Turkey Chili from the 21 Day Fix Extreme!

Well, anything is possible!  True confession - I have always been a little bit (or a LOT) freaked out by ground turkey and never actually purchased it before yesterday.  I have been making some of the new recipes from the 21 Day Fix Extreme guide and I decided to be brave and give the ground turkey a try.  I made chili with it tonight and it was actually good!  My husband even approved!!!  He is not at all picky and I am thankful that he is game for my kitchen experiments.  But I did take his chili stamp of approval as a very good sign as just 48 hours ago he was at a chili cook-off and sampled MANY recipes that night. This one is a keeper!

If you are doing the original 21 Day Fix OR the Fix Extreme, this recipe equals 1 red, 1/2 green and 1/2 yellow container per serving.

* We really like kidney beans so I did 1/2 kidney beans and 1/2 pinto beans.  The kids do not care for fresh cilantro.  So we added a sprinkle of dried parsley instead.  Oh!  And everyone here really likes bell peppers so I used two within the recipe instead of just one.

Turkey Chili from the 21 Day Fix Extreme

(Makes 6 servings, 1 cup each)

1 tsp. olive oil

1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey

1 medium onion

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (to taste; optional)

2 (15 oz) cans black beans (or pinto beans) drained, rinsed

1 (15 oz) can all-natural diced tomatoes, no sugar added

12 fresh cilantro sprigs, finely chopped (for garnish; optional)

Directions

1. Heat oil in large sauce pan over medium-high heat
2. Add turkey, onion, bell pepper, and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 8 minutes or until turkey is no longer pink
3. Add cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper; cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute
4. Add beans and tomatoes (with liquid). Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low; gently bio, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until thickened.
5. Serve warm, sprinkle with cilantro. 
6. *** This recipe could also be assembled and placed in the crock-pot on low.  When making it here today, I put everything together and then had it simmering on low for an hour or so until it was time for dinner here.