Turkey and White Bean Chili

This is one that I found in The South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook.  While I am definitely not putting Little Frances on the South Beach Diet, this recipe looked like one that she might enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb turkey cutlets, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 (15 oz) cannellini beans. rinsed and drained
• 1 (14.5 oz) can Mexican diced tomatoes
• 1 cup lower-sodium chicken broth
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steps:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
4. Add turkey, chili powder, and cumin; cook, stirring often, until turkey is no long pink inside, about 5 minutes.
5. Add beans, tomatoes with juice, and broth; bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until flavors blend, about 15 minutes.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Timing: This can be served as early as 9 months, however in certain cases I would wait until as late as 12 months depending the broth you used or your babies teeth and comfort in chewing meat.

Difficulty: I would give this 1 out of 5 – especially since I cheated and used already made rotisserie chicken that I bought from the grocery store!

Miscellaneous:

• If you don’t have white beans on hand, almost any bean will work with this versatile dish.
• Consider topping with a sprinkle of cheese, onions, or even avocado.

Epicutie Rating: Somewhat yummy! --- See left side of the page for descriptions.

Little Frances gobbled up the first few bites, but even after that she was still receptive to my encouraging her to eat it!