Okay, I know there are about a million recipes out there for chili. I have a whole Pinterest folder full of them. Why do you need one more? Well…what about easy, almost fat free, delicious, full of healthy vegetables, suitable for both phase 1 and phase 3 of the Fast Metabolism Diet, and lastly an insurance policy in the freezer. Chili is the answer for the question “what shall we have for dinner?” frequently posed at 6 pm when everyone is tired, hungry, and grumpy. That’s the kind of insurance I’m talking about. It’s good with rice, with cornbread, poured over a baked potato, garnished with cheese or avocado or chips or cilantro or chopped onion or sour cream, use it in a burrito bowl or rolled in a taco. Whew! And it is delicious just as is, perfect for lunch or dinner on a chilly day. You have lots of options.
This recipe makes a big batch, four quarts of chili. Enough for to put a quart or two in the freezer.
2 cups of chili are a phase 1 meal, garnish with half a sliced avocado for phase 3. Because of the large amounts of legumes, it counts as a starch as well as a protein.

Turkey Chili

4 quarts of Turkey Chili
Turkey Chili
Makes 4 quarts – 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 pounds of ground turkey
- 1 large red onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro or parsley
- 1 heaping tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes (depending on how spicy you like your chili)
- 2 cans of black beans
- 1 can of pinto beans, drained
- 4 cups of chopped zucchini
- 2 red peppers, chopped
- 1 32 ounce can of chopped tomatoes with juice
- 1 teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste
Directions:
- Brown the turkey over medium heat in a large heavy bottomed pot, add a tablespoon or two of water if it sticks.
- Add the onion, herbs, chili powder, cumin, garlic and red chili flakes to the pot. Cook on until the onion softens, about 10 minutes.
- Add the 2 cans of black beans with their liquid, the drained pinto beans, and the tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and turn down the heat. Simmer 40 minutes.
- Add the zucchini, red pepper and salt, simmer for another 40 minutes to an hour.
- Taste for salt.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro, thinly sliced cabbage, avocado, sour cream, cheese, etc.
Turkey Chili
Turkey Chili
This recipe is adapted from one in the Fast Metabolism Diet.