Soup's On Sunday: Turkey Chili and Chips

This "one-pot" protein-filled dinner swaps out traditional beef for leaner white meat turkey. Most of the ingredients come straight from your pantry, so if you like this dish, keep the canned ingredients in your cupboard. You cook everything together in a large skillet, minimizing prep and cleanup time.

When you bake your own tortilla chips, you turn down the fat and salt and amp up the flavor. Ditch the store-bought bag for a warm basket of freshly baked chili dippers.

Ingredients for Chili
(Cooking Light)
*1 bag brown boil-in-bag or 90-second microwavable brown rice
*1 tablespoon vegetable oil
*1 cup chopped onion
*3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper (less than 1 pepper)
*1/2 pound ground white meat turkey breast
*1 tablespoon chili powder
*1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
*1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
*1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
*1/4 teaspoon salt
*1/4 teaspoon black pepper
*1 15-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
*1 14.5-ounce can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes with jalapeno peppers and spices, undrained (see *Note)
1 5.5-ounce can tomato juice
1/4 cup preshredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
optional: top with light sour cream and chopped fresh chives

*Note: to cut the spicy-factor, mix half a can of stewed tomatoes with half a can of Mexican-style stewed tomatoes

Chili Recipe:
1. Cook rice (see package directions) without adding salt and fat
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey first, letting it start to brown and crumble a bit. Then add green pepper and onion. Cook until the turkey is cooked through (cut into a piece - when it's cooked, it will be white not pink). This may take up to 10 minutes, but keep your eye on it.
3. Stir in chili powder and next 8 ingredients to tomato juice. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
4. Serve over rice. Add sour cream (optional), cheese, and chives (optional).

Ingredients for Tortilla Chips:
*1 package of corn tortillas
*salt or your whatever spice you want the chips to taste like

Chip Recipe:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Spray tortillas with nonstick oil on both sides.
3. Cut tortillas into quarters and place on baking sheet
4. Top with whatever you'd like! I used a thyme-fennel salt on some of them, and cumin or regular sea salt on others. Other flavors you could try are chili powder, garlic salt, or paprika.
5. Bake until brown and crispy, 12-15 minutes.

Serve up your chili with water, an ice cold beer, or a tall glass of milk (for kids --and adults who like drinking milk!).

Nutrition Facts (courtesy of Cooking Light): CALORIES 380 (26% from fat); FAT 10.5g (sat 2.8g, mono 2.6g, poly 3.3g), PROTEIN 21.4g; CARB 51g; FIBER 11.2g; CHOL 50mg; IRON 4mg; SODIUM 739mg; CALC 125mg. (based on eating 1/4 of the chili with 1/4-cup of reduced-fat cheddar cheese)

Rustic Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

Tart cranberries and lightly sweetened, spongy cake sum up this holiday snack that's just as good for dessert as it is for breakfast. It's perfect to have on hand for hungry family and friends over the holidays. When they wander into the kitchen looking for something to eat, a piece of your cake will be just what they didn't know they wanted. It was a huge hit at my family's Thanksgiving, and already on the request list for next November!

EatingWell's Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

Ingredients
* 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
* 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, sliced into tablespoons and softened
* 2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup fresh orange juice, divided
* 1 12-ounce bag fresh or frozen (thawed) cranberries (about 3 cups)
* 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (see *note)
* 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 large eggs, at room temperature (see Tip)
* 1/3 cup canola oil
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup low-fat milk, at room temperature
* Whipped cream for garnish (optional)

*note: If you can't find whole-wheat pastry flour (and I couldn't), swap it for equal parts cake flour and all-purpose flour. My cake still turned out light and delicious.

Tip: "To bring an egg to room temperature, set it on the counter for 15 minutes or submerge it (in the shell) in a bowl of lukewarm (not hot) water for 5 minutes." -EatingWell

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Heat brown sugar, 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons orange juice in a large (12-inch) cast-iron or regular skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter melts and the mixture starts to bubble. Let cool. (this smells amazing)
3. Coat the sides of the skillet with cooking spray.
4. Bring the remaining 1/4 cup orange juice and cranberries to a simmer in a medium saucepan, stirring often, until about half the cranberries have popped. Pour evenly over the cooled brown sugar mixture in the skillet.
5. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
6. Separate egg whites and yolks. Place the yolks in a large bowl and add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, oil, granulated sugar and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer or stand mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
7. Stir in the flour mixture alternately with milk, using a rubber spatula, starting and ending with the flour. Stir just until the flour is incorporated.
8. Beat the egg whites in a clean dry mixing bowl with clean dry beaters on medium-high speed until they hold soft peaks. Fold one-third of the egg whites into the batter, then gently fold in the rest until almost no white streaks remain. Spread the batter over the cranberries.
9. Bake until the top is golden brown and the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and carefully invert the cake onto a serving plate. Let cool for at least 30 minutes more before serving. Serve warm or room temperature. Garnish with whipped cream, if desired.

