Diet Chili? What a concept!!
The title is not an oxymoron – you can have your chili and eat it too and not overindulge.
Yes, this wonderful concoction really is chili and it really is rich and hearty and it really is lowered in fat, calories and carbohydrates. I’m not a nutritionist but I can add up the weights, quantities, calories, carbs and contents of all the ingredients and come up with a pretty accurate statement of the nutritional value of this “comfort” food. The recipe has taken me about a dozen years to get to the point where I quit changing it. I like it any time of year, but especially when it is cold outside. If you’re concerned, you can have a 16 oz. portion (that’s a decent bowl of it) for 405 calories and about 16 grams of carbohydrates. If you’re not dieting, you’ll like it anyway!
Ingredients
1 28 oz. Can Diced Tomatoes
1 16 oz. Can Pinto Beans
1 10 oz. Can Rotel (original)
1 13 oz. Can Mushroom Stems & Pieces (trust me on this one)
1 15 oz. Can Beef Broth
2 Cups Water
21 oz. Lean Ground Turkey (93% lean)
24 oz. 80/20 Ground Beef
*1 Carrol Shelby Chili Spice “kit” (minus the cayenne -- see "service" below)
2 Tbsp Ground Cumin
2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
*You can sub a Wick Fowler kit or approx 6 Tbsp chili powder and 2 Tbsp cumin plus a little paprika
Preparation
Note: The key to keeping this chili in reasonable territory calorie and fat wise is the way you put it together. Brown the meats in either a big skillet or a stew pot and DRAIN them using a good colander. Even with the fairly low-fat meat used, you’ll still snatch away 12-16 oz. of fatty liquid. The chili will look and taste better without it.
Add the dry ingredients (actually chili powder and cumin in a cello bag from the kit) to the moist but drained meat in the pot. Stir to distribute the flavor. Once the meat is coated, add in the wet ingredients: Use all the juices in each can. Chop the mushrooms into small, finely diced bits (this is a meat “stretcher” and makes the end result seem more meaty without adding any significant calories or carbs.
Maintain at very low heat (just enough to keep the whole pot very slowly boiling). Cook at a slow/low simmer for two hours.
Just before serving: “Tighten” the chili with either Masa Flour or Wondra soluble flour. If using Masa Flour combine about 1/3 cup of it with 2/3 cup water to make a thin paste, then stir it in until the consistency thickens. If using Wondra, dust the top of the pot several times and stir it in until the consistency of the liquids is like thin gravy. Simmer on for about another 30 minutes to assure no “flour” flavor stays behind. I find “tightened” chili much more appealing than watery brew!
Service
Serve with crackers, elbow macaroni, or even cornbread for a delicious, if somewhat calorific combination. Most often I eat mine with just some finely chopped fresh onions and a very light sprinkle of sharp cheddar. This makes mild chili so I sometimes add a few healthy dashes of Sriracha or other good hot sauce to give it some cojones.
The best thing about this chili? You can have enough of it to get nice and full without damaging any reasonable diet plan. Even better – serve it to friends and family and don’t tell them it is low cal/low carb! They’ll never know.
Hub
