Recipe for Health: Awesome Turkey Chili

Fitness professional, educator and IDEA member Jamie Davidson, MS, has taken the guesswork out of fast, weeknight cooking by combining beloved convenience ingredients from U.S. specialty grocer Trader Joe’s with fresh ingredients and ingenuity. The result is Livin’ Lean with Trader Joe’s®, one of two “TJ’s”-inspired cookbooks she has written.

The holidays are ramping up, which means your already compressed schedule is getting even tighter. Give yourself a break—and a hearty nutritional boost—with this slow-cooker chili dinner.

The unexpected ingredients of cocoa powder and beer give this chili its deep flavor.

“When selecting ground turkey, remember that the amount of fat in ground turkey varies, depending on the proportions of dark and light meat,” advises Davidson. She suggests using extra-lean turkey breast if you want a lower-fat version of this recipe. Serves 10.

1 T extra virgin olive

2 large onions, chopped or 2 C TJ’s Diced Onions

1⅓ t TJ’s Crushed Garlic or 4 large garlic cloves, minced

2 lb lean ground turkey or
chicken

¼ C chili powder

1 T ground cumin

2 t dried oregano, crumbled

2 t unsweetened cocoa powder

½ t cayenne powder or to taste

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 (15 oz) cans TJ’s Diced
Tomatoes, undrained

2 T tomato paste

2 (15 oz) cans pinto or kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (12 oz) bottle dark beer

½ C TJ’s Chicken Broth

1 bay leaf

Recipe Key:

C = cup

T = tablespoon

t = teaspoon

oz = ounce

lb = pounds

Heat oil in a nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add onions and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add garlic, sauté briefly (45 seconds), and transfer onion and garlic to a bowl.
Increase heat to high and cook ground turkey until lightly browned. Pour off excess fat.
Place onions, garlic and turkey in a 3½- to 5-quart slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients and cook on low for 6–8 hours. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Per serving: 280 calories; 10 g fat; 64 mg cholesterol; 520 mg sodium*; 22 g carbohydrates; 5.5 g fiber; 34 g protein.

*Rinsing the beans will reduce sodium by at least one-third. Reduce sodium further by substituting TJ’s Low Sodium Chicken Broth (70 mg/cup) for the chicken broth

Source: Reprinted with permission from Livin’ Lean with Trader Joe’s, by Jamie Davidson, 2011, Resolve Publishing, Walnut Creek, California. © Jamie Davidson, MS. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved. Order books from www.JamieDavidsonCooks.com or from Amazon.