Turkey and Bean Chili

Brrrrr! It’s cold—okay, at least for San Diego it is. That means soups, stews and the crockpot. And plenty of leftovers. I was craving chili yesterday, but a slightly lighter version of one, so I decided on ground turkey. I had stray vegetables from my CSA, such as a couple zucchinis and some collard greens, so I decided to toss them in my chili.The recipe comes to me from my neighbor and friend, S. This recipe is very easy and quick, perfect for those evenings you really don’t feel like cooking. You can pretty much throw in whatever you have on hand, so it’s a great way to get rid of those lingering items in your fridge.

I sautéed ground turkey, chopped onions, peppers and garlic in a big pot with olive oil. After about 7 minutes, I added three cans of beans (two red kidney and one great northern), chopped tomatoes (I like the ones from Pomi that come in a box), 10 oz. strained tomatoes, 6 oz. tomato paste, a handful of chopped olives and all my chili spices— 2 TB chili powder, 2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp dried basil and a pinch of cayenne for a little kick. Season with salt and pepper. I  brought it back to a boil and then added two zucchinis, sliced, and thin ribbons of collard greens, just the leaves. After 20 minutes of simmering, dinner was done! I served it with cornbread and shredded cheese, scallions and Greek yogurt. With all the veggies thrown in, it was the perfect one-pot meal.

TJ’s Fusilli with Vegetables & Basil Pesto

I got in late from a run this morning and couldn’t bear to think about packing a lunch. Thank goodness the last time I was at Trader Joe’s I had the sense to pick up a single-serving box of frozen Fusilli with Vegetables and Basil Pesto. They’re perfect when you’re feeling lazy about packing lunch. But I only allow myself to get one box at a time; otherwise, I’d be sending S to school with this three times a week.

The ingredients are straightforward, and S digs the pesto pasta so much that she even manages to choke down the accompanying zucchini. She does, however, pick out the red peppers. All you do is nuke the box for five minutes. After it was cooked, I threw in some of the leftover flank steak from earlier in the week to make sure S gets her protein.

P.S. — The fusilli passes my taste test with flying colors, especially for a frozen pasta entree from France. It’s like getting a Thai curry from the Germans. But somehow, it works.