Football season is in full swing and the cooler weather surrounds us, and there’s nothing better than a tasty bowl of Chili and some cornbread to accompany this time of year.

This past weekend the rain made an appearance here in Sunny San Diego. It was so refreshing and it definitely called for a hot bowl of Chili, with the football games on in the background I just couldn’t stop craving this seasonal bowl of goodness and some warm cornbread. I decided it was time to create my own recipe full of nutrients and a good hearty taste that all chili-lovers would love, and I needed to find a way to make “cornbread” without using corn.

These recipes were actually easy to pull together and I think they will be a hit in your homes! 

The great thing about chili, you can leave it to cook in your crock-pot through the day or keep it on the stove until your ready to serve it. It also can be ready in a matter of minutes! This makes for an easy meal as well as a good smelling home. 🙂

{Ground Turkey Chili Recipe}

ingredients:

-1 lb Ground Turkey

-1 Onion, Diced (I used a Sweet Onion, Yellow is another great option)

-2 Zucchini, cut in rounds and halved

-2 Yellow Squash, cut in rounds and halved

-3 Carrots, cut in rounds

-2 Bell Peppers (any colors), diced

-3+ cloves of garlic, minced (I used a lot- I love garlic)

-2 cups of Water

-1 can of Adzuki/Aduki Beans, drained and rinsed

-2 cans of Diced Tomatoes, or do this on your own with fresh tomatoes

-2 tbsp. Chili Powder

-1/2 tsp. Paprika

-1/2 tsp. dried Oregano

-1/2 tsp. Ground Cayenne Pepper

-1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin

-Dash of Cinnamon

-1 packet of Stevia

-Sea Salt & Ground Pepper to taste

directions:

-Cook your Ground Turkey as you normally would (I cooked mine in Grapeseed Oil)

-After you have diced/chopped all of your veggies, including minced garlic, toss them all into a large cooking pot (I sprayed the pot with Grapeseed Oil)

-Keep the veggies in the large pot on low heat and stir them around for a few minutes and then add 2 cups of Water

-Mix in Beans, Tomatoes, and Cooked Ground Turkey

-Add all spices (Chili Powder, Paprika, Oregano, Cayenne Pepper, Cumin, cinnamon), packet of Stevia,  Sea Salt and Ground Pepper

-Bring to a boil and stir occasionally.

-Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes (stirring occasionally)

*as soon as your Chili has reached a boil and your perfect taste (sample and add more of the spices you need for your taste preference), you can serve up your chili! If you leave your Chili on the stove to simmer for 30 minutes or more your flavors will mix even better and will be extra tasty!

**For my Vegan/Vegetarian friends, you can enjoy this chili without the turkey. Maybe even add another favorite bean of yours.

Enjoy your perfect bowl of Chili! Of course the perfect combination is some warm cornbread, right? Below is the recipe for a Paleo “Cornbread” that compliments this chili perfectly! I love the dipping method. 🙂

***

{Paleo “Cornbread” Recipe}

I have recently been eating more Paleo and wanted to find a way to make Cornbread by avoiding corn. You may be scratching your head, but think about it, Almond meal flour mixed with some honey could be the perfect fit in finding our way around using corn based ingredients. What do you know, I found this perfect recipe on Hip2Save, the bread was quick and easy to make and was the exact “cornbread” taste I was looking for… actually, I think it was even a bit better than traditional cornbread. You’re going to love this!

ingredients:

-1/4 cup almond butter
-2 tablespoons Coconut oil
-3 organic eggs, beaten
-1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (gluten free)
-2 tablespoons organic honey
-packet of Stevia or 1/4 tsp. liquid stevia OR use a little extra honey if you don’t have either of these on hand
-1 cup almond flour
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-1/4 teaspoon sea salt

directions:

-Preheat at 325 degrees

-Melt almond butter with coconut oil in the microwave or over the stove on low heat

-stir in vanilla extract, eggs, honey and Stevia with melted almond butter and coconut oil mixture in a small bowl.

-Mix dry ingredients (almond flour, baking powder, and salt) in a medium size bowl.

-Combine wet ingredients with dry ingredients. Stir well.

-Pour into an 8×8 baking dish/pan greased with coconut oil (or lined with parchment paper)

-Bake for 15-20 minutes or until done- I used the fork in the middle test to make sure it was baked all the way through

As the cooler weather takes over it’s only natural to want to load up on your favorite comfort foods, but learn to do it the right way and head into these fall and winter months feeling confident and healthy.