Art Smith’s Turkey & Pinto Bean Chili

This simple and flavorful chili is a lighter version of a classic beef chili. It is wonderful healthy option. It was included on a list of Food and Wine magazine’s best chilis.

The recipe was adapted from Food and Wine, contributed by Art Smith. In the article he said, “(this) turkey chili is a big favorite of Oprah’s.” I modified the proportions and added additional toppings. We ate it with corn muffins and green salad on the side- it was still “healthy-ish!” 🙂

Yield: 6 to 8 

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 pounds ground turkey
• 1 large yellow onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 6 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chile powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon chipotle powder
• 1 large or 2 small carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes or tomato puree
• three 15-ounce cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 cup beer (such as lager)( I used Negra Modelo)
• 1 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• sliced scallions or chopped chives, for garnish
• sour cream, for serving, optional
• shredded cheese, for serving, optional

1. In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil until shimmering. Add half of the turkey and cook over medium-high heat, undisturbed, until browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes.
2. Stir the turkey, season with salt and pepper, and cook until no pink remains, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer the cooked turkey to a bowl.
3. Repeat with 1 more tablespoon of oil and the remaining turkey.
4. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and the onion to the pot. Cook over moderate heat until softened, about 5 minutes.
5. Add the garlic, chile powder, cumin, oregano and chipotle powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
6. Return the turkey to the pot.
7. Stir in the carrot, bell pepper, tomato puree, beans and lager and bring to a boil.
8. Stir in the stock and vinegar, cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes.
9. Add the thyme, season with salt and pepper and serve, garnished with scallions or chives.

Meera Sodha’s Chicken Curry

I received a rice cooker for Christmas! I had to make some sort of chicken dish to serve with my perfectly cooked rice. 🙂

This comforting chicken curry was very thick and hearty. The recipe was adapted from Made in India: Recipes from an Indian Family Kitchen by Meera Sodha. I also included some of Sam Sifton’s adaptations from The New York Times.

The dollop of yogurt on top was essential. We also ate it with warm naan, roasted cauliflower and steamed spinach.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

• 2 T unsalted butter or ghee
• 1 T neutral oil, like canola
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 cinnamon sticks, approximately 2 inches long
• 2 large white or yellow onions, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 2 1/2-inch piece of ginger, peeled with a spoon and grated or minced
• 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 2 green cayenne or jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded and minced (or 1 tsp chili powder)
• kosher salt, to taste
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons strained or puréed tomatoes (I used Pomi)
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 3 T whole-milk yogurt, plus 1 cup to serve with the meal
• 2 to 2 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 3 T ground or slivered almonds
• 1 tsp garam masala
• pinch ground cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1 1/2 cups brown Basmati rice, rinsed and cooked per package directions

1. Melt the butter or ghee in the oil in a large Dutch oven set over medium heat, and when it is hot and shimmering, add the cumin seeds and cinnamon sticks. Cook for a minute or two, stirring often, to intensify their flavors.
2. Add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they are golden, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, put the ginger, garlic and chilies into a mortar and pestle with a pinch of salt; smash them together into a coarse paste. (You can also do this on a cutting board, with a knife.) (I had a bit of a struggle with this! May try the cutting board method next time.)
4. Add the paste to the onions, and cook gently for 2 minutes or so, then pour in the tomatoes, and stir. Allow to cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture thickens.
5. Add the tomato paste, ground cumin, ground turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon of salt; stir to combine.
6. Add the yogurt slowly to the mixture, using a wooden spoon to whisk it into the sauce. It may be quite thick. When it begins to bubble, add the chicken.
7. Lower the heat, put the lid on the Dutch oven and allow the curry to cook gently for 30 minutes or so, or until the chicken is cooked through.
8. Add the almonds and the garam masala, along with a pinch of cayenne, and cook for 5 minutes more or so. Taste and adjust seasoning, as needed.
9. Serve with basmati rice and/or naan, and the additional yogurt for topping at the table.

Warm Lentil & Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower Salad

This is another dish with a crispy and delicious parmesan topping. Cheese makes everything better. 🙂 I loved that the base of the dish was an arugula salad. The crunchy roasted almond topping provided a nice contrasting texture too.

