Turkey/Eggplant Chili

This recipe is simple, healthy and delicious. It takes only twenty minutes to prepare and simmers for about an hour. Cooking instructions are the same for eggplant, except that you will want to lightly coat the pan with olive oil to prevent burning.

Ingredients:
1 lb 93/7 ground turkey meat or 1 lb eggplant, diced
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes (low sodium)
1 8 oz can tomato sauce (low sodium)
1 medium onion, diced
1 jalapeno
½ pint mushrooms, button or Portobello, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tsp chili powder
2 tsp Hungarian paprika
1 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
2 – 15 ½ oz cans kidney beans, drained
1 – 15 ½ oz can navy beans, drained
black pepper and salt
olive oil

To prepare:

1. Place turkey in a large fryer over medium heat with 2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp paprika, salt, and pepper. Brown.
2. Lightly coat the bottom of a medium soup pot with olive oil and set to medium heat.
3. Add diced onion, jalapeno, green onion, and minced garlic to the pot. Sweat the onions for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the remaining spices to the onions and cook until soft.
5. Gently stir the tomato sauce into the onions and add the mushrooms.
6. When the turkey has browned, drain and add the diced tomatoes and dried herbs. Bring to a boil and simmer for five minutes.
7. Add the turkey to the onions and stir in both types of beans.
8. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.
9. Simmer, uncovered, over medium heat for about an hour until sauce thickens and beans begin to break down. Garnish with fat-free sour cream.

Zucchini Muffins

Another excellent use for garden fresh zucchini! You can also use this base for banana muffins by substitutung 4 mashed ripe bananas for the zucchini and sweet potato and reducing the brown sugar to ½ cup.

Ingredients:
2 ½ c. whole wheat flour
½ c. milled flax (use whole if necessary)
½ c. oats
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
¾ c. olive oil
3 eggs
¾ c. brown sugar
1 baked sweet potato, mashed without skin
2 c. zucchini, finely grated without skin
granulated sugar

To Prepare:
1. Preheat the oven to 400º
2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, flax, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil and eggs until well combined.
4. Stir brown sugar into the egg and oil mixture.
5. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until well combined.
6. Add sweet potato and zucchini until just combined.
7. Spray muffin tins with olive oil spray, fill each cup about ¾ of the way full with the batter.
8. Lightly sprinkle granulated sugar over the top of each muffin.
9. Bake on center rack at 400º for 18-20 minutes until done.

Muffins will be sweet, yet healthy. They don’t rise like bakery muffins, but they are dense, satisfying, and rich in fiber. Enjoy!

Ratatouille

A healthy, easy version of the French classic.
Ingredients:
1 1-lb zucchini (or one small zucchini and one small yellow squash)
1 1-lb eggplant
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 medium Vidalia onion
1 lb fresh tomatoes, ripe
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried basil
½ tsp dried chives
¼ tsp dried rosemary
Garlic salt and black pepper to taste
Olive oil
Dry red wine
To prepare:
1. Set a large skillet to medium heat, drizzle a small amount of olive oil (about 1 tsp.) to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Coarsely chop the onion. Add onion to the pan and allow it to sweat. Add
2. Season the onion generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Begin to cut the eggplant and zucchini into ½ inch cubes, leaving the skin on.
4. Coat a second large skillet with olive oil and set to medium-high heat. Before the oil smokes, add enough eggplant and zucchini to cover the bottom. Allow to brown on about two sides.
5. When the onions have become soft, add the garlic and cook for one minute.
6. Roughly chop tomatoes and add to the onions.
7. Season with dried herbs and more salt and pepper, if desired.
8. Move the browned zucchini and eggplant to the pan with the onions. Add more oil to the free pan and repeat browning process until all of the vegetables have been added to the final mixture.
9. When all of the vegetables have been browned, deglaze the empty pan with about 2 tablespoons of dry red wine (use a beautiful Beaujolais for authenticity). Add to the final mixture.
10. Transition the ratatouille to a six quart casserole dish. Cover and bake at 325º for an hour, or until vegetables are tender. Serve with quinoa or brown rice.