Happy (belated) New Year!
I know I'm late but as this is my first post of 2017, I thought it was only appropriate to start the new year off with a delicious and healthy recipe. I'm so excited to share this dish because it was my first ever attempt at making chili with turkey rather than beef or chicken. I've been fairly hesitant about using turkey previously because I thought the flavor would be overwhelming. However, I'm so glad I gave it a try! Not only was this super tasty but also incredibly fast - the perfect meal for a busy week night.
I particularly liked how easy it was to sneak in extra vegetables to make it even healthier - I added grated sweet potatoes, leeks and two kinds of bell pepper. I'd never tried grating sweet potatoes into a dish like this but they added a really nice background sweetness. Additionally, there are two types of beans to help make this be even more filling. I had the chili on its own while Matt had his with some easy microwaveable rice and we were both completely full. And we still had plenty leftover for dinner the next day. I did cheat a little by using a packet of chili seasoning but I think for a quick meal like this, that's totally fine. If you have more time, definitely try out your own seasonings as that way you can control the salt and heat.
One important note: all ground (or minced if you're in the UK) turkey is not created equal! If you want to keep an eye on the fat and cholesterol content, make sure you're getting ground turkey breast rather than thigh meat.
Finally, this chili would make an excellent workplace lunch and this recipe could easily be doubled to provide for the whole week. Yum!
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 20-30 min
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 large leek, quartered and finely chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
500g ground turkey breast (2% fat)
1 packet of chili seasoning
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 large sweet potato, peeled and grated
1 can red kidney beans, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 can sweet corn, drained
Method:
In a large pot over medium-high heat, sauté the red onion and leek in a splash of olive oil until they start to soften. Add in the red and yellow peppers and continue cooking, stirring frequently. When the peppers have softened, add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
Next, stir in the ground turkey and break it up as it browns. Keep mixing to ensure that all of the turkey is cooked before adding in the chili seasoning, chopped tomatoes and grated sweet potatoes. Allow the pot to simmer for about five minutes, adding a splash of water as needed. When the sweet potatoes have softened, add in the beans and corn before leaving the entire mix to simmer for another five minutes or so.
Serve with lighter cheddar cheese, jalopenos, olives and any other toppings you fancy!
Enjoy!
