Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Turkey Chili (Paleo, Gluten-Free)

One of the meals I miss since I no longer eat beans is chili.  It’s an easy weeknight meal to make, and is a nice comforting meal on a cold night.

I experimented with a few different variations of this recipe and came up with one that’s savory with a bit of sweetness.  The chili powder adds a slight kick, but not enough to consider it spicy.  If you prefer a more spicy chili, you can add some red pepper flakes.  We enjoy this one as is, and the kids gobble it up!  If you have family members or guests that do not follow a Paleo diet, you can serve this with some corn tortilla chips too.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Turkey Chili
via There is No Secret to Getting Fit

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp coconut oil
1 sweet onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced  (any color works well, I like orange or red, but you can add green for a contrasting color)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lb ground turkey
1 large sweet potato, diced
28 oz (about 3 cups) diced tomatoes
2 cups pureed pumpkin
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice**
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
sea salt to taste

Step 1:  In a large pot or skillet, melt coconut oil.  Sauté onion and bell pepper until onion is translucent (season with a little s&p).  Add minced garlic and sauté another minute.
Step 2:  Add ground turkey, season with a little s&p and cook until no longer pink.
Step 3:  Add the tomatoes, pumpkin, chili powder, pumpkin pie spice and pepper.  Simmer covered for about 20 minutes, or until sweet potato is cooked through.
Step 4:  Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed.

If you eat dairy, top with a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream and a sprinkling of cheese.

**Make your own pumpkin pie spice:  1 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/8 tsp cloves, 1/8 tsp allspice

Sausage Puffs (Grain-free, Gluten-free)

The holidays always take me back to Christmases spent at my dad & stepmother’s house.  Christmas time was my stepmother’s favorite time of year.  She loved decorating, baking and cooking, and she even kept notes on a variety of things to prepare for the holidays.  They would always put on a big feast with appetizers and a huge spread for dinner.  Jenet (my stepmother) always made her sausage puff recipe, and we all devoured the tasty delights the moment they hit the table.  Sadly, my dad and stepmother passed away suddenly in 2005.  This was one of the recipes I searched through her recipe box for, and I finally found it on a little recipe card with her handwritten notes about the easiest way to make them and what worked best.  It’s funny, because I now do the same thing with my recipes.

Jenet’s original recipe used Bisquick, so I needed to swap that out for sure.  I wanted to make a grain-free version, and the recipe I came up with is Paleo, but uses cheese.  So it’s Paleo with dairy (Primal).

One little warning.  These little yummies will get eaten up faster than you can say mistletoe.  Don’t try to double the recipe.  It’s far too much for any food processor to handle (trust me, I’ve tried).  These babies are so easy to make that you can whip up a second batch in no time!

So here it is, enjoy !

Sausage Puffs (Grain-free, Gluten-free)
There is No Secret to Getting Fit

Ingredients:

1 small onion, roughly chopped
2 tsp coconut oil (refined for no coconut flavor)
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1 1/2 cups almond flour
2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 cups grated cheddar cheese (I usually use sharp, you can go with medium or a mix too)
1/2 lb bulk sage sausage

Method:

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Pull out your food processor.  Dump in your onion, coconut oil and parsley.  Give that a few pulses.

Note:  If you’re in a pinch and need to use dried parsley, use only 1/4 cup.  The taste is about the same.  If you do not have a food processor, you can certainly do it by hand.  If you have a stand mixer, that can do the mixing for you and all you need to do is the chopping.  Just be sure to chop the onion and parsley very fine.

Add the almond flour, salt & pepper.  Pulse a few more times.  Use a spatula to scrape down sides as needed.

Add the cheese and pulse again.

Add the sausage.  Process until the mixture is completely combined and looks smooth, almost like a dough.  You may have to keep opening the top and moving things around a bit using your spatula, but it will all process nicely, I promise!

 

Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop balls onto a cookie sheet lined with Silpat or parchment paper.  You can place the balls close together since they don’t spread out while baking.

Bake for about 13 minutes, or until they begin to get golden brown on top.  Don’t let them get too brown or they’ll be too hard!

Enjoy hot!

Sausage Puffs #grainfree #glutenfree via https://thereisnosecrettofit.wordpress.com/

These can be refrigerated for up to a week (I’d be surprised if they last that long), or frozen and reheated.  Always heat them in the oven at 400° F.  If refrigerated, they take about 5-6 minutes to reheat.  About 10-12 if frozen.

PREP TIME:  15 minutes
BAKE TIME:  13 minutes
MAKES about 50 puffs

Oh, one note on the sausage.  Pick up a good one at the meat case with the bulk sausage.  My Whole Foods carries Sage and a few other types.  Sage is definitely the type you want for this recipe.