Mary's Slow Cooker Chili

My turkey chili is made up of vegetables, beans and tomatoes with a smoky, spicy punch from the adobo chilies. It’s low in fat and high in protein and fiber, making it filling, but not heavy. For days when you want to have a savory warm supper with minimal effort, this chili hits the spot. By prepping the onions and peppers the night before, all that’s left for the morning is browning the meat and you’re good to go. We’re using canned chilies here, and you will have several chilies left over after you make this recipe (I had 8). I recommend putting 2-3 per Ziploc snack bag and sticking them in the freezer so you can use them in future creations. This dish freezes extremely well and can be reheated on a chilly day, when you don’t have time for cooking.

What You Need:

1 ½ lbs ground turkey

3 sweet peppers, diced

1 sm-med brown onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 15 oz can pinto beans, drained
1 - 20 oz can kidney beans, drained
1 - 6oz can tomato paste
1 - 28 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 - 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with chipotle seasonings, undrained
12 oz beer at room tempurature (Sam Adam’s)
2 adobo chilies, minced
2 cups frozen corn
½ tsp salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbs chili powder
2 Tbs cumin
1 Tbs oil (any kind will work)

Optional Toppings: hot sauce, shredded cheese, sour cream or Greek yogurt and minced onion

What To Do:

Heat 1 Tbs oil (any kind will work) in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, brown turkey for about 8 minutes and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Combine all ingredients, except corn, in a slow cooker.

Stir well and cook on low setting for 8 hours, adding corn during last hour of cooking.

Serves A Crowd

Bon Appétit!

Mary

Garden Salad with Mango Pineapple Vinaigrette

As my sister and I debated about where we should go for lunch today, I realized I’d much rather throw together a salad at home than drive somewhere and pay 10 bucks. I learned from Rachel Ray that if you combine your favorite jam with a little olive oil and vinegar, you can make a million different variations of white wine vinaigrette. While browsing the wall-o-jam at Mother’s Market last week, I saw mango pineapple jam for the first time and the gears instantly started turning. I added beans to this salad to crank up the protein just a bit. If you’re not a big fan of beans, leave them out or substitute cooked shrimp. If I had an avocado handy, I’d have thrown that on there also for some added creaminess.

What You Need:

1 head romaine, cut into thin strips

1 can mandarin oranges, drained
½ cup beans, rinsed and drained
1 med shallot, thinly sliced
½ cucumber, thinly sliced
½ cup alfalfa spouts
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
4 oz crumbled goat cheese
1 recipe mango pineapple vinaigrette, recipe follows



What To Do:
Divide all ingredients between two plates and serve immediately.


Serves 2 (entrée portions)


Bon Appétit!
Mary





Mango Pineapple Vinaigrette

What You Need:

2 Tbs white wine vinegar

1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs 100% fruit mango pineapple jam
Salt and pepper to taste

What To Do:

Combine all ingredients in a small food processor and whirl away until smooth or wisk together by hand. If you find that your dressing is a little too thick, add vinegar ½ tsp at a time until desired consistency. Set aside.