Southwestern Turkey Burgers

2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chiles
1 pound lean ground turkey
½ cup onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sea salt

Yield: Around 6 medium sized burgers.

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix until everything is evenly distributed. Form the meat into patties and cook them until the centers of the burgers are opaque.

Serve on whole wheat buns with sliced avocado and salsa.

Modified from this recipe.

Afterburners

12 unpeeled medium-size shrimp
12 jalapeno peppers (or similarly sized sweet peppers)
6 bacon slices, cut in half lengthwise
Pepper jack cheese cut in small pieces (optional)

*USE GLOVES WHEN HANDLING THE PEPPERS

-Peel the shrimp and devein them.

-Cut a slit in each jalapeno pepper; remove the seeds and membranes. Carefully place one shrimp in cavity of each pepper. You might need to cut the shrimp into smaller pieces to get them to fit. If using cheese, cut the shrimp in about three pieces, and alternate between shrimp pieces and cheese pieces when stuffing the peppers.

-Wrap each pepper with 1 bacon piece, and secure with a wooden pick. Place in a jellyroll pan or other baking dish.

-Broil 5 1/2 inches from heat 6 to 7 minutes, or until the bacon is thoroughly cooked and the peppers start to become soft and even a bit charred in places. Serve warm.

*Optional: serve with sweet chili dipping sauce.

Honey Mustard Chicken

3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup mustard
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 dried basil
1/4 tsp dried parsley

-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

-Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste, and place in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the honey, mustard, basil, paprika, and parsley. Mix well. Pour 1/2 of this mixture over the chicken, and brush to cover.

-Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn chicken pieces over and brush with the remaining 1/2 of the honey mustard mixture. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Let cool before serving.

Source
*Yield changed for 2-3 people

Chicken and Vegetable Soup

1 small chicken (about 4lbs)
6-7 carrots
6-7 celery stalks
2 yellow onions
Fresh parsley
3 bay leaves
3 cloves of garlic
Frozen peas
Frozen corn
Chicken bouillon
salt and pepper

Wash the chicken thoroughly and put it in a large soup pot.

Cut 3-4 of the carrots and 3-4 stalks of celery into 3-4 pieces and add to the pot. Cut the two onions into four pieces each (including skin) and add them to the pot. Roughly chop about 3 cups of the parsley and put it into the pot. Remove the outer skin from the garlic cloves, cut them in half, and add them to the pot. Add the bay leaves.

Cut up the rest of the carrots and celery into bite sized pieces.

Fill the pot with water so that it *just* covers the chicken.

On the stove, bring to a boil uncovered. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for about 2 hours, or until the chicken is very tender and cooked through.

Strain the broth into another soup pot, reserving the vegetable/chicken/herb mixture in a bowl. Remove the meat from the bones, throwing away the chicken skin, bones, cartilage, any undesirable chicken meat, the vegetables, and the herbs. Set the chicken meat aside. Using your fingers or a knife, pull or cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

Season the broth to taste using the bouillon, salt, and pepper. Return to a simmering boil and add the uncooked chopped celery and carrots. Cook them until they are tender. Add the meat as well as the frozen vegetables. Cook until everything is heated through.

Guacamole

Ripe avocados (soft but not mushy)
Diced tomato
Diced onion (optional)
Salt
Cayenne pepper
Lime juice

Peel and de-seed the avocados. Mash them up well in a bowl. Add tomatoes and onions to taste. Add salt, cayenne pepper, and lime juice all to taste. Start with a little bit of each and add more if needed.

Caribbean Black Bean Soup

1/2 cup diced onion
 1 tbsp brown sugar substitute
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (14-oz.) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 pound chicken breast tenders
2 (15-oz.) cans black beans, drained
1 (8-oz) can of corn, drained
1/2 teaspoon salt


-Sauté onion and next 4 ingredients in hot oil in a soup pot over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes or until onion is tender and fragrant. Add garlic, and cook 1 minute.

-Stir in tomatoes and next 4 ingredients until well blended. Stir in chicken. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 2 hours. Shred chicken with two forks in the soup pot. Add black beans and corn, and cook 10 more minutes uncovered.


Adapted from Southern Living magazine. The recipe is credited to Anna Ginsburg and the date of publication was September 2008.

Turkey Chili

1 package lean ground turkey
1 8oz can light red kidney beans
1 8oz can black beans
1 8oz can diced tomatoes
1 8oz can corn
1 8oz can low sodium chicken broth
1 4oz can chopped green chilis
1 package chili seasoning
1 tsp cumin
Hot sauce (to taste)

-Brown the turkey in a soup pot (we use non-stick cookware so no oil/cooking spray is needed. If you don't use nonstick cookware and are concerned about browning, use a bit of cooking spray or a small amount of canola or extra virgin olive oil). Once the turkey is completely cooked, drain any excess grease.

-Combine all of the other ingredients in the pot, and cook on medium until everything is heated through. Reduce to low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally. Cook at least 30 minutes for maximum flavor!