Chipotle Bison Chili

  

I was really wanting Bison chili for some reason... A smokey, chipotle chili that would be good topped with blue cheese.... I was flying off the cuff adding this and that to achieve a desired flavor. The first time I made it, I loved it but of course since it was dash, bam, boom... I didn't measure a darn thing. I had to re make it several times to pay closer attention to what I did. So here it is! I hope you like it!!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp liquid smoke
1/2 yellow onion
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 Bell Peppers (red & green)
1 jalapeño
1/3c navy dry beans
1/3c dry garbanzo beans
1/3c dry red beans
1 lb ground bison
1-2 chipotle chicken sausage (Trader Joe's)
1c sliced cherry tomatoes

Spices:

4 tsp ground chipotle
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano

Step 1:

Make sure you soak your beans overnight in water. If you forgot and don't have much time left put them in a crock pot on high, cover the beans in double the amount in water.
In the crock pot the beans will take about 5 hours to cook.
You can boil on the stove on high, which can be a risky task if you're busy. 

 

Step 2:

In a large pan on the stove heat a tablespoon of olive oil and liquid smoke (this is a very important ingredient!) next add in your minced garlic and diced onion.
Cook until the onions are translucent. 

Step 3:

Add in your spices and diced Peppers. 

Step 4:

Slice your sausage and add to the pan along with your ground bison . Cook until bison is all browned.- I didnt make it to Trader Joes this time so I tried to find the healthiest sausage out there... BTW... I use chicken sausage

Step 5:

Now add in your beans and about one cup of sliced cherry tomatoes.
Let it simmer until tomatoes are completely wilted. 

 

 

WARNING:

This dish is spicy! If you're not that into spicy food cut back on the cayenne pepper and jalapenos.

also since I don't cook with salt, if the dish feels like it needs more flavor go ahead and add 1/4 tsp of salt in about 1 tbsp of tomato paste.

finally top your dish cheese and avocado and dig in!!! Any way you choose! Chips or Spoons allowed!!

Southwest Quinoa Bake

My husband and I have be come devout fans of quinoa. This grain is so incredibly good for you but the unique texture add a little pizazz to all sorts of dishes. I also really like how it takes on the flavor you give it. Its a neat mixture, to me, between a rice and pasta. This dish also incorporates are favorite things all in one :) I found this online somewhere and of course altered it ... I can never leave a recipe the way I find it.

Ingredients:

1/2 c Quinoa
3/4 c Chicken Broth
1/2 an Onion
1 Jalapeño
Minced 2 tbsp Garlic
2 Bell peppers (I like to use a little of all 3 colors, its prettier)
2 c cooked Black beans
1/2 lb Ground turkey or diced chicken
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Cayenne
1 tsp Chili Powder
1/2 c Cheese (your choice)

 

Step 1: 

Dice up your onion, jalapeño and garlic then toss it in a LARGE pan and set to med heat

Step 2:

Dice all your bell peppers, apx 1/2 cup of each color (red, yellow & green) and put them into a small dry pan on medium heat. 

Step 3:

Rinse your quinoa and put into a small pot with chicken broth. Set stove to medium heat, cover and let simmer about 10 minutes

Step 4: 

Pay attention to bell peppers as they roast in a dry pan. Flip occasionally, so they brown  evenly. Once its done (apx 15 mins total time) put into a bowl on the side.

Step 5:

Now that everything is on the stove and in progress add the ground turkey or chicken, black beans and 1/2 of dry spices to the large pan with your onion, jalapeno and garlic.

* you can make it vegetarian style too and its still delicious!!

Step 6:

When the bell peppers are done roasting set them aside in a bowl. In the same pan add your cooked quinoa and 1/2 of dry spices spices. This will toast the quinoa, cook for approximately 5 minutes or until lightly browned.

Step 7:

Layer away in an 8x8 pan!
Meat mixture frist followed by, quinoa, roasted peppers and cheese! You can pick whatever cheese suits you, but I use pepper jack.

Bake at 350 until cheese is melted and dish is hot. Apx 10 minutes. 

Lastly, slice and devour!

Chicken Escondido

There isnt much to say about this dish except it is LOVED in my house! It's so easy to make and so healthy that you may wonder how its all possible. This meal should easily make 6 servings for a female... but add in a muscular man and its hard to even make it for left overs... I don't ever get this for leftovers cause my husband eats it all! Such a food Monster. Once you try this you'll understand why.

Ingredients: 

2 tbsp Olive oil

2 tbsp Balsamic Vinagrette

1 tbsp Minced Garlic

1 Jalapeño

1/4 c Sun dried Tomatoes

3 Chicken Breasts / 1lb
2 cups Black beans, cooked

16oz jar of Salsa Verde

Step 1:

Prep your pan with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon of minced garlic.

