Turkey Pumpkin Chili

I have been obsessed with chili the last few weeks and I can tell you right now that I'm not going to stop with my chili cooking any time soon! It's so easy, filling, satisfying, healthy and tasty!

I decided to pumpkinize (not a word, but I like to make words up for fun!) a recipe by adding a can of pumpkin puree. Added goodness, thickens it up and you really can't taste it, so the health benefits are there without comprising the taste. My son picks out the beans, but my daughter eats them mashed, so win win!

Oh, yes. It's been a long while since I've last posted. Since my last post, I've had a baby girl. No biggie. Just a baby. :P On to the recipe! 

TURKEY PUMPKIN CHILI

INGREDIENTS:

2 tsp olive oil1 yellow onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves minced1 medium red bell pepper, chopped 1 lb ground turkey2 TB chili powder2 tsp ground cumin1 tsp diced oregano1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree1/4 tsp cayenne pepper1/2 tsp salt1 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes1/2 cup of chicken broth2 15-ounce cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained

INSTRUCTIONS:
Cook ground turkey and chopped onions in a pan. Then, add to a crockpot with all the ingredients. Mix well and turn on that crocker to LOW for 3-4 hours. 

NOTES:
I was impatient and ate it after 3 hours. The longer the flavors marry, the better! ENJOY knowing it's tasty AND healthy! 

TOPPINGS: greek yogurt (great sour cream alternative!), cilantro, avocado, cheese, chopped red onion, jalapeños, kimchi. So, I tried it with kimchi recently because I was all out of other toppings. It definitely had the spice and crunch factor. Not bad, but I prefer jalapeños. Give it a try though! You only live once!

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancakes

I am officially OBSESSED with all things pumpkin. I want to get my hands on everything!

I had an OB ultrasound this morning (baby girl at 24 weeks is healthy and beautiful!) and on the way home, I had a serious sudden craving for pumpkin pancakes. I don't crave anything in particular this pregnancy (neither did I the last one), but if I want something, I just HAVE TO HAVE IT!

I happened to have leftover pumpkin puree from making the Pumpkin Apple Spice Vanilla Shakeology a few days ago. I also remembered a 2-ingredient pancake recipe I haven't made in awhile. It didn't take me long to to decide I was going to add some pumpkin puree to the pancake recipe to make a healthy version of pumpkin pancakes.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs (beaten)
• 1 banana (ripe and mashed)
• dash of pumpkin pie spice (optional, but highly recommended!)

Instruction:

• In a bowl, beat 2 eggs with a fork. 
• In another bowl, mash a ripe banana with a fork. 
• Mix all ingredients until there are no banana lumps. 
• In a pan on medium high heat (not too hot, otherwise it'll burn real fast), put some coconut oil and swirl it around in the pan. 
• Pour little circles of pancake "batter" onto the pan. Keep a close eye and don't leave it on the pan too long. Once you see the edges cooked, flip over carefully. They will break if you're not careful. 
• If your banana is ripe, that'll take care of the sweetness for you. If you really want some syrup, go right ahead! 

ENJOY!