Q&A:
How do I...
Q....fold in the egg whites?
A. Plunge a rubber spatula into the egg whites and draw a straight line. Gently lift the egg whites, folding them over to the left (like you would fold an omlette). Then, rotate the bowl 90 degrees counterclockwise. Again, gently lift the egg whites and fold them over to the left. Continue rotating 1/4 of a turn and folding until everything is nicely mixed.

The primary goal of folding is to keep the air in the eggwhites. This will make the cake light and spongy. It's more important to take your time and fold properly than to rush and deflate the batter by mixing too coarsely.

Shopping List for Tasty Turkey Chili and Chips

Planning to spend tomorrow curled up in your pajamas, watching movies, drinking hot cocoa and maybe building a snow fort outside? That sounds awesome. But you're going to need to eat! So, throw on your snow boots today and pick up these these hot ingredients for a tasty turkey chili tomorrow.

What you'll need:
1 bag boil-in-bag brown rice (or the 90-second microwavable kind)
Vegetable oil and Olive oil
1 Onion
1 Green bell pepper
1/2 lb. ground white meat turkey breast
Chili powder
Worcestershire sauce
Cumin
Oregano
Salt
Pepper
1 15-oz can kidney beans
1 14.5-oz can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes with jalapeno peppers and spices
1 5.5-oz can tomato juice
Pre-shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
light sour cream
chives
1 package of corn tortillas
sea salt (or whatever you want your chips to taste like)

You can also grab a can of regular stewed tomatoes and mix 1/2 of that with 1/2 can of the Mexican-style tomatoes to moderate the heat level.

See you tomorrow!

Soup's On Sundays: Tomato Barley Soup

Today's Soup's On Sunday is Tomato Barley Soup. It was going to be "Zuppa of Farro with Tomatoes and Spinach" but farro is $7.00 and barley is $2.99, so barley it is! This is a thick, hearty, cold-weather soup full of colors (which means it's also loaded with antioxidants and vitamins).

If you want to use farrow, you only have to cook the soup for 30-35 minutes. Choosing barley? You're looking at an hour. The recipe is designed for farro, so when I cooked it with barley and had to keep it on the stove longer, a fair amount of the broth reduced. I'd recommend keeping some extra vegetable broth on hand in case you need to adjust the proportions. (Since leftover soup tends to thicken in general, it's always a good idea to have extra broth around when you're reheating it).

Tomato Barley Stew

(adapted from Judith Barrett's Saved by Soup)

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 medium-sized carrots, finely chopped

1 rib celery, trimmed and finely chopped

2 cups canned chopped tomatoes, with their juices

4 cups fat-free, low-sodium vegetable broth

1 cup pearled barley or farro

4 cups loosely packed, rinsed, and rough-chopped fresh spinach leaves

salt and pepper to taste

freshly grated Parmigano-Reggiano cheese for garnish

1. Heat oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat.

2. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring until the onion starts to soften, 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the tomatoes and broth, and stir in the barley or farrow.

4. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the barley or farro is tender and the grains are puffy. 30 minutes for the farro and 1-hr for the barley.

5. Stir in the spinach and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.

6. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with grated cheese.

According to Ms. Barrett, this soup makes 6 servings and has the following nutrition information (without cheese): 163 calories, 2.5 grams of fat

Ingredients for Tomorrow's Soup

Hi readers!

If you're planning to make the Soup's on Sunday soup with me tomorrow, we'll be making Zuppa of Farro with Tomatoes and Spinach.

Here's your shopping list for the soup:

olive oil

1 yellow onion

2 carrots

1 rib of celery

1 can of chopped tomatoes

4 cups vegetable broth (usually 1 box of veggie broth - check the nutrition panel)

Farro or pearl barley

Spinach (enough for 4 cups)

Parmigiano-Reggiano for garnish.

