Anyone else have some of that turkey from Thanksgiving stashed in the freezer?  Did you make bone broth with the turkey carcass?  Yes, and oh yes did I ever make broth.  Our turkey was gigantic so I have enough bone broth to feed an army.  No complaints since I go a bit crazy when I run out of my so good for you bone broth!  

I love making soups, chili, and stew!  It’s a great way to use extra produce hanging around in your fridge and it’s fun to play around with different recipes.

Soup, Stew, Chili…they are all healthy and quick stovetop meals that keep well refrigerated for days.  Plus, it’s so easy to control the macros: want more protein, easy…add more meat:   want more veggies, simple…add greens;  less carbs,  no problem, don’t add any if you wish.  

You’re going to love making this chili because there are no rules.  Use chicken if you don’t have any left over Thanksgiving Turkey.  Skip the beans if you must.  Switch out the kale and use spinach.  I used all of the above…left over turkey, beans and greens.   

In fact, I occasionally serve chili over brown rice or quinoa if I am training for a marathon and need some extra glycogen fuel for my long run in the morning.  It’s my husband’s favorite too.  He skipped the avocado and topped his with cheese and chips.  I had a few too many chips this weekend…..80/20 rule so no judging please!  

This time of year it gets harder to be a bit more creative with meals because of the added busyness of the holidays.  Believe it or not, the main challenge is to keep it simple and balanced.  I constantly have to remind myself not to overdo it.  In the back of my mind, I keep thinking “Oh, add this…What’s the rule for that type of dish?  How do they do it in Italy?”  Who cares?!  In Italy, they eat pizza and drink wine every day!  

To be honest, I can’t wait for April because there is really nothing wrong with the way Italians eat.  In fact, I kind of love it!   It’s just not what I’m doing right now, so for now, I am trying to keep meals balanced and healthy.  

Remember my husband’s second favorite Chili in the chili contest..the one with Pumpkin in?  Yep, I added a can of pumpkin.  It was a HUGE hit!  

Hope you enjoy my Chili.  We sure did! 

Pumpkin-Turkey Chili with White Beans and Kale

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 carrot diced
• 1 celery stalk diced
• 1 jalapeño, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 1/2 cups cooked turkey meat shredded
• 2 cups white cannelloni beans that have been soaked over night and cooked separately (or 1 15-ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed)
• 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 15-ounce can pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (I used 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp of all spice. 1/4 tsp of ginger, 1/4 tsp of cloves)
• 1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 4 cups kale, stems removed and coarsely chopped
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Lime wedges
• avocado, cheese, greek yogurt and chips (your choice)
• 1 jalapeño, minced, for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. In a large pot over medium heat, sauté the onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil for 2 minutes.
2. Add the pepper, carrots, celery, and sauté until the veggies are tender, about another 2 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Add the rest of the broth and the remaining ingredients, and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
6. Serve with chopped cilantro, lime wedges, avocado, etc, and optional minced jalapeño.