Healthy, But Hearty

Earlier this week, I enjoyed our brief brush with 70-80 degree weather. It was short lived, and it's back to winter weather. I had some gorgeous red and yellow peppers to use up, so a batch of chili seemed perfect. After chopping all the peppers, I realized that with the poblano, my peppers reminded me of a stoplight, hence the name. Since I was using low fat ground turkey plenty of peppers and beans, so I threw in some carrot for extra nutrition. Shhhhh, don't tell the hubby!



Stoplight Pepper & Turkey Chili

1lb ground turkey breast
2 turkey sausages
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 large red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 large yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup poblano pepper, finely diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 -1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 15 oz can beef broth
28 oz crushed tomatoes
15 oz tomato sauce
1 6 oz can tomato paste
14.5 oz diced tomatoes with chillies
1 15 oz can each of pinto, black and kidney beans, rinsed & drained
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp Mexican chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp Mexican oregano
1-2 tbsp vegetable oil

In a large pot, heat a little vegetable oil on medium-low heat, add onions, carrots and peppers, and saute a few minutes till softened. Add garlic and ground turkey and sausage (removed from casing and crumbled), and cook till browned, about 12-15 minutes total.

Add seasonings and stir to combine. Add broth and cook till simmering. Add tomatoes, half of the tomato paste and beans, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low, cover and simmer for 2 hours. Stir occasionally and add more tomato paste if necessary.

Serve with desired toppings - I like fat free plain yogurt, 2% Mexican blend shredded cheese & sliced green onions. Sometimes I like to add some crushed baked tortilla chips on top for some great texture and flavor.