TURKEY CHILLI BEANS (Chile con Carne)

Macronutrients per serving:

Calories 375, Protein 34 g, Carbohydrates 22 g, Fat 12 g.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. of ground turkey
• 2 cans of whole beans (560 g., or 1 lb., each). I recommend “La Costena,” for they come nicely seasoned, but any beans will be fine.
• 5 Guajillo peppers (Sold dry, in a bag, in any Mexican market or carniceria)
• Fresh Jalapenos (optional)
• 10 baby carrots, or 1 large, peeled carrot
• 1 large celery stick, chopped.
• 1 tomato
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 lime (optional)
• 5 garlic cloves
• ½ onion
• Fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 1 Tbsp oregano
• 1 Tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1.5 tsp salt

Cooking Instructions:

1. The Sauce

• 1A) Place the 5 Guajillo peppers in enough water to cover them. Ideally, they should stay overnight (ideally), but you could also add the water and place them in the microwave for 2 minutes and let them cool down.
• 1B) Once the peppers are ready, remove them from water and pour the water in the blender (if water has any seeds, make sure you remove them). Chop the top of the peppers off and throw them out. Cut peppers in half with scissors, length ways and remove all the seeds!
• 1C) Add to the blender: cleaned peppers, ¼ of an onion, ½ red bell pepper (no seeds), tomato, 3 garlic cloves, 1 tsp olive oil (remember, the water used to soak in the peppers, should be in the blender, too).  
• 1D) Add cumin, oregano, black pepper and salt and blend thoroughly. Make sure you taste the mix to ensure there is enough salt.
• 1E) Place the sauce in a pot and let it boil until it is cooked (sauce will change color and get darker).

2. The Protein

• 2A) While the sauce is cooking, heat a pan, add a little bit of olive oil. Place the turkey, with ¼ chopped onion, ½ chopped red bell pepper, 2 finely chopped garlic cloves, paprika, salt, and pepper.
• 2B) Once turkey is cooked, pour it into the sauce, along with the beans.
• 2C) Add the sliced baby carrots and chopped celery into the mix and let it cook until it boils. Stir the mix gradually to prevent the bottom to burn. Once boiling, it should take about 8 to 10 minutes to cook the carrots and celery. While you let it cook, chop some cilantro, finely.
• 2D) Taste it again to check on salt and spices and turn fire off. Let it sit (uncovered, so the mix will get thicker).

3. Serve and Enjoy!

Once in a plate, add fresh cilantro, some chopped onion, and lime juice. If you want more spice, add some finely chopped jalapeno.