Quick and Easy Gluten Free Turkey Chili
Chili is warm, hearty, soothing comfort food to heat you up on those cold winter evenings. I actually just needed something quick and easy for dinner. Everyone went their separate ways for dinner so I decided I would just have a some tuna salad with my fave homemade gluten free flax crackers. As I was looking through the refrigerator for relish I noticed some beans I had boiled the other day next to some ground turkey. That was all the inspiration I needed to get started making a nice comfy bowl of turkey chili.
Delish and full of protein and fiber.
Ingredients: (serves 2)
- 1 cup pinto beans (cooked)
- 1/2 cup black beans (cooked)
- 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
- 1/2 cup gluten free turkey sausage
- 3/4 cup peeled tomatoes (I used mini sweet tomatoes, and when I am in a hurry I do not peel them)
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2-3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 cup white onion chopped
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
- 1/2 tsp. to 1 tsp. chili flakes (less if you want it mild)
- 1 tsp. Italian spice
- 2-3 turns fresh ground black pepper
- salt to taste
1. in a deep sided saute pan heat oil on medium to medium high heat
2. add the onion and the garlic and and the tomato
3. saute tomato with garlic and onion for 3-4 minutes on high and then add the paprika, Italian spice and chili flakes.
4. when tomatoes become soft add the water. Then mash the water and tomato up with a potato masher or blend with a stick blender. I leave the seeds in but if you do not like the seeds you can remove them before cooking the tomatoes
5. now you have the tomato sauce. (add salt to taste here, do not add too much. you can always add more at the end)
6. add the ground turkey and the turkey sausage and simmer in sauce until it is cooked (about 8-12 minutes)
7. add the cooked beans. If you are using canned beans, be sure to rinse them off, they are very salty and have been in a can for a long time.
8. cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes more. the longer you simmer the more flavor the turkey and the beans will take on.
9. add pepper and more salt if needed *when you taste it make sure it is cool enough to eat comfortably or you night add too much salt because you are distracted with the hot temperature.
There you have it. And this stuff is way better than the store bought varieties. Many of them have preservatives, rely heavily on soy products instead of real meat and also contain gluten as a thickener. I love this on a cold day with some crunchy flax crackers.
Using fresh tomatoes rather than canned tomato sauce is so easy and you can personalize the flavor.
Once the tomatoes are soft they are ready to be made into sauce.
Fresh Homemade Tomato Sauce. A great way to get your daily dose of lycopene. And the taste does not get much better than that!
Almost finished. Cook the meat then add the beans.
If you do not have white onion or garlic on hand, 3/4 to 1 tsp. of garlic powder and onion powder work great too.
Hope you enjoy this making this recipe as much as I enjoy eating it. Let me know if you have an questions of comments in the comments section.
To a great protein packed dinner or lunch,
Chelsea
