Tag Archives: chili

Dinner, Tex Mex

Big Pot o’ Chili

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Savory, hot chili – make it as spicy or as mild as you like. This one bulks up the veggies and uses turkey and very lean ground beef so it comes in at a low calorie count for a good sized portion. For 400 calories you can have a huge portion ! Try making this the next time you have a football party.

All the different tomato products used in this recipe have their own unique flavor and the combination of them is just perfect. But if you don’t particularly like one or another, feel free to substitute.

Cook this stovetop for hours to get that deep, rich, long simmer flavor – or you can cook this in the crock pot all day long while you are at work. Chili also does well in a pressure cooker. If you need instructions, just write to me and I’ll be happy to send you info.

Big Pot o' Chili
Big Pot o' Chili

20 servings
210 calories per serving

2 T oil
1 onion, chopped
20 oz. lean ground turkey
16 oz. very lean ground beef
5 ribs of celery, sliced
1 green pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
4 t minced garlic
10 oz. mushrooms, chopped
15.5 oz. can chick peas, rinsed and drained
15.5 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
15.5 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 15.75 oz. cans Campbells Pork and Beans (this addition really mellows out the tomato base)
28 oz. petite diced tomatoes
14.5 oz. fired roasted diced tomatoes
14.5 oz. stewed tomatoes
3 oz. chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped (if you don’t like heat, remove this ingredient. If you like it very spicy, add more of this ingredient)
29 oz. tomato sauce
1 T salt
1 T pepper
2 T garlic powder
1 T onion powder
5 T chili powder
3 t cumin
2 t basil flakes
2 t parsley flakes
3 t oregano flakes

Heat the oil in the bottom of a large dutch oven or soup pot. Saute onions, celery and green pepper and yellow pepper 15 minutes. Add the turkey and beef and continue cooking until meat is done. Be sure to break up meat into little pieces as it cooks. (if cooking in a crock pot, do this first step stove top in a skillet and then turn it all into a heated crock) Add garlic and mushrooms and stir. Add all spices and mix well. Bring to a boil them lower and simmer for 2-3 hours on a low heat. Stir occasionally and adjust spice during the last half hour of cooking. (if cooking in a crock pot, cook on low 8-10 hours or high 5-6 hours)

The leftovers freeze well – so don’t be afraid of the huge serving size. You can also cut this in half and make 10 servings – just halve everything. Serve with low fat sour cream and low fat shredded cheddar as a garnish / topping.

Beef, Dinner, Summer, Tex Mex

Chili Rubbed Steak

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The rub on this leaves a mildly spicy coating on the meat – none of the individual flavors stands out by itself – they all mingle and create a great flavor that leaves you coming back for more.

Chili Rubbed Steak
Chili Rubbed Steak

6 servings
290 calories per serving

2 t caraway seeds
2 t cumin seeds
½ t coriander seeds
2 T tomato sauce
1 T red chili paste
1 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ¾ t chili powder
2 lb. boneless beef sirloin
½ t salt
¼ t pepper

In a skillet mix the 3 seeds and cook on medium high for 3 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, being sure to stir constantly then cool completely. Using a coffee grinder, pulse seeds to a fine powder and then combine with tomato sauce, chili paste, oil, garlic and chili powder, salt and pepper. Spread the spice mix over and refrigerate 2 – 4 hours. Grill meat 20 minutes or to desired doneness. Remove from heat, tent with foil and let sit 10 minutes before slicing.

Dinner, Fish, Summer

Chili Garlic Tuna

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A nice ‘beefy’ tuna steak on the grill is one of those great summer treats. The leftovers make a GREAT tuna salad – just add a little low fat mayo and some diced up pickles or celery.

Chili Garlic Tuna
Chili Garlic Tuna


4 servings
335 calories per serving

2 cloves garlic, minced
½ t crushed red pepper
4 tuna steaks – 8 oz. each
2 t Chili Garlic sauce (found in the Asian section of your market)
Salt and pepper to taste
4 t oil
Lime zest as garnish
Lime juice

Heat the grill or preheat the broiler. Combine garlic, pepper flakes, chili garlic sauce and salt. Make several small slits in the tuna steaks and insert the garlic mix into the slits. Then rub the oil on the steaks and sprinkle with salt and pepper and grill or broil 3 – 5 minutes per side or until desired doneness. Squirt with a bit of lime juice and sprinkle with lime zest and serve.

Crock pot, Dinner

Black Bean Chili (Crock Pot)

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This is one of the most awesome chili recipes I have ever made ! The depth of flavor was amazing. This is a truly authentic, rich, aromatic and spicy chili that is just plain PERFECT. Don’t forget the squirt of lime just before serving – it actually makes a big difference in the total package.