I'll see you and your heavy-bottom saucepan tomorrow...

Want to Eat Local and Organic? Some Tips.

Eating Locally:

If you're trying to eat more local food, check out the National Resource Defense Council's Eat Local tool. You just plug in your state and season and it will give you a list of all the food available in your state or the bordering states. (see bottom of this post)

But, there's a problem with this. Just because broccoli is grown in Rhode Island in early December doesn't mean the broccoli at my Shaws is from Rhode Island. Sometimes, the market will tell you where the food is grown. In my experience, they tell you when it's local and they don't say anything when it's not.

1. If you want to get active, talk to the store manager or write a letter to the regional manager asking them for more local produce.

2. Seek out farmers markets. Rhode Island has a wintertime farmers market. Maybe your cold-winter-weather state does too.

3. Join a CSA. What are they? Where can I find one near me? Click here.

4. If you're in MA, check out Boston Organics - they deliver organic seasonal veggies right to your door - they're really fresh and source locally whenever they can.

Here's a look at a typical delivery from Boston Organics (box not shown):

Eating Organically:

As for finding organic v. conventional produce, always look at the sticker tagging your fruit or vegetable. They're called PLU codes (price look-up codes). You'll find them on loose or bunched produce that's sold by weight. If it's not on the veggie itself, it'll be on the sign near it.

Here's how to decode them:

Conventional Produce: 4-digit number

Organic Produce: 5-digit number that starts with 9

Genetically Modified Produce: 5-digit number that starts with 8

For example:

4130: conventional granny smith apple

94011: an organic banana

84805: a genetically engineered tomato

(feel free to print this out and carry it with you as a supermarket guide!)

Want to know more about PLUs? You can read up to your heart's content here.

Here's a PLU I found on a picture of my spaghetti squash from a few weeks ago. It's #4776, which means it's a conventionally grown spaghetti squash:

Soup's On Sundays: Vegetable Minestrone

This hearty, seasonal vegetable minestrone soup is brimming with protein, antioxidants, fiber, and flavor. Serve it with a low-fat roasted red pepper and cheese quesadilla (ready in under 10 minutes) and you've added a new meal to your dinner arsenal.

Look out for my new weekly feature: Soup's On Sundays. Every week, I'll be making a new batch of soup to warm you up on a blustery Sunday (and if you're reading this in a warmer part of the country - just pretend it's cold out - it makes the soup taste better).

Note: When you're chopping the vegetables, don't worry about how they look, or if they're exactly 3/4-inch thick. Just ask yourself if they're the size you'd want to eat in a spoonful of soup. If the answer is yes, move on. Soup is not about perfectionism. It's about deliciousness.

Time saver option: buy pre-sliced and peeled butternut squash (easy to find at most grocery stores)

Vegetable Minestrone Soup and Quick Quesadillas

adapted from Cooking Light

Soup (time: about 45 minutes)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1/2 a medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1 large potato, peeled and cubed

2 diced carrots

4 cups kale, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup small pasta like lumachine or macaroni

1 16-ounce can canellini or other white bean, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a heavy-bottom soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Add onion and garlic; saute 3 minutes.

Add broth and next 7 ingredients (through salt) and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes.

Add kale, pasta, and beans. Cook 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Serve in bowls and garnish with grated cheese.

Quick Quesadillas:

Prep these sandwiches while you're waiting for the soup to boil. Crank the broiler when the soup's done and you're about ready to serve.

Ingredients:

6-inch flour tortillas (like Mission Carb Balance tortilla)

Your favorite reduced-fat shredded cheese

1 bottle roasted red bell peppers (size depending on how many you're making)

Spread tinfoil on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray or olive oil mist.

Place tortillas on baking sheet.

Cover each tortilla with 2 tablespoons of cheese and 2 tablespoons of chopped roasted peppers.

Top with another tortilla and spray with cooking spray or olive oil mist.

Place baking sheet on top oven rack under the broil, and broil for 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Keep your oven door slightly open and pull the baking sheet out to gauge doneness because it's really hard to see the color when it's in the oven.

Carefully turn quesadilla over and broil another 3 minutes.

Cut into quarters and serve 4 triangles with each bowl of soup.