Bell Pepper Stew with Ground Turkey

(originally posted on WGLR.com on 3-18-13)

Hard to believe this is my last Crock of the Week for the season (You’ll still get one next week, BUT it will be the winning recipe from “The Crock of the Week Crock Pot Giveaway!”).

So, remember, I told you at the New Year that you would be getting some healthier crock pot recipes because the Jacobs’ household was making an effort to get healthy? I am happy to say we have stuck to the resolution, haha! This soup is one I have made a few times for us in the last few months. It is delicious AND healthy, and works great for The Husband and I to take to work for lunches. Make a double batch, and you’ll have lunch at work for a week for you and another person.

So now, let’s talk ground turkey. Some love it, some hate it. It is a healthier option than ground beef, BUT I have to say I am not a fan of a regular old boring turkey burger. However, I am a HUGE fan of it in combination recipes. It works awesome for Mexican dishes like tacos, and also in Italian dishes like lasagna. So, if you aren’t usually a fan of ground turkey, give it a chance in this recipe. You won’t be disappointed. Don’t let the recipe name scare you away! This tastes like stuffed peppers in a soup, it really does! And a 1 cup serving is only 140 calories!!! For real!

GROUND TURKEY BELL PEPPER STEW

1.5 lbs lean ground turkey

1 onion, diced

salt & pepper

paprika

1 tsp minced garlic

30 oz canned diced tomatoes (you can use no-salt if you’d like)

32 oz chicken or turkey broth (I use low-sodium)

Two bell peppers, diced (you can use green, red or yellow. I use one green and one red)

4 oz uncooked brown rice

curry

Brown the turkey in a skillet with the onion, garlic, some dashes of salt & pepper and paprika. transfer mixture to the crock pot and add all the remaining ingredients. You can throw in some more salt & pepper and curry to taste if you would like once everything is mixed together.  Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4.5 hours. Serve with some shredded mozzarella cheese if you would like.

Crock Pot Savory Bean & Spinach Soup

Ok everybody, I have to warn you…the Jacobs’ household has started a “get healthier” goal for the new year, so the Crock of the Week will be taking a healthier turn for now, since I make everything the weekend before I post it to make sure it is good (if it is a new recipe) or just to make it to take a photo for the WGLR website! BUT, since I have a 3 year old in the house, I am making every effort to make DELICIOUS healthy recipes, which your whole family will enjoy, hopefully! This week’s recipe is an example of that. I was really happy with how this new recipe turned out. I made a double batch so my husband and I can enjoy the leftovers for lunch for a good chunk of this week. One serving of this soup (1 cup) is only 150 calories! We each had 2 servings for dinner last night, and with the beans in it, it really was quite filling, and only 300 calories! AWESOME.  I hope you like it, too! And you don’t have to be on a diet to enjoy it! This is meat free, so a good dish for any vegetarians out there, or if you are just trying to eat less meat in your diet overall. 

Crock Pot Savory Bean and Spinach Soup

• 32 oz vegetable broth (I did half veggie, half chicken stock)
• one 15 oz can tomato puree
• one 15 oz can great northern beans or white kidney beans, drained & rinsed
• 1/2 cup UNCOOKED brown rice
• 1/2 cup finely diced onion
• 1 tsp dried basil (I used oregano because I didn’t have basil on-hand)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 8 cups coarsely chopped spinach or kale
• finely shredded Parmesan cheese (I forgot to add this when serving, still was good!)

Mix together all ingredients EXCEPT spinach and Parmesan cheese in the crock. Cook on low for 5-7 hours or high for 2.5-3.5 hours. Add the spinach about 5 minutes before serving. Spoon into bowls and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top when serving.

One cup serving is 150 calories. Makes about 5-6 servings.