Black Bean Chili (Crock Pot)
Black Bean Chili (Crock Pot)

10 servings
280 calories per serving

1 lb. dried black beans, rinsed
1 T oil
1 T mustard seeds
2 T chili powder
1 1/2 t cumin seeds
1/2 t cardamom seeds (or ground cardamom)
2 medium onions, chopped
1 lb. sliced mushrooms
8 oz. jarred salsa verde (medium heat)
1/4 c water
4 c vegetable broth
6 oz. can tomato paste
½ t salt
2 T minced canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 1/4 c shredded low fat cheddar cheese
1/2 c low fat sour cream
1/2 c chopped cilantro
2 limes, cut into wedges

Place beans in a bowl with 2 quarts of water and soak overnight. Mix oil, mustard seeds, chili powder, cumin and cardamom and place in a hot Dutch oven for 30 seconds to release more flavor then add in onions, mushrooms, tomatillos and water. Cover and cook 7 minutes then uncover and cook 15 minutes to lightly brown the veggies. Then add broth, tomato paste, salt and chipotles and mix. Place beans in a slow cooker and pour over the vegetable mix. Cover and cook on high 6-8 hours. Place into bowls and garnish with sour cream and cilantro and squirt with lime.

Dinner, Kid Friendly, Mexican, Pasta, Sides

Chili Cheese Macs

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This recipe transforms regular mac and cheese into a Mexican flavored side dish that is great next to a lean piece of chicken or fish.

Chili Cheese Macs
Chili Cheese Macs

4 servings
290 calories per serving

7.25 oz. boxed Mac and Cheese dinner
1 c canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 c canned diced tomatoes, drained
1 t chili powder
1/2 t cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Make the mac and cheese according to the package instructions using margarine and skim milk. Add the rest of the ingredients and heat through.

Dinner, Fish, Kid Friendly

Chili Lime Shrimp

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Chili / Lime is one of my favorite flavor combinations. Put it on just about anything and you get a smile from me 🙂 Add it to shrimp for a quick dinner that tastes anything but quick !

Chili Lime Shrimp
Chili Lime Shrimp

4 servings
186 calories per serving

Pam
¾ cup scallions, chopped
1 ½ lb. raw peeled cleaned shrimp
1 t chili powder
2 T lime juice
2 T buttery spread
½ t salt
1/ t garlic powder

Heat a skillet and spray it with Pam. Add ½ c scallions and cook 1 minute. Add 1 T hot water if needed to keep the scallions from getting dry. Add shrimp and spices and cook 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in juice and spread. Garnish with the remaining scallions.

Dinner, Mexican

Black Bean Chili

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This is a great quick chili – you can serve it with rice, drop the whole thing in some broth to make a soup, or eat as is with a nice dollop of sour cream on top.

Black Bean Chili
Black Bean Chili

4 servings
253 calories per serving

2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
14.5 oz. diced tomatoes
1 4 oz. can diced green chilies
2 t chili powder
1 t oregano flakes
1 t ground cumin
2 15 oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
Salt and pepper to taste
Pam

Place onion and garlic in a hot saucepan sprayed with Pam and cover and cook on low 5 minutes stirring occasionally and adding up to 1 couple of tablespoons of water to keep them from scorching. Stir in tomatoes and their juice, peppers, chili powder, oregano and cumin and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to low and simmer 5 minutes then add the beans and simmer another 5 minutes.

Mexican, Vegetables

Chili Lime Corn

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Hot, hot, hot and good, good, good !

Chili Lime Corn
Chili Lime Corn

4 servings
129 calories per serving

2 11 oz. cans of corn, well drained
2 T butter, soft
¼ t grated lime zest
2 t lime juice
½ t minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (available in the Mexican section of your grocer – or with most other Goya products)
1 t chili powder
½ t Kosher salt

Melt the butter and mix in the rest of the ingredients other than the corn. Then stir in corn and simmer until heated through.

Beef, Dinner, Summer, Tex Mex

Grilled Chili Rubbed Sirloin

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Flavorful with or without the sauce ! Grilled London Broil is one of my favorites, but sometimes it lacks flavor because it is a lean cut. This recipe puts all the flavor back in…and then some !

Grilled Chili Rubbed Sirloin
Grilled Chili Rubbed Sirloin

4 servings
160 calories per serving

1 lb. boneless sirloin steak
1 ½ T chili seasoning (or a mix of chili powder, garlic powder and onion powder)
¼ t pepper
Pam
½ c water
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 t instant coffee
1 ½ t Worcestershire sauce
¼ t salt

Sprinkle meat with chili seasoning (go heavier on the seasoning if you wish – it adds miniscule amounts of calories) and pepper and then spray with Pam. Use short little sprays so you don’t blow the dry ingredients off the meat. This makes a nice spicy ‘paste’ and keeps the meat from sticking to the grill. Heat grill and cook meat 6-10 minutes per side or until desired doneness. Alternately heat a skillet and cook steak 6-10 minutes or until desired doneness. Remove from grill or pan and tent with foil and let stand 5 minutes. Combine water, vinegar, coffee and Worcestershire and add to small pan and cook until reduced to ¼ c (about 5 minutes). Slice steak thinly and drizzle with sauce.

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