Kidney Bean Chicken Chili

This recipe doesn't need any meat as it's a great dish with fresh vegetables and red kidney beans. However, I added in some canned chicken for extra protein. Tofu would be a good option too (ideal for vegetarians).
A spoonful of honey sweetens the chili but the spices (chili, paprika and red pepper flakes) give it the classic 'hot' kick!

My Turkey Chili recipe is also a tasty option if I buy lean ground turkey mince or beef.

Kidney Bean Chicken Chili
Makes 6
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
- 15ml / 1tbsp olive oil
- 310g / 11oz onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 225g / 8oz celery, chopped
- 80g / 3oz kale
- 1tbsp chili powder
- 1/2tbsp red pepper flakes
- 2tsp paprika
- 800g / 29oz diced tomatoes (no added salt)
- 800g / 29oz red kidney beans, drained
- 85g / 5tbsp tomato paste
- 225g / 8oz chicken, canned
- 20g / 1tbsp honey

Method:
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion, garlic, celery, kale and spices for 3-5 minutes.

Add the diced tomatoes, kidney beans and tomato paste.

Simmer for several minutes to allow the chili to thicken and then stir in the cooked chicken and honey.

Heat through to combine and serve with rice. ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:

Hatch Chile Pepper Sauce - Version II

This is the second version of my Hatch chile pepper sauce recipe. The first version is here. The recipe below is thicker and contains no fat! It's simply vegetables blended together to make an ideal sauce for pasta or salsa. As the second version doesn't have as much liquid as the first version, the intensity of the spices and chile peppers is stronger. It packs a punch but isn't overwhelming.

Hatch Chile Pepper Sauce - Version II
Makes 4 servings
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
- 160g / 5.5oz onion, chopped
- 1.5tbsp chili powder
- 2tsp cumin
- 1tsp cayenne pepper
- 110g / 4oz mushrooms, chopped
- 85g / 3oz tomato paste
- 411g / 14.5oz diced tomatoes, no added salt
- 900g / 32oz Hatch green chile peppers, roasted and peeled (see roasting instructions here)

Method:
In a pan sprayed with cooking spray, cook onion and mushrooms for approx. 5 minutes.
Add the spices and tomato paste, plus 60ml/4tbsp water.
In a food processor, blend together the diced tomatoes and roasted green chilies.

Add to the pan and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add all ingredients to the food processor and blend to form a smooth sauce.

Serve over pasta. ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:

Hatch Chile Pepper Sauce - Version I

It's Hatch chile pepper season again. Grown in the Hatch Valley of New Mexico, these peppers are a great way to add spice and flavour to many dishes, including pasta and meat sauces, salsa, hummus, enchiladas, mole and casseroles. They can even be used to bake into bread and cookies.

The Hatch Chile Festival website has some interesting facts (including the following:
One fresh medium-sized green chile pod has as much Vitamin C as six oranges) and recipes.

Most recipes featuring hatch chiles require the peppers to be roasted and the skins peeled. I used the oven to roast my peppers, but a grill or BBQ can also be used. I found out the hard way that gloves should be worn when roasting and peeling chile peppers. It's not advisable to rub your eyes - it stings! - and my fingertips feel like they are on fire!

Method:
Wash and dry the peppers. Place on a baking tray.

Roast at 230C / 450F for 10 mins or until skin is charred and blistered, but not blackened, turning halfway.

Place roasted peppers in paper or plastic bag or container. Seal the bag or cover the container and let the peppers steam for 10-15 mins to loosen the peel.
Pull the skin off the peppers, de-seed and chop.

The first version below (second version to follow) contains flour and butter, plus stock to make a more liquidy sauce, which is ideal for using with meat. It takes a little longer to cook as the liquid needs to reduce but this allows time for all the flavours to infuse.

Hatch Chile Pepper Sauce - Version I
Makes 5 servings
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
- 42g / 3tbsp butter
- 30g / 4tbsp flour
- 160g / 5.5oz onion, chopped
- 1.5tbsp chili powder
- 2tsp cumin
- 1tsp cayenne pepper
- 960ml / 32oz vegetable OR chicken broth, reduced sodium
- 411g / 14.5oz diced tomatoes, no added salt
- 900g / 32oz Hatch green chile peppers, roasted and peeled

Method:
Make roux sauce by melting the butter and whisking in flour. Stir on a low heat for 10 minutes until the roux turns the colour of peanut butter.

In a pan sprayed with cooking spray, cook onion until lightly brown. Add the spices and stock. Bring to a light boil, reduce to simmer and slowly add roux, whisking to blend.

In a food processor, blend together the diced tomatoes and roasted green chilies.

Add to the pan and simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve with lean ground turkey or beef - simply stir the sauce into meat - quinoa or rice and fresh vegetables. ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:

Chicken and Potato Chili Soup

You'll notice from previous recipes in this blog, I tend to use a few basic spices - chili powder, cumin, paprika. This soup recipe is no exception!

Unlike canned soup which usually contains high amounts of sodium, and in some cases added sugars, this is a healthier alternative as I only use 3 cups of chicken broth (low sodium, obviously) and 1.5 cups of water. Feel free to add in some extra veg; courgettes and peas would be nice.

