Lentil & Black Bean Chili

This is a Weight Watchers recipe, and my whole family actually really loved it. I cut back on the spices a little because of my kids. We topped it with a little cheese and sour cream.

Lentil & Black Bean Chili

1-1/2 cups dry lentils (preferably French variety, but regular green lentils will work too)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
3 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. dried oregano
1-1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. ground cayenne
1/2 tsp. salt
29 oz. can of diced tomatoes (fire roasted with chiles)
2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed

Cook lentils by placing in a pot and cover with water (a couple of inches above the level of the lentils). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat at simmer until lentils are tender, but not too soft (about 12 minutes).

While lentils are cooking, heat a skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Cook the onions, bell pepper, and garlic in the oil until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir, and cover the skillet. Let simmer 5-10 minutes, and then add the lentils. Stir and divide into 6 portions to serve.

read more "Lentil & Black Bean Chili"

Chili Dog Pizza

Holy smokes, was this ever good! I don't know why I never thought to do this sooner.

Chili Dog Pizza

1 pizza crust (homemade, store bought, pre-cooked, whatever!)
1 can hot dog chili (found with the canned chili, it's usually in a smaller can--14 oz?)
4-6 hot dogs (I used 8 skinny fat free dogs, but it seemed like a little too much, so I'd go with 5 maybe)
cheddar cheese
onions, chopped fine
mustard

I'm not being specific with the amounts of everything used, or the nutrition content (because it completely depends on the products you use). Just pre-bake your crust a little, top with the chili sauce, cheese, and hot dogs. Bake until the cheese is melted and dogs are starting to brown. Then top with raw onions and mustard. Beware--it's very messy! ;)

read more "Chili Dog Pizza"

Chili

This is an ordinary, plain ol', simple chili recipe. Sometimes you just need to go back to the basics, right? I always use ground turkey, because my family likes it better than beef, but you could use either one.

Chili

2 tsp. olive oil
1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce (or just use more crushed or diced tomatoes)
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 can red beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (or more, depending on how spicy you like it)

In a medium pot, heat oil and brown ground turkey with onions and garlic. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, and cumin. Simmer for about 1 hour, adding beans after 30 minutes.

read more "Chili"

Lentil Chili

My family and I like to eat meatless a few times a week, to save money (and because we enjoy it). I've developed a love for lentils because of this, and this lentil recipe is a GREAT way to convert meat lovers to eating meatless for at least one meal :)  The way I make this, it technically isn't vegetarian--because I use beef broth--but you could easily make this vegan by using vegetable broth.

Lentil Chili

1 lb. brown lentils
6 cups beef broth (or veg broth)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
2 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Combine everything in a pot and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to med-low (simmer) and cook until the lentils are soft, about 45 minutes. If it gets too thick, you can add some water to it while it's cooking. Serve with cheese, onions, and sour cream. Yum!  Yields 9 cups.

Per cup:

read more "Lentil Chili"

Turkey, Black Bean, and Corn Chili

This is SO GOOD-- very filling, and loaded with fiber. And pretty low in calories, too!

Turkey, Black Bean, and Corn Chili


1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 large onion
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 3/4 cups beef broth
1 cup salsa
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained

In a large saucepan over med-high heat, add the ground turkey, onion, chili powder, cumin, oregano, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook until the meat is browned. Add the rest of the ingredients, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and cover. Cook over low heat 30 minutes. The first time I had it, I put it over cooked brown rice, and it made it even more filling, but it's great on it's own too.

read more "Turkey, Black Bean, and Corn Chili"

White Chili

This is a nice change from the usual chili made with ground beef.

White Chili

2 tsp. olive oil
1-2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce (or other hot sauce)
1 can white corn, drained
1 can great northern beans, drained
1 lb. cooked chicken breast, shredded

Heat a soup pot over medium heat and add olive oil. Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are soft. Stir in remaining ingredients except chicken.  Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Add chicken and simmer until hot. Serves 4.

read more "White Chili"