Peach Cupcakes with Sangria Berry Icing

I've been baking a lot lately. I'm not sure if it means I am in a creative mood, a cheery mood, or a just plain hungry mood, but it's made for some delighted tummies. The fruit this season has been delicious, probably because of all the heatwaves. Regardless, I've been wanting to bake something new (not the usual chocolate goody), and we had some peaches from the local farmers' market that were about to go bad. I found a super yummy peach cupcake recipe at Smitten Kitchen as well as one for sangria cupcakes [from a different site]. Feeling a little adventurous, I took the sangria syrup from the latter cupcake recipe, which called for adding fresh berries to a red wine, and used it to make a sangria icing. The result was almost too sweet, so I've gotta play around with the icing. The peach cupcakes, however, were perfect - so moist and light! I highly recommend trying it out; you can find the recipe by clicking here.

I took extras into work and received rave reviews from the summer school peeps. Don't worry, the sangria syrup involved boiling the wine, so I'm 99% certain that the alcohol completely burned off. Here is how they looked (I found the cupcake liners on Sweet Estelle's Baking Supply site on Etsy). Once I figure out a better icing recipe, I'll post an update. Until then, enjoy!

Paella

I actually love paella but never knew how to make and figured it would take forever. Then, I found this seemingly easy recipe in the Dec 2009 issue of Parents Magazine. The most expensive thing about it is the turmeric, but it's worth it! And, you may, like me, discover a new spice for stews and rice. Frank's verdict: That's restaurant good! Enjoy!

Speedy Healthy Paella

Serves: 4

2 links chicken sausage (about 6 oz)

1 TBSP canola oil

1 red pepper

1 sm. onion

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

pinch salt

8 oz. cooked, peeled, deveined shrimp

1 (8.8 oz) pkg cooked instant brown rice OR 1 1/2 C cooked

1/4 C low-sodium chicken broth

1. Cut sausage in half length-wise and slice into pieces. Heat canola oil in a large skllet on medium-high and cook sausage until browned (about 2 minutes).

2. Chop the red pepper and the onion and add to pan with turmeric and a few shakes of salt. Cook, uncovered, until tender, about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Stir in rice, broth, and shrimp. Cook for about 2 minutes more to heat through.

Per Serving:

268 calories

9 g fat

2 g sat fat

381 mg sodium

22 g carbs

2 g fiber

22 g protein

3 mg iron

28 mg calcium

Meal Plan for Two

We've been doing our best to meal plan lately as a way to save money in between grocery shopping and watch our caloric intake. Well, okay, the latter is mostly for me. We've stumbled across some delicious recipes that I cut out of magazines. I thought I'd share them here. Enjoy!

Grilled Tilapia & Avocado Tostada

(a perfect early summer dish!)

Serves: 4

4 flour tortillas

3 TBSP olive oil

1 lb. tilapia filets

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 small red onion, sliced thin

1 heart of romaine lettuce, thinly sliced crosswise

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1/4 C cilantro leaves

4 red radishes, thinly sliced

1 avocado, thinly sliced lengthwise

1 lime, quartered into wedges

1. Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high.

2. Brush tortillas with 1 TBSP oil. Grill, flipping once or twice, until crisp (about 2 mins).

3. Brush tilapia on both sides with 1 TBSP oil and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt.

4. Grill, flip once, until cooked through (about 8 minutes). Let rest 4 minutes and pull into chunks with fork.

5. Place each tortilla on a plate. Scatter on onion, lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, and radishes. Lay tilapia on top. Fan avocado over tilapia and sprinkle with remaining salt and oil. Serve with lime.

Per Serving:

380 calories

19 g fat

3.5 g sat fat

55 mg cholesterol

660 mg sodium

31 g carb

5 g fiber

26 g protein

Squash Gnocchi Soup

(courtesy Parents, March 2009)

1 pkg. (12 oz) cubed butternut squash

1 pkg. (16 oz) gnocchi

2 1/2 C fat free reduced sodium chicken stock

1/4 C fat free evaporated milk**

thyme sprigs (optional)

**you can substitute tinned coconut milk for a dairy-free recipe

1. Bring stock to a boil in a saucepan on medium-high heat. Add squash, then reduce heat the medium-low and look for 25 minutes or until squash is tender, stirring occassionally. (I found I had to keep the heat higher and cook it for longer because our stove is old.