Chicken and Potato Chili Soup
Serves 4

Ingredients:
- 320g / 1.5oz chicken breast, cut into small pieces
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 140g / 5oz onion, chopped
- 1tsp ground black pepper
- 720ml / 24floz chicken broth, low sodium
- 360ml / 12floz water
- 200g / 7oz potatoes, scrubbed (or skins peeled) and chopped
- 2tsp chili powder
- 1tsp cumin
- 1tsp paprika
- 112g / 4oz mushrooms
- 170g / 6oz green pepper
- 56g / 2oz celery

Method:
In a large pan, lightly sprayed with cooking oil, cook the chicken for 2-3 minutes.
Add the chopped garlic and onions to the pan, along with the ground black pepper. Cook for another 2 minutes.
Add the chicken broth, water, potatoes and bring to the boil for 5 minutes.
Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the spices and chopped vegetables. Simmer for another 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked thoroughly and the vegetables are tender.
ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Chili Rubbed Chicken

You can easily buy taco seasoning or pre-made chicken fajita spice mix but I prefer to make my own using chili powder, brown sugar, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper, instant coffee, oregano.

After 'rubbing' the chicken in the spice mix, marinading for a couple of hours, then cooking with some veg, the chicken tastes great wrapped in a warm tortilla. Whilst flour tortillas are super tasty, corn tortillas are a better choice in terms of nutritional value. Corn tortillas are lower in calories, have less fat, fewer sugars and more fibre. Corn tortillas generally have less sodium than flour too.
As an added bonus, corn tortillas are smaller so one serving typically allows for two corn tortillas where as one flour tortilla equals one serving.
Examples of the nutritional value of both types of tortilla can be seen below. This infographic also offers a nice comparison summary.

Chili Rubbed Chicken
Serves 2-3 (fills 6 tortillas)
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
- 1 garlic clove
- 2tbsp chili powder
- 1tbsp brown sugar
- 2tsp paprika
- 1tsp cumin
- 1/2tsp salt
- 1/2tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2tsp instant coffee
- 1/2tsp oregano
- 330g / 12oz chicken breast
- 85g / 3oz onion
- 200g /7oz diced tomatoes (no added salt)
- 56g / 2oz sweet corn
- 56g / 2oz black beans (no added salt)

Method:
Crush the garlic and combine all the spices, herbs, coffee, sugar, salt and pepper into a bowl.

Cut the chicken into small pieces. Mix/ rub the chili spice mixture into the chicken pieces.
Cover the chicken and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Chop and cook onions in pan for 1-2 minutes with a little cooking spray.
Add the chili rubbed chicken and cook for another couple of minutes.
Add the tomatoes and a little water if necessary. Gently simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the sweet corn and black beans and cook for another 5 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed.

Serve with a non-fat Greek yogurt and warm flour or corn tortillas. ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:

Tortillas NI
When reviewing the difference between corn and flour tortillas, remember that one serving of corn equals two tortillas and one serving of flour is only one tortilla.

Turkey Chili

An alternative to minced/ground beef is turkey. My turkey chili recipe is really simple to make and tastes great – even if I do say so myself!

The basic ingredients are lean ground turkey (obviously), chopped onion, a can of kidney beans and a can of diced tomatoes. The spices are basic ones I always keep in my pantry. I usually like to add some green vegetables – e.g. kale, spinach, peas, courgette*, broccoli, celery.

Each batch varies depending on what I have in my fridge. The great thing about green vegetables are that they are all extremely nutritious, have similar amounts of calories per serving, very low in fat and have no cholesterol – check out the nutritional information below if you don’t believe me!

Turkey Chili

Makes 5 servings

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:

- 560g / 20oz ground turkey (I use 93% lean)

- 120g / 4.3oz onion 

- 1 clove crushed garlic

- 440g / 15.5oz / 1 can red kidney beans

- 411g / 14.5oz / 1 can diced tomatoes (no added salt)

- 480ml / 16floz water

- 2tbsp chili powder

- ½tsp paprika

- ½tsp cumin

- ½tsp ground black pepper

- ½tsp oregano

- 200g / 7.1oz courgette

- 2 celery sticks

- 85g / 3oz frozen peas

Method:

Cook the turkey mince in a pan for 5 minutes, until brown

Chop the garlic and onion and add to the pan. Cook for another 5 minutes, until onion is soft

Mix in the can of kidney beans and diced tomatoes, plus water

Add the spices and herbs

Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes

Add courgette, celery, peas (or other green veg) and continue to simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve with quinoa (45g dry), rice (45g dry) or blended cauliflower (150g).

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Quinoa or brown rice goes great with the chili. Recently, I’ve discovered the wonders of cauliflower blended up in a food processor. If you don’t want the calories or carbs from rice or quinoa, blended cauliflower is an ideal substitute. Simply blend up 100-150g of cauliflower in a food processor and then microwave for 2 minutes.

Nutritional Information:

*courgette, also called zucchini. I prefer to use the British-English term instead of the American alternative. If you hear me talking about aubergine, the American-English version is eggplant.