I cut the head of cauliflower through the center into two steaks and roasted the additional florets in a formation as close to a plank as well, for presentation purposes. Next time, I may change the orientation of the cauliflower to keep the florets attached to the core.

This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart Living. I used French green lentils, added red pepper flakes, and modified the cooking and serving methods. It was a lovely, fresh and healthy light meal. We ate it for dinner, but it would also be wonderful served for a special lunch, of course. 🙂

Yield: Serves 4

• 3 cups of cored and chopped tomatoes, about 3 beefsteak tomatoes (I used 2 beefsteak and 3 romas)
• 2 to 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced, plus 1 clove for cooking the lentils, if desired
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 1/2 cup (8 T) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• pinch of red pepper flakes, or more, to taste
• 1 head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), trimmed and cut through the core into 1-inch planks
• 1 1/2 cups cooked lentils (I used French green lentils)
• 2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (3/4 cup)
• 1 bunch arugula, trimmed (I used about 4 oz wild baby arugula)
• 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
• toasted almonds, chopped, for serving (I used sliced almonds)

1. Cook the lentils: Place 3/4 to 1 cup of dried lentils with a large smashed (but intact) garlic clove, optional, in a pot covered by 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil and season with salt. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 25 to 30 minutes, or until tender. (You will have leftover cooked lentils.)
2. Toast the almonds: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread almonds in an even layer on a rimmed quarter sheet pan. Toast the almonds, stirring once or twice, about 4 to 5 minutes, or until golden brown and fragrant. Remove and set aside.
3. Increase the oven temperature to 475°F, with a rack placed in the center and another rack in top position. (I set my oven to convection roast.)
4. In a bowl, toss together tomatoes, garlic, capers, large pinch of red pepper flakes, if using, and 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper.
5. Place cauliflower planks on a rimmed baking sheet.
6. Brush cauliflower evenly with 3 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper.
7. Roast until undersides are golden, 12 to 13 minutes. Remove pan from the oven, flip the cauliflower and push to one side.
8. Add tomato mixture to other side of the pan.
9. Reduce the oven temperature to 450 degrees; roast 12 minutes more.
10. Stir 1 1/2 cups drained lentils into tomato mixture. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper.
11. Sprinkle everything with cheese.
12. Switch oven setting to broil, and broil on top rack until cheese has melted, 1 to 2 minutes.
13. Toss arugula with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and vinegar; season with salt and pepper.
14. Serve the roasted cauliflower planks over lentils and arugula salad, sprinkled with toasted almonds.

Crispy Thick-Cut Oven Fries

I am not sure that I would have tried this recipe if I hadn’t seen these fries made on an episode of America’s Test Kitchen. The method is unusual- the cut potatoes are coated in a cornstarch slurry prior to being baked. This coating allows a crust to form on the outside of the fries just like a deep-fried fry. They were crispy and delicious. I’ve made them twice already! 🙂

This recipe was adapted from America’s Test Kitchen, via Brit.co. I doubled the recipe with the exception of the oil, used Maine gold potatoes, and cut the slices smaller than suggested.

Yield: Serves 4 to 5

• vegetable oil spray
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used canola oil)
• 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes or Maine gold potatoes, unpeeled
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt, or more, to taste

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 425°F, preferably on convection roast.
2. Generously spray rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil spray. Pour oil into prepared sheet and tilt until surface is evenly coated with oil. (The oil spray contains a surfactant called lecithin, which prevents the oil from pooling and, in turn, prevents the potatoes from sticking. Using the oil spray also decreases the total amount of oil to 3 tablespoons, just enough to evenly coat the fries.) Note: If halving the recipe, do not modify the amount of oil used to coat the pan.
3. Halve potatoes lengthwise and turn halves cut sides down on cutting board. Trim a thin slice from both long sides of each potato half; discard trimmings.
4. Slice potatoes lengthwise into 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick planks. (each potato slice should have 2 flat sides)
5. Combine 2/3 cup water and cornstarch in large bowl, making sure no lumps of cornstarch remain on bottom of bowl.
6. Microwave, stirring every 20 seconds, until mixture begins to thicken, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from microwave and continue to stir until mixture thickens to pudding-like consistency. (If necessary, add up to 1 tablespoon water to achieve correct consistency.)
7. Transfer potatoes to bowl with cornstarch mixture and toss until each plank is evenly coated.
8. Arrange planks on prepared sheet, leaving small gaps between planks. (Some cornstarch mixture will remain in bowl.)
9. Cover sheet tightly with lightly greased aluminum foil and bake for 12 minutes. (Covering the fries with foil ensures that they are fully tender by the end of the baking time.)
10. Remove foil from sheet and bake until bottom of each fry is golden brown, 7 to 15 minutes.
11. Remove sheet from oven and, using thin metal spatula, carefully flip each fry.
12. Return sheet to oven and continue to bake until second sides are golden brown, 7 to 15 minutes longer.
13. Sprinkle fries with 1 teaspoon salt. Using spatula, carefully toss fries to distribute salt.
14. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate and season with salt, to taste. Serve.

