (white, yellow)
2-4 jalepeno peppers, to taste (recommend remove the seeds)
1-4 mushrooms (white, crimini, brown, magic)
2 cups chicken broth (canned/boxed is fine but try to avoid MSG ><)
1/2 cup sour cream (low fat is fine)
12oz beer (1 can)
6 bay leaves
2 Tablespoons Vegetable/Canola oil
1 Tablespoon Tabasco/hot sauce (green chili sauce is good too)
1 Tablespoon white pepper
1 tsp? salt (to taste)
Fresh cilantro
Tortilla Chips

1. Marinate the chicken breasts in the Tabasco Sauce and 1 Tablespoon of the vegetable oil for 20 mins-1 hour (you can go longer but really not much point). While the chicken is marinating, Wrap the corn ears in foil (unless you are using canned)

2. Preheat the Grill or Oven to "high" heat, about 450 degrees for my grill (or "broil" on the top rack of the oven). Grill the corn ears and chicken breasts together for about 8 minutes or "high" heat turning once at the 4 minute mark. Remove both. NOTE: if the chicken and corn are not entirely cooked thats fine since they will have plenty of opportunity to finish in the chili pot).

2.5: While you are grilling/broiling the chicken and corn, finely chop both the garlic and onions. Remove the seeds from the Jalapenos and mine them as finely as possible. Finally, coarsely chop the Mushrooms. Set these aside on a seperate plate or whatever.

3. Remove the chicken breasts and corn from the grill/oven. Set the chicken breasts aside and allow them to cool, while you unwrap the foil from the corn and slice the corn off the husk. Throw away the corn husks and set aside the corn. Cut the chicken into 1/2 inch cubes.

4. Heat the other 1 Tbsp. of oil in a large soup pan on medium heat (the one i use is about 80oz) until the oil is smokin' hot. Add the cut up Chicken breast, the salt, the white pepper, and the chopped onion, garlic and jalapenos, and cook on medium heat until the onion turns slightly golden. Add the corn and stir well.

5. Pour in the entire can of beer. Then, stir in all 3 cans of beans, as well as the bay leaves. Finally, stir in the 2 cups of chicken broth. Increase heat to "high", cover, and allow the entire mixture to come to a moderate boil.

6. Reduce heat to "low"(really low, like just above "off"), and stir in the mushrooms and sour cream. Cover, and allow to simmer on very low heat for 30 minutes. NOTE: if you see significant steam escaping the lid of the pan, you are simmering with the heat too high, it should be bubbling/steaming only slightly.

7. Serve Chili topped with fresh Cilantro leaves with Tortilla chips. If desired you may refridgerate the chili (just use the pan it's in) up to 4 days or Freeze it (lasts like a month or more)

[Tae-Bo]

i made the chili tonight for my roommates and i

it was delicious

[liquidstayce]

Met - That one looks awesome. I'm going to have to try it!

[liquidstayce]

ok.... this would be easy too - I have not made it yet but might give it a try. I've never used my crock pot before but maybe this is a good excuse to try it -



Crock-Pot Salsa Chicken

3-4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 16 oz jar salsa (Pace’s Lime & Garlic)
½ cup of light or ff sour cream
Lightly spray crock pot with non-stick cooking spray. Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the crock pot. Then season with taco seasoning package. Add the salsa over the top. Cover- cook on low for 6-8 hours. Remove the chicken from crock pot and sit to the side. Stir in the sour cream with the salsa left in the pot. Serve the chicken with the salsa sauce.

or

Sour Cream Chicken

3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut in strips
1 can reduced fat cream of mushroom soup
16 oz sour cream, fat free or light
1 package onion soup mix

Cook in crock pot for 5-7 hours on low or 3-5 hours on high. Another woman said she cooked it on low for over 12 hours and the chicken was falling apart.

[Metranon]

canned mushroom soup is a lazy chef's dream lol, really good in a lot of recipes...just watch out for MSG/added sodium

my old roomate used to make individual souffles with canned mushroom soup etc and it was awesome

[Oofdaa]

I'm going to try the chicken recipe. I'm always on the lookout for easy healthy dinners.