2. Let mixture cool for 5 minutes. Then, puree in a food processor or blender.

3. Meanwhile, cook gnocchi according to directions; drain.

4. Sti gnocchi and milk into squash puree and heat through. Garnish with thyme sprigs.

We found it helpful to add salt, pepper, etc. to season the soup, but it made a nice meal with the Caprese mini-sandwiches (below).

Serves: 4

Per Serving:

151 calories

0 g fat

335 mg sodium

32 g carb

3 g fiber

6 g protein

1 mg iron

96 mg calcium

Caprese Mini-Sandwiches

(from Pampered Chef Season's Best, Spring/Summer 2006)

4 flat pita bread rounds
1 TBSP olive oil

1/4 tsp Italian seasoning mix

1/4 C (1 oz) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

2 - 3 balls (about 8 oz) fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced

2 lg plum tomatoes, sliced

1/2C lightly packed fresh basil leaves

1/4 toasted walnuts, chopped

1 garlic clove, pressed

1/4 tsp salt

2 TBSP light balsamic salad dressing

4 C mixed baby salad greens or spinach leaves

1. Toast walnuts by spreading over the bottom of a microwave safe dish. (I used a small stone) Microwave on high 2 - 3 minutes or until fragrant and lightly toasted, stirring after each 30-second interval.
2. Allow walnuts to cool completely before finely chopping with the basil.
3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place pita rounds on a baking stone; drizzl with oil, spreading evenly. Sprinkle evenly with seasoning mix. Coarsely grate Parmesan cheese over pita rounds (or just use grated cheese). Bake 8 -10 minutes or until edges are light golden brown and cheese is melted. Remove from oven.
4. Meanwhile, slice mozzarella cheese and tomatoes; set aside. For pesto, place basil and walnuts together and finely chop using a food processor or handheld chopper. Combine the basil mixture, pressed garlic and salt in a mixing bowl; mix well.
5. Turn over pita rounds on baking stone; drizzle with dressing, spreading evenly to edges. Cut each round into 6 wedges (sic).** Remove half of the pita wedges to cutting board. Top each wedge with a small amount of the greens. Place one slice of mozzarella cheese over green; top with pesto and one slice of toato. Top with remaining pit wedges, cheese side up, forming 12 mini-sandwiches (sic).** Secure with sandwich picks, if desired. Serve immediately.

Serves: 12 (sic)**

**I found it easier to quarter the pita wedges (shown below), which would make 8 sandwiches/servings.

Per Serving (when making 8):
225 calories
12 g fat
5.25 g sat fat
22.5 mg cholesterol
240 mg sodium
19.5 g carbs
3 g fiber
10.5 g protein

Recipe for Success?

Step 1: Rush to Genuardi's on Thanksgiving Day to buy organic produce & ground turkey. This ensures fresh produce and no crowds. Drive like a maniac home. Prep food for cooking. Lie to husband that this won't take that long.

Step 2: Boil apples. Bake sweet potatoes. Steam carrots (darn nitrates!). Saute turkey in water.

Step 3: Let cool (see picture). Oh and shower, get dressed, get the baby dressed, and pack her diaper bag.


Step 4: Puree using food processor and water. Divvy out that day and the next's portions for meals. Freeze extra using only available containers which may or may not be freezer appropriate.

Step 5: Present food to baby using same utensils and bowls as usual. Pretend like it came in a jar. Use enthusiastic tone (e.g. "Yaay, applesauce! Yummy carrots!").

Step 6: Feed baby. Hold breath as you wait for reaction.

Step 7: Stay positive.

Step 8: Keep going. Do not offer jarred food as alternative despite best puppy dog eyes.

Step 9: Be a good sport. And be proud of yourself for feeding your child wholesome, organic Thanksgiving goodness.

**This post brought to you by my neighbor Danielle & wholesomebabyfood.com.**

Soup's On

Well, it's that time of year. Each Fall, I make Grandma's Chicken Soup, freezing all but enough for a week in order to have some delicious, cold-fighting goodness for later in the season. I have fond memories of my grandmother making chicken soup so delicious that we would beg for bowl after bowl. I try to channel my inner-Helen whenever I make it. The recipe is not exact because, like chili, chicken soup can and should be made to taste. If you want more of something, add it. Less? Take it out. And remember, as Grandma always said, it's the pastina.