Baked Chicken & Spinach Meatballs

Everyone loves meatballs- right? These were a healthyish version packed with cilantro and spinach. We ate them over rice topped with dollops of garlicky Greek yogurt sauce with roasted cauliflower on the side. Yum.

My husband was gifted a meat grinder for Christmas. 🙂 This was the first time he used it, grinding chicken thighs for these full-flavored meatballs. He plans to make burgers with blended meats next. Fancy!

This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by David Tanis. I prepared the seasoned meat about 6 hours ahead of time but it can even sit overnight in the refrigerator so that the meat absorbs the seasoning. I baked the meatballs (in the same oven as the roasted cauliflower) and used red pepper flakes instead of a serrano chile. I also added a yogurt sauce for serving. Fantastic.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

For the Meatballs:

• 1 pound spinach, washed
• 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken (I used 5 freshly ground chicken thighs- medium grind)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (I used the zest from 1/2 lemon)
• pinch of ground cayenne
• pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds (I crushed them using a mortar and pestle)
• pinch of ground cinnamon
• 1 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems, plus more for garnish
• 1 serrano chile, with seeds, finely chopped or 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup soft fresh bread crumbs, from about 4 slices of crustless sandwich bread (I used 3 slices of Trader Joe’s Tuscan Pane, crusts removed, pulsed in a food processor)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, half-and-half, milk, or ricotta cheese
• extra-virgin olive oil, for the baking sheet
• lemon wedges, for serving
• cooked rice, for serving (I served the meatballs over white Basmati rice)
• yogurt sauce (or store-bought tzatziki), for serving (see below)

For the Sauce:

• 1 cup Greek yogurt (I used 2%)
• pinch of ground cumin
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated or pressed through a garlic press
• fresh dill, cilantro or parsley, finely minced, to taste
• freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Blanch the spinach: Plunge leaves a handful at a time into a pot of boiling water. Leave just long enough to wilt, about 30 seconds, scoop out with a spider or slotted spoon and drain in a colander and cool under running water. Repeat until all of the spinach is wilted.
2. Remove and squeeze wilted leaves into a ball. I used a potato ricer and squeezed out the excess liquid in batches.
3. Using a large knife, roughly chop spinach on a cutting board — you should have about 2 cups.
4. Squeeze into a ball again to remove excess water. (This may be done several hours or up to a day in advance and refrigerated.) Again, I used a potato ricer and removed the excess liquid in batches.
5. If freshly grinding the chicken, grind into a large bowl using the medium grinding disc.
6. Combine the ground chicken, salt, pepper, lemon zest, cayenne, nutmeg, fennel seeds, cinnamon, spinach, cilantro, chile (or red pepper flakes), egg, bread crumbs and cream in a large bowl. Using your clean hands, knead everything together, mixing well. Leave to absorb seasoning for 15 minutes or overnight. (I refrigerated it for about 6 hours.)
7. Make the sauce: Combine all of the ingredients and refrigerate for flavors to develop.
8. Test for seasoning: Take a small amount and flatten into a thin patty. Quickly cook in a small skillet, about 1 minute per side. Taste, then adjust the mixture’s seasoning if necessary.
9. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, preferably on convection roast.
10. Using a large ice cream scoop or spoon, form 19 to 24 rough balls and place on a large plate. (The mixture will be soft.)
11. Using a brush, coat a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil.
12. Lightly form the meatballs and position them on the prepared baking sheet. Along the long side of the pan, I placed them in rows of 5. (I had 19 meatballs.)
13. Bake meatballs until well browned underneath, about 15 minutes. Using a stiff metal spatula, pry up and turn over meatballs (they may want to stick a bit). Bake until browned on second side and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of each one registers at least 160°, about 4 to 5 minutes more.
14. Serve over rice garnished with chopped cilantro, if desired. Serve with sauce (or tzatziki) and lemon wedges.

