Cook It Up!

I’m becoming a cooking machine!

I picked up this great turkey chili recipe from my friend Anne, who made it at a chili cook-off. It placed second, behind a gal who made some crazy chili that had pork cooked in bacon fat, tomatillos and was topped with avocado cream and bacon. Fatty, eh? Good to know that healthy chili can be delicious, too! Here’s the recipe. It serves 6 people, so I’m making sure I portion it out to keep the calories in check. Also important to note is that I threw in some granulated garlic just for fun.

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 pound lean ground turkey breast
1 14 1/2-oz can diced tomatoes with jalapenos
1 10-1/2 oz can chickpeas, drained
1 10-1/2 oz can black beans, drained
1 10-1/2 oz can kidney beans, drained
1 10-1/2 oz can low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne

PREPARATION
In a large pot, heat the oil on medium-low. Add the onion and saute until soft (about 3 to 5 minutes). Add the turkey and brown it (about 5 minutes). Add the remaining ingredients. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Calories: 292 calories
Carbs: 32 g
Sodium: 787 mg
Fat: 5 g
Protein: 30 g
Fiber: 11 mg

The other recipe I’ve really enjoyed is something my friend Adam made for me last week, bruschetta chicken. It couldn’t be easier! The best part is that if I want to make plain baked chicken breasts, this is an excellent way to cook them… just eliminate the bruscetta topping and use a dash of olive oil, salt and pepper.
Foil-Pack Bruschetta Chicken Bake

1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 lb.)
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

HEAT oven to 400ºF.

COMBINE tomatoes, stuffing mix and garlic just until stuffing mix is moistened.

PLACE 1 chicken breast on center of each of 6 large sheets of heavy-duty foil sprayed with cooking spray; top with basil, stuffing mixture and cheese. Bring up foil sides; double fold top and ends to seal each packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Place in 15x10x1-inch pan.

BAKE 30 to 35 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF). Cool 5 min. Cut slits in foil to release steam before opening packets.

Sounds yummy, right? Cook on, everyone!