I never realized how incredibly easy it is to make chicken soup until I watched a former client's mom make it. Many recipes will call for additional veggies (celery, onions, etc), and occassionally I'll throw those in, but I've found that sticking to the version that Grandma made is always a winner. What's wonderul about homemade chicken soup is that it's not just a tasty, healthy and perfect all-in-1 meal, but it's also so much lower in sodium than store-bought stuff in a can. It's not just a story-book myth either, chicken soup is full of nutrients that fend off and aid in fighting sore throats, colds, and flus. It freezes well, so this weekend, try it! You'll be glad you did when you are all stuffed up and have no interest in cooking.

EDIT 9/29/09: Thank you, Rebekah, for asking for more information! Using either regular, white potatoes or sweet potatoes works fine; both taste delicious! If you are making soup that you want to share with an infant, consider making it salt/pepper free and then telling adults who eat it to season their own bowl to taste. This way, all you have to do is mash up the potatoes and carrots into child-safe pieces. Grandma was a big fan of doing this for us, so I have it on good authority that it works. Please note, the soup can simmer for as long as you'd like, but the minimum time is listed below (until the pastina cooks through which doesn't take long since it's so tiny). Also, make sure if you use rice, it is pre-cooked. Rice soaks up water in order to cook, which you don't want here because well, then it wouldn't be soup. The same can happen with bigger noodles (shells or elbows, etc) so be wary of when you add those in and you may need to consider cooking them first. The reason why the soup stays on simmer when you add the pastina is because this pasta is very tiny and cooks quickly so it's not worth taking the entire pot back up to boiling again. However with bigger pastas, it may be necessary to pre-cook them (as with the rice) or get it back up to boiling in order to ensure they aren't raw when you go to eat it. Unfortunately, because I often use rice or pastina, I can't say for sure how to do this. You may need to do some trial and error to get it right.

Chicken Soup (makes: a lot)

To Buy:

1 - 1.5 pounds of chicken (I prefer boneless, skinless chicken breast but go with what you like; I'm pretty sure my grandma use white and dark meat chicken with bones that got taken out, naturally)

3 - 5 carrots (note: I've used half a bag of baby carrots in a pinch and it was fine)

2 - 3 potatoes or sweet potatoes

half a box of pastina (you can use pre-cooked rice or a noodle-y pasta but honest to God, this is the BEST tasting pasta for chicken soup)

salt

pepper



To Do:

1. Clean the chicken. I take off some but not all of the fat. The fat helps flavor the broth but I take off anything that wouldn't boil off the chicken and into the water. Do not cut it up, just wash it and trim off the grossest fat.

2. Get a big old soup pot. Frank has referred to ours as the lobster pot in case that helps. I'm not sure that "lobster pot" is an accurate description of how we use it, but that's what he has called it. Fill the pot about halfway full with water. Add salt -- I eyeball this, but it's probably about a tablespoon or so.

3. Put the pot on the stove, high heat. Add the chicken. Allow it to boil until the chicken is cooked. I'm not sure how long this takes because I tend to get involved in something else but 20 minutes will do it. Note: You cannot overcook the chicken. Boiling it longer will help make it easier to shred or pull apart (a later step).

4. In the meantime, begin peeling and cutting the carrots and potatoes into bite-sized pieces.

5. Once the chicken is cooked, turn the heat down to simmer. Carefully remove the chicken and place it on a cutting board to cool completely.

6. Add the carrots and potatoes to the chicken stock. Turn the heat back up so the carrots and potatoes boil and soften. These can become too soft so don't let them overcook. This can take anywhere from 10 - 20 minutes depending on the amount and size of potatoes/carrots as well as your stove or pot. So, keep an eye on this. Add another round of salt as well as some pepper. Do NOT be heavy-handed with either and frequently taste it to make sure it's not too much. I tend to be minimalist with these because this way, those eating the soup can add it to their liking.

