Recipe Time: Turkey Quinoa Chili

So as part of the healthy lifestyle I have really tried to reform the way I eat and watch what I put into my body.  I don't consider this diet.  I don't count calories or follow any weight loss rules.   I just try to aim for "whole" or non-processed, fast foods with low fat count and high protein content.  Protein is an important part of a diet when trying to lean out and tone up.  I hope to share some of my recipes and go to meal ideas that I use.  So here's the first one:

Turkey Quinoa Chili

I know it doesn't look super pretty, but it's chili and it's delicious!

So I found this idea online and made some modifications.  A suggestion: the recipe below makes A LOT of chili.  I might recommend halving or even quartering this recipe if there is only one or two of you.  I made the whole recipe and it made 12 servings of 1 cup of chili.  There's only two of us at most, often just me, so that means a lot of leftovers.  Good news is that this is totally freezable.  After I had my fill of chili for a while, I portioned out the leftovers into 2-3 servings in a ziploc sandwich bag.  Then I put the bags in the freezer for later use.

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground turkey
1 cup quinoa, uncooked and rinsed*
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can crushed tomatoes (28oz)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced**
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste

*If you have never used quinoa before it is a seed like grain similar to couscous in shape.  It has a very high protein content.  One cup of uncooked quinoa (becomes at least 2 cups after cooking) contains 24g of protein.  It is very important to wash quinoa before use!

**If you like heat, leaves the seeds.  Either way, I recommend wearing gloves when handling raw jalapenos.  The capsaicin is absorbed by the skin and can leave you with a strong burning sensation on the skin for up to 48 hours.  I learned this the hard way.  It's rather uncomfortable and once absorbed no amount of handwashing will help.

Directions:

1. Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, and the water has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes.  Once finished, be sure to use a fork or other utensil to fluff the quinoa.

2. Brown ground turkey until no longer pink. Drain and discard any excess grease.  Set aside. 

3. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, garlic, and jalapeno pepper. Cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. 

4. Add chili powder and cumin. Cook 1 minute more to release the flavor of the spices. 

5. Stir in the tomatoes, beans, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, zucchini, oregano, and parsley. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Simmer until the bell peppers are tender, about 20 minutes

6. Once the red and green peppers are tender, stir in the quinoa, beef, and corn kernels. Return to a simmer, and cook 5 minutes to reheat. Stir in the cilantro to serve. 

Nutritional Info:

Servings: 12
Serving Size: 1 Cup
Calories (per serving): 271
Carbs (per serving): 34g
Fat (per serving): 7g
Protein (per serving): 19g
Fiber (per serving): 8g 
Iron (per serving): 19g

Give it try.  It's pretty tasty and very filling.  Plus it's healthy!