Turkey & Black Bean Chili

Football preseason is here! Time to round up some game day recipes, so I thought I would start with some healthy {but oh so good} turkey and black bean chili.

In my house growing up, football season was the most important time of year. My father is a die hard Patriots fan, so my sister and I bought him a sign to put above our television that says "We interrupt this family for football season". It suits him well to this day. My step mother might just be a bigger fan than my father. I swear I can hear her clapping and cheering back home near Cape Cod all the way here in the city. My father was never too happy that his daughters didn't share in his love for the sport, but after 24 years it has grown on me! Matt and I will definitely be watching this season :)

Matt has some crazy motivation lately. He has been running 6-7 miles almost everyday in addition to circuit training. It makes me crazy that he can workout for a week or two (albeit with EXTREME effort) and look like he has been training for months. Abs all toned....chest definition....drool. Anyways, his motivation has rubbed off on me, so I've gotten more on track with the longer distance runs (mine are 5-6 miles) as opposed to the routine 5ks I was doing. I think my body needs the extreme effort to get the results I am looking for since I have already lost a bunch of weight. I want to lose the final pounds and really tone up - I'll post our workout routines next time.

On to the CHILI!

 I am honestly so impressed with myself that these healthy recipes keep coming out so good! Matt is loving having all this homemade food and the fact that I put in extra effort to make them healthy is a huge bonus.

Ingredients:
1-1/2 lbs ground turkey breast
1 large onion
1 red bell pepper
5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp EVOO
1 Tbsp Agave nectar
1 cup organic vegetable broth
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can dark kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of corn
2 Tbsp chili powder (add a little at a time if you don't want it too spicy)
2 Tbsp ground cumin
Salt as desired
Optional toppings: Plain Greek yogurt, reduced fat shredded colby jack cheese

Directions:
In a large sauce pan or dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over med/high heat. Add the onions, pepper and garlic and saute until the onions are opaque, about 5 mins. Add the turkey and seasonings and cook through, breaking the turkey up and you stir.

Once turkey is fully cooked, add the rest of the ingredients and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes to an hour for optimal flavor.

Sauce will thicken 

Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt and shredded cheese! This would be delicious over brown rice if you want to add some whole grain fiber. Enjoy!