Step 2:

Dice 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes and 1 jalapeño sauteed in the balsamic oil mixture.

Step 3:

Next dice 2 to 3 chicken breasts approximately 1-1/2 c and add it into the mix!

Step 4:

Add the black beans and salsa Verde and let simmer until it thickens!

We don't even serve this with rice or anything, its so good all by itself!! This one is so good I didn't even have a chance to take a picture of the meal, next time... since we eat it one a week!

 

ENJOY!

Turkey Chili

 

This recipient evolved from my Mommys amazing chili! I just make it with ground turkey instead of beef and I added a couple more spices and beans to it! This is absolutely one of my favorite... Well I have a lot of favorites but, this is one of my favorite recipes!

 

Ingredients:

1 lb Ground Turkey
1 tsp Basil
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Cayenne
2 tsp Cumin
1 tbsp Garlic
1 8 oz can tomato sauce or 4oz tomato paste and 4oz water
1 c diced tomatoes
1 c Salsa (tomato bell pepper based)
2 c (1-16oz can) Kidney Beans
2 c  (1-16oz can) Garbanzo Beans

On medium heat Brown your turkey and all the spices. 

Once the turkey is cooked add your tomatoes, tomato sauce, salsa and beans. Let it simmer until liquid is thick. 

** If using drive beans make sure you soak 1 cup of each type of dry beans overnight. This will give you 2 cups of each and will be ready too cook.

Or you can use 1 16 ounce can of each type. 

Serve over rice or eat it by itself!! Yummy!! 

Enjoy!

Chicken Luau

Chicken Luau is by far my most favorite Hawaiian dish from home! Well... I have a lot of favorites but I really love Coconut and Taro leaf (which is like spinach) so its easily a fav! I again altered the recipe slightly to make it more competition lean machine, bodybuilding friendly... So here it is:

 Ingredients:

1 can of full fat coconut milk
2 c of low sodium chicken broth
4 c of canned or frozen spinach
1 tsp Garlic powder
1 tsp Onion powder
1 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Parsley
1 TBSP Coconut flour

Add your can of coconut milk, chicken broth, flour and spices to your pan and whisk  together. Here I used a large 9x16 baking pan. 

Next add your spinach and whisk again until combined. 

If you're wanting to use fresh spinach remember that spinach reduces down. I would suggest at least doubling the amount of spinach if you're using raw leaves. 

For this recipe I like to use a nice lean chicken breast with any additional fat cut away. The reason is because it going to be like a casserole consistency and any of the fat left on the chicken breast you and up eating and of course I want little to no fat as possible.

Dice up your chicken breast and put it in the pan and mix together.

Since the goal of this recipe is to reduce the liquid down to nice thick consistency is this will need to bake for a good amount of time.  If you want the recipe more soup like, then you bake it for a short time or until you get the consistency/ thickness you desire.

Bake @ 350° F  - 2 hours

Serve over rice or not!! YUM!

ENJOY!

Quinoa Turkey Stuffed Bell Pepper

So I'm preparing for a competition but I know my husband doesn't want to eat boring meals every night so I took a wonderful stuffed bell pepper recipe by Emeril Lagasse that I've used for many years and altered it. I had to make it competition meal friendly with lots of nutrients and low fat so here it is! Nothing like what I used to make but still very delicious!

Ingredients:

1 c Onion
1/2 c Red Bell Peppers
1 TBSP Garlic
1 TBSP Parsley
1/2 tsp Coriander
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/2 tsp Basil
Pinch Red Pepper flakes
1 lb ground Turkey
3-6 green Bell Peppers

Finely dice your onion and bell pepper and place in a hot skillet with olive oil and garlic.  Cook until onions are translucent.

Next add one pound of ground turkey and spices. 

In another pot on the stove to cook your quinoa and chicken broth until the King what is a little translucent on the edges.

Once its done add to quinoa and tomato paste to your turkey vegetable mixture.

Cover and let it simmer.

Pull out another large pot, fill it with water and set it to high while the water is heating remove the tops and seeds of your green bell peppers.

Place bell peppers in boiling water for approximately 5 minutes or until slightly soft.
Fill peppers with quinoa turkey mixture and top with any type of cheese that you enjoy in this case I used provolone.

Bake for approximately 15 minutes at 350 F or until the cheese is melted.

This recipe will easily fill 6 green bell peppers but I only filled 3 the filling is great for leftovers if you don't have 6 people to feed.

 

ENJOY!