7. When the carrots and potatoes are adequately cooked, turn the heat to simmer. Add salt/pepper as necessary.

8. Once the chicken is cooled, begin to pull it apart or shred it. Add it back to the pot as you do.

9. Add the pastina as well as salt/pepper if needed. Cover the pot and let the soup simmer until the pasta is cooked through. Then, serve and eat or freeze for later.

Quiche & Pot Pie

We've been trying to really plan meals for the week and take into consideration what we buy when we grocery shop. For example, if we are cooking a recipe with fresh basil, we try to find other recipes with fresh basil so that not so much goes to waste. This is a bad example, but you get the picture.

So tonight, we took a cue from Rebekah and made a quiche with extras from foods used in the chicken pot pie we made Tuesday night. The recipe we followed was inspired by one from Erin Cooks and can be seen by clicking here. We made a few changes using ingredients we had, and it turned out fantastically. We both ate a little more than we should have but it was pretty tasty. I'm listing the chicken pot pie recipe as well as the ingredients we put into the quiche. I'm not listing the full quiche recipe in order to encourage everyone to check out the Erin Cooks post. There's important information on protecting your oven when baking a quiche! Unfortunately no pictures for this post... but just imagine yummy goodness!

Quiche Ingredients & modifications:
The frozen veggies mentioned below can't be purchased in "1 cup" sizes, so we used about a cup of those (peas, corn, onion) as well as some of the carrots and a small tomato (called for in the recipe). We bought a 2-pack of the frozen pie crusts, so one was used for the potpie and the other for the quiche. Frank decided to use 6 eggs (Eggs are really healthy for you and when divied u into an 8 serving quiche, the protein & nutrients weigh out any cholesterol!!) instead of 4. In lieu of the gruyere cheese called for in the recipe, we used some Mexican blend shredded cheese leftover from taco night; we decided this was a delicious complement to the onions and tomatoes. Also, we didn't have half & half, and since I only drink vanilla soymilk (which is not a great replacement in this situation), Frank substituted butter. I calculated the calories per serving assuming the one quiche yielded 8 servings and it's around 275 - 300 calories. When doubled, this is a great dinner for an active adult. If you are sticking to the Change One plan of 450 calorie dinner, shoot for 1.5 servings. Enjoy!

One-Crust Chicken Potpie (from Change One)
serves 4
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 package (15 oz) refrigerated pie crust
1 egg white, lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water
2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen green peas
1 cup frozen small white onions
1/2 cup fat-free evaporated milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

1. In a lrge saucepan, bring the chicken, 1/8 tsp salt, and enough water to cover to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and gently poach the chicen until the juics run clear, abu 15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, let cool, and cut into bite-size pieces. Reserve 1 cup of the poaching liquid.

2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly coat a baking sheet and four 1-cup baking dishes. Note: we opted instead to use a traditional pie dish and instead of cutting out individual pie crusts, we simply used the entire pie crust over top the inside chicken mixture.

3. Dust a work surface lightly with flour. Unfold the piecrust, cut in half, and wrap the remaining half in foil or plastic wrap; refrigerate or freeze. Roll out the crust 1/8 inch thick, then cut out 4 squares to fit on top of the baking dishes. Brush the tops with the diluted egg white. Transfer the squares to the baking sheet and bake until crisp and golden, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

4. Meanwhile, cook the carrots in boiling water until tender about 5 minutes; drain. In a colander, rinse the corn, peas, and onions in hot water. In a small bowl, whisk the milk and flour until smooth.

5. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the milk mixture, then the reserved poaching liquid. Cook until the sauce thickens and boils, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken, carrots, corn, peas, onions, pepper, and the remaining salt. Cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Divide among the 4 baking dishes and bake until the filling bubbles, about 15 minutes. top each with a pastry square.

Rockin the Dinners

Ok, so I had to post this because I'm really proud of Frank and myself. We've eaten healthy, prepared at home meals for the 3rd night in a row (and on Friday/Saturday no less!). Tonight we made steamer bag veggies (an amazing, easy item at the grocery store where the veggies come in a bag that steams them in the microwave -- btw, the store brand is just as good as the name brand), store prepped catfish, and ziti & zucchini. The last side dish is a Change One recipe that was incredibly easy to make and delicious. The recipe serves 4, so we cut it in half and added some tomatoes for a wonderful and complementary side. One serving is 1.5 cups (or two tennis balls), but we actually still had enough left over for one small lunch-size serving. I'm listing the recipe as it is written, but we eyeballed the measurements, added chopped, sweet tangerine tomatoes [from the Bryn Mawr Farmer's Market], and flavored with a little bit of salt because we didn't have fresh basil. Enjoy!

