Turkey Chili and Cornbread Muffins

It's a blustery, cool, rainy afternoon at our house so I decided to make something warm and hearty.  My absolute favorite thing to cook is soups and stews, which are usually reserved for fall & winter days, so it was fun for me to make this at the end of May!  This is a quick recipe, made hearty with lean ground turkey and kidney beans.  We topped it with freshly grated cheddar and fresh chopped cilantro to brighten it up.  To speed things up I made cornbread muffins rather than a loaf of cornbread.

Recipe (serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 - 1 1/4 pounds lean ground turkey

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon Chili Powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon dry Italian Seasoning

1 15-ounce can Organic Chopped Tomatoes

1 6-ounce can Tomato Paste

1 15-ounce can Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup chopped, fresh cilantro

1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese

1. Add ground turkey and onions to large stock pot, cook thoroughly, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until cooked through and the meat is no longer pink and onions are opaque.  

2. Add garlic and red bell pepper, cook 1-2 minutes.  Add chili powder, cumin, and Italian seasoning to meat mixture, toss to coat and toast spices (~1 minute). 3. Add canned tomatoes, tomato paste and 2-3 cups of water to pot.  Cover and simmer 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, (May add more water as needed to desired thickness).

4. Add beans to the pot, cook for 5 more minutes until beans are heated through.  Turn off heat and add chopped cilantro.  Sprinkle grated cheese on top and serve.

Cornbread muffins:  I use a boxed mix from Trader Joe's, although I modify the recipe.  Instead of oil I add alittle extra Non-fat milk and water to reach the same volume or slightly less as I also add in a 4-ounce can of diced green chilies, which contribute more liquid.  I bake them as muffins or in a baking dish.