There’s nothing more satisfying, sometimes, than a hot bowl of chili on a cold winter’s night. My mom and I used to make chili with the seasoning packets they sell at the store. All the different spices were conveniently premixed for you, including tons of sodium. I took a look at the nutrition information on one of these packets a few years ago and was shocked at the sodium content! Since then, I have been making chili using my own spices and seasoning at home. I think it’s a much better choice because you control the amount and quality of ingredients that go into your food. It’s also not that much more difficult or time consuming. You probably already have all the necessary ingredients sitting on your spice rack.
I’ve played around with different recipes, but I really like this particular version of my turkey chili. It has less calories and fat because I use lean turkey. Plus, there’s tons of nutrients from the beans and carrots I add. You can substitute other veggies of your choice if you don’t like beans or carrots. Red peppers, corn, and zucchini would all work very well.
Give my recipe a try sometime this winter and you’ll have a delicious pot of chili in no time!
Recipe
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. ground lean turkey
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. ground cumin
pinch red pepper flakes
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
hot sauce (optional)
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, shredded or finely chopped
1/2 to 3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (15 oz.) can red kidney beans
DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add turkey and garlic. Break up the meat with the back of a wooden spoon into small crumbles. Add the Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, cumin and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and black pepper. Add a few dashes of hot sauce to make the chili a little spicy (optional). Brown the meat for 5 minutes.
2. Add onions and carrots. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth and deglaze the pan, scraping up the drippings. Add tomato sauce and beans. Cover and let simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the remaining 1/4 cup chicken broth if necessary and adjust salt and spice levels to your liking. You could serve chili with a little shredded cheese or chopped onions.