Ziti & Zucchini (serves 4)
6 oz. ziti
2 medium zucchinis
2 tsp olive oil
2 TBSP grated Parmesan cheese
1 TBSP fresh basil, slivered

1. Prepare the ziti as directed, drain.
2. Slice each zucchini in half crosswise, then slice each half into eighths lengthwise. Place in a medium bowl and microwave just until softened, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the ziti, oil, basil, and cheese and toss to combine.
4. Divide into 4 equal portions (refrigerate any extra portions). One serving is 1.5 cups (2 tennis balls).

Crunchy Tilapia

Okay so I've been sticking to this week's dinner plan of 1 starch, 1 protein, and unlimited veggies all while maintaining breakfast, lunch and snacks. I discovered a wonderful recipe for tilapia (a very nice, mild, white-flesh fish) in one of the baby magazines we've been receiving. Not only does it utilize panko (a fantastic Japanese breadcrumb that once you try you'll never go back to regular breadcrumbs again), but it's super easy to make! I'm including the recipe as I found it (with a tartar sauce), but I don't serve it with the tartar sauce. I choose to serve it over salad with craisins, walnuts and goat cheese in a light, one calorie balsamic dressing spray. I prefer this because I think it tastes delicious, but it also creates a nice double protein serving (according to the Change One diet). We usually throw in some sort of starch that we dug up; tonight it was the leftover focaccia bread from the Bryn Mawr Farmer's Market. It's becoming a favorite in our house; even Frank has good things to say about this. Forgive the amateur photo -- lol, I'm definitely NOT a photographer!

Crunchy Tilapia with Tartar Sauce (serves 4)
Lemon Tartar Sauce
1/4 C light mayo
1/3 C light sour cream
2 TBSP sweet relish
1 tsp lemon zest
salt to taste

Stir all ingredients together and set aside. **You can also use 1 tsp lemon zest to perk up a bottled sauce.**

Fish
1 lb. tilapia fillets halved lengthwise
3/4 C panko bread crumbs
1/4 C parsley, chopped
1 lg. egg, lightly beaten
1 TBSP milk
3/4 tsp. salt
2 TBSP canola oil

Combine panko + parsley on 1 plate. Mix egg + milk in bowl. Working one at a time, dip the fish fillets in the egg/milk mixture. Shake off the excess. Dredge lightly in crumb mixture. Sprinkle with salt.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add fillets + cook until golden brown on one side, about 4 minutes. Turn, + cook until fish is no longer translucent in the center, about another 4 minutes. Serve immediately, or keep warm in a 200 degree Fahrenheit oven.

Nutrition Info (with sauce)
301 cals.
16 g. fat (3 g. sat. fat)
711 mg. sodium
113 mg. cholesterol

Erin Cooks & the Gastrokid

Ok, so Rebekah and I have been talking about cooking and cooking for kids lately. She posted a link to a blog called Erin Cooks which I've been following ever since. The blog includes many recipes and tips as well as yummy looking pictures. Sometimes I enjoy just looking at the delicious pictures... lol, I do love food!

Anyway, Erin, the blogger, has posted a contest for a cookbook called The Gastrokid Cookbook. Essentially, she writes that the goal of the cookbook is to encourage cooking sophisticated and nutritious meals that are also appealing to kids. You can read more about it by clicking here. I'm totally in love with this idea because I'd like to raise Olivia to appreciate food the way Frank and I do (well-portioned, healthy, complex flavors, yummy and easy to do!). So, if you post a reply on her blog post (can you follow that?), you are "entered" to win a free copy of the book. Check it out and check out the rest of her blog... unless you're hungry. You may want to eat a snack first. ;-)

Strawberry Muffins

So tonight I continued my cooking quest and made some strawberry muffins which turned out quite nice! I found the recipe on the back of my Stonyfield Farms yogurt foil cover. I had many of the ingredients and strawberries were on sale [since the season is almost over], so I decided to give it a go. The recipe substitutes yogurt for oil and is super easy. Frank gives it the thumbs up.