Roasted Cauliflower & Chickpeas with Mustard Vinaigrette

My daughter and I made this lovely dish as a side for our Thanksgiving feast- although it was practically her entire meal. She absolutely loves cauliflower and garbanzo beans and is not a big fan of other Thanksgiving dishes. Dessert is her exception. 😉

This dish was adapted from It’s All Good by Gwyneth Paltrow and Julia Turshen, via theyellowtable.com. Healthy and delicious.

Yield: Serves 6 as a side dish

• 14 oz can garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed, and dried
• 1 large head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
• 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• coarse salt or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon whole grain seeded mustard
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 4 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

1. Set a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400ºF, preferably on convection roast.
2. Toss the chickpeas and cauliflower florets together on a parchment paper lined rimmed baking sheet or in a large roasting pan with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and a big pinch of salt.
3. Roast, stirring now and then, until everything is dark brown and the cauliflower is quite soft, about 30 to 35 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, whisk together the mustards, vinegar, and 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with a big pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper, or to taste.
5. While the chickpeas and cauliflower are still warm, toss them with the mustard dressing and the parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Chicken Baked on a Bed of Bread & Greens

This healthy one-pot dish is for fans of greens. 🙂 I thought that it could even work as a dish to serve for a small-scale Thanksgiving feast because it incorporates bread (stuffing), greens (vegetables), and chicken (poultry). It would just need potatoes on the side- which is actually how my husband ate the leftovers. 😉 It was a pre-Thanksgiving meal for us because my crowd prefers a more indulgent feast on the big day. We did end the meal with apple pie bars.

This recipe was adapted from Food and Wine, contributed by Melissa Perello. It was inspired by chef Judy Rodgers’ famous wood-fired roasted chicken at Zuni Café in San Francisco. I kept waiting for chard to appear in my CSA box so that I could make it. This dish gobbled up all of the chard, kale, and beet greens from my share! The capers and golden raisins made the base of the dish extra delicious.

Yield: Serves 4 to 8

• 8 to 10 oz (about 1/2 loaf) day-old peasant bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (I used a pain au levain boule)
• 4 to 6 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 T salted capers, rinsed well
• 4 T golden raisins
• 1 1/2 pounds tender fresh greens such as Swiss chard, kale, spinach, or beet greens (the original recipe uses Swiss chard)
• 3 large shallots, thinly sliced
• 6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 skinless bone-in chicken thighs or one 3 1/2 pound chicken, skinned and cut into 8 pieces
• fresh thyme and parsley, for garnish, optional

1. Prepare the Greens: If using Swiss Chard: Remove the stems and finely slice or chop; slice leaves in half through the ribs and cut into 2-inch ribbons. If using Kale: Remove ribs and discard; tear leaves in half and slice into 1/2-inch ribbons. If using Spinach or Beet greens: Remove stems and slice leaves into 2-inch ribbons. Wash and spin dry.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°, preferably on convection.
3. In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with the olive oil, capers, raisins, prepared greens, shallots, and garlic. Season with salt and black pepper.
4. Spread the bread-greens mixture in a large enameled cast-iron casserole. (My pan was almost overflowing!)
5. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and arrange them over the bread. Sprinkle with dried thyme.
6. Cover the chicken with a piece of parchment paper and close the casserole with a heavy lid. Bake the chicken for 35 minutes.
7. Remove the lid and parchment paper and increase the oven temperature to 400°.
8. Bake the chicken for 10 to 15 minutes longer, or until golden on top and cooked through.
9. Remove the casserole from the oven and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve the chicken with the bread and greens, garnished with fresh herbs.