5 Ingredient Turkey Chilli: Perfect for a Weeknight Dinner

Stumped for weeknight dinner ideas. This was such a comfort food this weekend with the temperatures dropping. The cool weather and the warm chilli was a perfect end to this weekend. This never fails and puts a smile on everyone's face in our house. You can have this with corn bread, dinner rolls or even some baked tortilla chips and a salad on the side. Can't beat the quick 5 ingredients meal. You can thank me later :)

This is just an idea for a quick meal on days when you are running from one activity to the other or need to take a quick dish for a potluck. If you have the time please go for the fresh ingredients whenever possible. Season and steam the beans and chop/cook the tomatoes from scratch but then there are times that you have absolutely no time to do all the above and this has saved the day many a times.

5 Ingredient Turkey Chilli

RECIPE: 5 Ingredient Turkey Chilli: Perfect for a Weeknight Dinner

Ingredients

1 TBSP Sunflower Oil
1 Pkg Ground Turkey
3 (15 oz) Cans diced tomatoes or fresh (I like to use fresh on most nights but tomato cartons work in a pinch)
2 (15 oz) can Beans (again I like to soak and pressure cook mine. You can use Black beans, kidney beans or a combo of any beans you have)
1 small Onion, diced
Salt and pepper to taste

Toppings: Shredded cheese, chopped green onions, sour cream, cilantro etc.

Method

1. Heat a TBSP of oil in a cast iron skillet and cook the onions on medium heat till soft and a little browned. Add turkey meat and cook till it is browned, stirring frequently. Add the remaining ingredients and stir it well. 
2. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the onion and tomatoes are soft and fully cooked.
3. Serve warm with toppings, dinner rolls (recipe here) or corn bread.

Hope you enjoy it! Please don't forget to like and comment.

Dinner rolls

These Rolls are a cross between dinner rolls and biscuits. They are light, flaky and a perfect texture to eat with a soup or dip in a gravy. My kids love these and can't wait for them to come out of the oven.

RECIPE: Dinner Rolls

Ingredients

2 cups of Bisquick

1/2 cup of Greek Yogurt (Fage 0% Milk)

1/4 to 1/2 cup of 7-Up soda

1/4 cup of butter

Method

1. Add the Bisquick into a medium sized mixing bowl.
2. Fold in the Greek Yogurt.
3.  Then add the 7-Up little by little and mix until a soft dough ball is formed. You don't want to make it too watery so add a little at a time.
4.  Then add the 7-Up and mix until a soft dough ball is formed.
5. Place the dough ball on top and use your hand to press the dough out.
6.  Use a drinking glass to cut out biscuits.
7. Tilt the pan so the bottom is lightly coated with the melted butter.
8. Place the cut out biscuits over the butter in the baking pan.
9. Bake in oven for 12-15 minutes or until biscuit tops are golden brown.  Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before transferring to a bread basket or serving platter.

Step-by-step process,

Add the Bisquick into a medium sized mixing bowl. Fold in the sour cream.

Then add the 7-Up and mix until a soft dough ball is formed.

Dust the counter top or cutting board with a little Bisquick. Place the dough ball on top and use

your hand to press the dough out. Use a biscuit cutter, round cookie cutter or drinking glass to cut

out biscuits.

Roll it into a ball again, flatten it and cut out more rolls

Then melt the butter and place it into a 9” round baking pan. Tilt the pan so the bottom is lightly

coated with the melted butter. Place the cut out biscuits over the butter in the baking pan.

Bake in oven for 12-15 minutes or until biscuit tops are golden brown. Remove from oven and let

sit for 5 minutes before transferring to a bread basket or serving platter.

Served with the Bean and green soup

Hearty Bean and green soup

Sniffles or not this is one of those soups that does the trick every time. It is a highly nutritious and satisfying soup.

The Truth About Kale

Kale has been deemed the "Superfood" for the last few years. I read an article a few months back (WebMD Magazine) and it was called the Nutritional Powerhouse by a panel of experts.

Since then I have incorporated Kale in our diet in a big way. It is a low calorie and anti-oxidant rich vegetable that I use in soups, pastas, quiches as well as sauteed with potatoes or tofu. My kids wash it and eat it raw. Believe it or not I put some in my smoothies and it tastes great to the horror of my husband. He is pretty unadventurous in terms of this (well I don't blame him, sounds awful unless you try it) I turned my nose up at it too until I tried it and it is a staple snack now.

Kale is readily available in the US, not sure about its availability outside the US. Would love to know if you live in another country and can find it easily. I can rave about the benefits of Kale for the rest of the day but you get my point.  Lets get started with today's recipe.


