Chili, in JULY?!

Williamson Turkey Chili

One of my allllll timeee favorite meals any time of year is my family’s chili. My daddy taught me how to make it and I have added spices to improve the taste (since I use turkey instead).  My man doesn't like it so I only make it when he has his own meal taken care. I package up leftovers and keep a good stock in the freezer for a quick meal. Just thaw, add sour cream and cheddar cheese and enjoy! Yumm!

Ingredients:

·         1 lb. Ground Turkey (93/7)

·         2 cans Hot Chili Beans (Pinto in Chili Sauce)

·         2 cans Dark Red Kidney Beans

·         2 Cans Light Red Kidney Beans

·         1 Can Corn (not “sweet” or “creamed,” just plain old corn)

·         1 large can diced tomatoes(unflavored)

·         1 small can tomato paste

·         1 TBSP. Chili Powder

·         1 tsp. Paprika

·         1 tsp. Cinnamon

·          Sour cream & cheese to garnish!

Instructions:

1)      Brown the turkey in a Dutch oven or large sauce/soup pot. (I have stainless steel pans; I use olive oil for EVERYTHING that I cook.)

2)      Add in this order & stir well between each addition:

a)      Diced Tomatoes

b)      Corn

c)       Chili Beans

d)      Dark Red Kidney Beans

e)      Light Red Kidney Beans

f)       Tomato Paste

g)      Spices!!!! Add more if you like it even spicier!

3)      Let simmer uncovered for 30 minutes (serve at this stage!!)

4)      (For fabulous Leftovers!!) Turn off heat and let it rest as long as you want to thicken

5)      Spoon into containers about 3 cups each serving store in fridge for 2 weeks or freezer for 2 months.

Enjoy!!!

B.

Bangin' Baked Bang Bang Shrimp

A few weeks ago we were in New Jersey visiting family & went to dinner at Bonefish Grill for the first time. In all honesty, I was left less than thrilled with the menu but what I did decide to order was delicious. There just wasn’t that much from which to choose. Bittersweet. One thing that I ordered was their (in)famous Bang Bang Shrimp and impressed everyone in attendance by eating several pieces of shrimp! (A food I typically avoid because of the texture.) The taste was too good to pass up. Both Crunchy from being deep fried and smooth from the creamy sauce. Savory and spicy (pretty spicy… did I mention spicy?) I surprised myself! When we came home I decided I needed to make this for J, but in order to enjoy it with a clear conscience I looked up a bangin’ (pun totally intended!) baked recipe. Then I tweaked it a twerked it to make it even lower in points! Yay me! Here it is, enjoy!

Baked Bang Bang Shrimp: WW Style!
adapted from jocooks.com

Prep Time: 30 min (I had to thaw the shrimp first)
Cook Time: 15 min
Serves: 7 (6 shrimps per serving, or 2.25 oz) @ 6 Points+ !!!

Ingredients:

SHRIMP:

1 lb shrimp peeled, deveined & tail-less (save some $$!), I used Large instead of Jumbo because I wanted to stretch it farther
½ cup Quinoa Flour
½ TBSP Garlic Powder
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
¾ cup Plain Greek Yogurt
½ cup milk (I used 2%, cause that’s what we had)
½ TBSP Tobasco
**Salt & pepper to taste, I omitted this**
2-2 ½ cups Panko Breadcrumbs (I started with 1 and added as much as 1 ½ more while coating!)

SAUCE: **We decided to double this recipe for next time**

¼ cup Plain Greek Yogurt
¼ cup milk (again, we used 2%)
2 TBSP Sriracha
1 TBSP Honey

Instructions:

1.       Preheat oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat.

2.       If you, like me forgot to thaw your shrimp, it’s easy! Dump it in a colander and run tepid water, tossing shrimp so that each pieces thaws evenly.

3.       In a medium bowl, mix flour, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt & pepper (if you want) until combined.

4.       To the bowl, add Greek yogurt, milk, tobasco and egg. Whisk until smooth.

5.       Dump the shrimp into the batter and toss to make sure each is coated completely.

6.       In another bowl, put your Panko breadcrumbs. (Keep the box on hand in case you need more! If you use more be sure to add it to the points.)

7.       In yet another bowl (I know, lots of dishes) mix all the SAUCE ingredients and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

8.       Working in small batches, coat each shrimp in the Panko and place on the baking sheet. I used 2 tongs, one for moving wet shrimp to the Panko bowl and another moving dry shrimp to the baking sheet.

9.       Bake for 10 minutes, then flip the shrimp and bake for at least 5 minutes or more, until the shrimp are golden.

10.   If desired, move shrimp to serving dish and drizzle with sauce. (Or just pour it on and eat from the baking sheet! We won’t judge!)

11.   **We made some spaghetti and olive oil to go with this, adding 4 more points, and called it an entrée. Pretty awesome!

ENJOY!

Brooke.