Pumpkin and Chicken Chili

It’s October! That means it’s pumpkin time! I don’t know if it’s a chick thing, but the excitement over pumpkin doesn’t seem to extend to many of the men I know. Though you can definitely taste the pumpkin in this recipe, it’s subtle enough that my pumpkin-evading husband still enjoys it. I use ground chicken in this recipe, but you could also use chicken breast and thighs, cut into cubes. Alternatively, use turkey instead of chicken. I make this chili in a slow cooker so I don’t have to keep an eye on it, but you could also simmer it on a stovetop.

Ingredients

• 2 lb ground chicken (or turkey)
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 cup carrots, chopped (about 3 small carrots)
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 plum tomato, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ¼ cup pumpkin puree
• 1 can (15 oz.) kidney beans
• 1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans
• 1 can (4.5 oz) green chilies
• 2.5 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp chili powder
• salt, pepper to taste

Directions

1. Saute chicken on high heat until white (about 5 minutes). Put chicken in slow cooker.
2. Saute onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes. Add cumin and saute for 1 additional minute. Add to slow cooker.
3. Add remaining ingredients to slow cooker.
4. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours, or LOW for 8 hours.
5. If you used chicken instead of ground chicken, pull the meat apart using a fork.  
   

   Nutrition Information
   per 12 oz. serving
   Calories: 270
   Total Fat: 8.2 g
   Saturated Fat: 2.3 g
   Sodium: 124 mg
   Sugars: 4.4 g
   Protein: 24 g

Pesto Turkey and Sweet Potato Mash

I love turkey… it seems to be popular only around the holiday season, and afterwards it’s promptly forgotten. But it is a great alternative to chicken, which can get boring when you eat it as regularly as I do. Because my basil plant continues to produce leaves faster than I can eat them, I thought that it would be great to make some pesto and use it as a rub on turkey breast.

Sweet potatoes seemed like a natural complement to turkey, so why not a mash? Potatoes take a while to cook, so get started on them first. This recipe makes about 6 servings.

Sweet Potato Mash

Scrub 3 lbs sweet potatoes and pierce skins with a fork,

Bake potatoes in oven at 400°F for about 45 minutes, or until soft.

Remove skins, and mash with:

• ¼ cup milk, warmed
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste

 

Pesto Turkey

Pound 4 turkey breast pieces to about 1.5 cm thick.

Tip: cover with a layer of plastic wrap and then pound, to prevent juices from flying across your kitchen.

Rub with basil-spinach pesto (as much as you like!)

Fry on pan, at medium-high heat for about 6 min. Then turn over and continue frying until done.