Bean and green soup with Kale

 RECIPE: Hearty Bean and Green Soup
Ingredients
1 Tbsp Olive oil
6-8 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Onion, chopped
4 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
2 tsp Italian herb seasonings
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp caraway seeds (black cumin)
4-5 Cups Chicken or vegetable broth
4 Cups Raw Kale, chopped (hard stalk and veins removed)
1 Can Cannellini beans, un-drained
1 Can Navy beans, un-drained
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Cup Coriander, chopped


Method

1. In a large pot heat the olive oil, add the cumin and caraway seeds. Once they start to sizzle add the garlic and onions till soft and translucent.
2. Add the Kale and saute until wilted.
3. Add the broth and the whole can of Cannellini beans. Add half of the Navy beans as well. 
4. Add the tomatoes, Italian herb seasoning, salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Crush the left over navy beans with your hand and get it to a pasty consistency. Add to the soup to thicken. Simmer for another 15-20 minutes.
6. Ladle into soup bowls, sprinkle with fresh coriander and serve with dinner rolls.

Step-by-step process,

I like to start by chopping all my ingredients. Mince the garlic, chop the onions, tomatoes and coriander. 

If you have not worked with Kale before make sure you wash it thoroughly and using organic Kale would be my preference. Make sure you take out the hard veins and stalks from the kale and finely chop the rest of it.

remove hard veins and stalks

In a large pot heat the olive oil, add 1/4 tsp cumin and 1/4 tsp caraway seeds. Once they start to sizzle add the garlic and onions till soft and translucent.

Add the Kale and saute until wilted.

Wilted

 Add the broth and the can of Cannelloni beans. Add half of the Navy beans can.

Navy Beans

Cannellini Beans

Add the tomatoes, Italian herb seasoning, salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Crush the left over navy beans with your hand and get it to a pasty consistency. Add to the soup to thicken. Simmer for another 15-20 minutes.

Ladle into soup bowls, sprinkle with fresh coriander and serve with dinner rolls.

Served with dinner rolls

Enjoy!!! It was such a satisfying meal...Look out for these easy Dinner rolls recipe next.

Pan-sauteed, Black-eyed-peas

This dish was inspired by a recent trip to the grocery store and I happened to find these...Oh so fresh Black Eyed Peas staring at me. They screamed to be picked up and now I am making this as we go. I have no idea what it will turn out into. My plan is to open up my spice cabinet and take a whiff of some spices and use what feels will work well with the peas, easiest way to create your own original recipe.

There are several names for these peas. In India and Pakistan they are known as Lobhia or Rongi.

So after raiding my refrigerator I have come up with onions, garlic, Cherry tomatoes, Spinach, Lemon juice, Balsamic vinegar, Coriander leaves as some ingredients for this recipe. For the spices, I will be using cumin, coriander and fresh ground garam masala powders.

Final look

Recipe: Pan Sauteed Black Eyed Peas


Ingredients
2 Tbsp Olive oil
2 tsp Cumin seeds
8-10 Garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 Onion, finely chopped
10-12 Cherry tomatoes, halved

salt to taste
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1-2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

2 Cups spinach, finely chopped
24 Oz Black eyed peas, cooked in salted water
dash of lemon juice
coriander leaves for garnish


Method

1. Heat the olive oil on high heat and add the cumin seeds and garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes or until they turn light brown.
2. Add the onions and cook till they are translucent and a little soft. This should take another 3-4 minutes.
3. Now add the cherry tomatoes, salt and garam masala and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Turn down the heat and add balsamic vinegar. Toss it all up and add the spinach. Cook till its still bright green but wilted.
5. Add the black eyed peas and finally the lemon juice.
6. Serve hot with cardamom infused, steamed Quinoa and a salad. Garnish with Coriander leaves.

Step-by-step process,

Heat the olive oil on high heat and add the cumin seeds and garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes or until they turn light brown.



Add the onions and cook till they are translucent and a little soft. This should take another 3-4 minutes.



Now add the cherry tomatoes, salt and garam masala and cook for 2 minutes.

Turn down the heat and add balsamic vinegar. Toss it all up and add the spinach. Cook till its still bright green but wilted.

Add the cooked black eyed peas and finally the lemon juice.




Serve hot with cardamom infused, steamed Quinoa and a salad. Garnish with Coriander leaves.

I was in a good mood today so I added tandoori potatoes to the menu. This is what my plate looked like...yum. Enjoy making it as much as I did and I am off to go eat my supper.