Super-Light Mexican Chili Con Carne with Beans

I really like the flavor in this one. I like the cookbook I got it out of too...I think I need to buy it! I didn't add the cheese, and used red bell pepper instead of green. Oh, and I just added a whole package of turkey instead of 12 ounces.

From Rocco DiSpirito "Now Eat This"

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium yellow onion, cut into fine dice

1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into fine dice

1 35oz can whole plum tomatoes, roughly chopped, juices reserved

3 Tbsp chili powder

2 Tbsp ground cumin

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

12oz ground turkey breast

1 14oz can black beans, drained

1 C shredded 75% reduced-fat cheddar cheese, such as Cabot

In a Dutch oven, combine the garlic, onion, bell pepper, tomatoes and their juices, chili powder, and cumin. Bring to a boil over high heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.

Raise the heat to high and add the ground turkey, stirring to break it up. Add the black beans and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover, and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until turkey is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Serve the chili in bowls, with the cheese sprinkled on top.

Posole

From Cooking Light

This is delicious! Might not be terribly authentic, but it sure is easy! I didn't have the spicy tomatoes, so I just added a seeded, chopped jalapeno (from my garden!). I also skipped the cilantro, mostly because I forgot. But I will be making this again for sure!


The meat develops a rich, full-bodied flavor when it's cooked to a dark brown, so be sure not to stir the pork until it releases easily from the pan. Serve this fiery soup with warm flour tortillas.
Prep Time: 3 minutesCook Time: 30 minutesYield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)

Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 teaspoons salt-free Southwest chipotle seasoning blend (such as Mrs. Dash)
1 (15.5-ounce) can white hominy, undrained
1 (14.5-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes with jalapeo peppers and spices (such as Del Monte), undrained
1 cup water
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation
1. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle pork evenly with chipotle seasoning blend; coat evenly with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 4 minutes or until browned. Stir in hominy, tomatoes, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until pork is tender. Stir in cilantro.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

I recently started a new health and fitness challenge with my Zumba group, so I'm pretty restricted in what I eat for the first 10 days. It certainly is a challenge to go without wheat, dairy and alcohol for 10 days. But when I find a recipe that follows those guidelines AND is delicious, it gets me really excited for a future of eating healthier. I won't be able to follow the "rules" of healthy eating every day for the rest of my life...because I love all kinds of food, good and bad, but I've got to start somewhere! I used extra lean ground turkey breast in this, and it was delicious. I left out the pickled ginger, but I think I'll add it next time just to see the difference. I also just chopped the lettuce and made it more of a salad, because I was sharing it with my 2 year old and figured it'd be easier that way!

This one is, like most recipes I find, from Allrecipes

16 Boston Bibb or butter lettuce leaves

1 pound lean ground beef

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

2 teaspoons minced pickled ginger

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

Asian chile pepper sauce (optional)

1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts,

drained and finely chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

2 teaspoons Asian (dark) sesame oil

	Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not tear them. Set aside.
	In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef in 1 tablespoon of oil, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium, if necessary. Drain, and set aside to cool. Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, and chile pepper sauce to the onions, and stir. Stir in chopped water chestnuts, green onions, and sesame oil, and continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.
	Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter, and pile meat mixture in the center. To serve, allow each person to spoon a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito, and enjoy!