Strawberry Muffins
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup yogurt**
1/4 cup butter melted
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped strawberries (fresh or frozen)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In bowl, mix together flour, sugar, and baking soda. In another bowl, mix eggs, yogurt, butter, and vanilla. Toss strawberries nto flour mixture. Pour yogurt mixture into flour mixture and stir. Spoon batter into greased muffin tin. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

Makes 12.

**When using Stonyfield Farms lowfat plain yogurt:
150 cal, 45 from fat
Tot Fat: 5g
Carbs: 24g
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 4g

I used Stonyfield Farms Fat Free French Vanilla yogurt in order to give it more vanilla flavor [plus I can only find this plain in the larger container, which I won't use all of]. This does increase the calories by about 5 per muffin and the carbs by about 2g per muffin. Enjoy!

Week 2 and why I'll never buy something other than ziploc again

So, I've been doing the Change One breakfast successfully for a full week! And it's working; I'm down another pound. To be fair, it's true what they say about eating breakfast -- in making a concerted effort to eat well for breakfast, I also paid attention to what I was eating for the rest of the day. It's made a difference since I haven't been able to go running for about a week due to heat, humidity, and thunderstorms. So, today I *should* have started with step 2: lunch. Unfortunately, Olivia has been sick with a little summer cold for the past 3 days. She has handled it better than Frank and I, who called the doctor twice, taken her temperature about a billion times, and used an aspirator more times than I care to count. After all was said and done, we decided Chinese food for dinner last night was an excellent idea, and I ate leftovers today for my brunch. Tomorrow is a new day, though, and I will eat a healthy lunch while maintaining a healthy breakfast.

Lunch is a serving a starch/grain, a serving of protein, a serving of fruit, and as much veggies as I'd like. On the 1600 calorie plan, I can choose to double my protein here. I'm going to try to not do this so that I can get used to the smaller lunch and build up as I progress, if I'd like. Also, with this approach, I maintain breakfast, add lunch, and eat whatever I want the rest of the day. Sooo, I'll stick with not doubling for now.

While I was doing the healthy breakfast thing this past week, I decided to start cooking again. I say it this way because Frank is a fantastic cook and does most of the cooking for our family. But, in order to truly know what I'm eating, I need to start cooking some meals again. That being said [and we had some zucchinis about to go bad], I made a big old pot of turkey chili. Now, when I started out, I was thinking use the zucchinis, but since we were at the grocery store, I picked up some peppers and onions, too. Then, I looked in the cupboards and discovered several cans of beans and diced + crushed tomatoes. PERFECT! Along with the ground turkey meat, this would make an excellent pot of chili! Well, it sure did and then some:

Most of this went into our freezer. After I took this picture, though, I walked away so that the containers could cool a bit. Then, Frank and I heard an awful sound. The sound of plastic bag hitting our kitchen floor. I believe Frank's exact words were, "Did I just hear a bag of chili hitting the floor?" I approached with a solid pit of anxiety in my stomach, fearing the worst. What I found was the reason why I will only buy ziploc products again.


And if anyone wants to make chili, just get your hands on some ground turkey meat, one large yellow onion, 2 medium green peppers, 2 green zucchinis, 1 yellow zucchini, a 16 oz can of tomato sauce/puree/crushed tomatoes, a smaller can of tomato sauce, 3 - 4 cans of beans (your favorites) rinsed and drained, salt, pepper and spices to taste (I like chili pepper, cilantro, white pepper, and ground chipotle pepper as well as ground cumin when I have it). Essentially, just brown the meat while seasoning it with salt, pepper and spices, then drain and dump it into a larger pot with the cans of tomato sauce/etc. Use the same pan from the turkey to brown the veggies, individually or together, whichever is easiest. Make sure to season those while they brown. Then add them to the pot. Add water to thin out the chili to the desired consistency. Then, add the beans as well as any more seasoning that you'd like. You can add more or less vegetables as you see fit. And it freezes well (thank goodness!) so just use containers that work for your family and you've got meals for -- well, forever if you're us.