Healthy and Warm For Winter…Chipotle Butternut Turkey Chili
After taking a brief sabbatical from cooking anything remotely creative, I am back with a vengeance. Armed with a new registered dietitian license and a few hungry clients to appease, I found myself daydreaming about cold weather recipes, since, although it is Los Angeles, the nights have gotten a little brisk, and stew/chili season is definitely here.
I wanted to create something that was not only warm for the impending cold weather season, but I also wanted it to have at least one seasonal vegetable, and of course, be healthy and taste delicious. Here is what I came up with. This dish has butternut squash, one of my personal favorites. This oddly shaped veggie is low in fat, high in fiber, vitamin A (good for your skin!!) and vitamin B6, which helps keep your immune and nervous system functioning. Another awesome fact about butternut squash is that it has anti-inflammatory effects due to its high antioxidant content. One cup cooked only has about 82 calories!
This dish does use canned tomatoes for the chili. I use Trader Joe’s brand, which I have never had a problem with. If you are against anything canned, you can totally puree your own tomatoes and use everything from scratch.
Anyhow, check out this recipe…it’s really delicious and makes enough to feed yourself for a few meals or some hungry friends you might want to invite over for dinner.
CHIPOTLE BUTTERNUT TURKEY CHILI
- 2 cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
- 3/4 tsp Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp, ground Oregano
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 3 clove Garlic
- 1.25 cup, chopped Onions
- 3 large Scallions
- 1 lb Butternut Winter Squash
- 1/2 cup Trader Joe’s Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
- 99% Fat Free Extra Lean Ground Turkey Breast ( I use Empire Kosher Organic)
- 3/4 cup Trader Joe’s 17 Dried Bean Medley (other grocery stores also sell this medley)
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
- 3/4 cup Trader Joe’s Organic Tomato Sauce
Preparation
In a skillet, cook the turkey meat until it is no longer pink. While it is cooking, place everything except the garlic, onions, scallions and red pepper into the crock pot. Once the turkey is cooked, place that into the crock pot. Sauté the garlic, onions, scallions and red pepper until the onions are soft and add that to the crock pot. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours. Feel free to sprinkle with parmesan cheese or as I did, avocado slices!!
