Mexican Harvest Turkey Chili

Mexican Harvest Turkey Chili - A simple to make healthy and hearty recipe that is packed with flavorful and seasonal ingredients. (gluten and dairy-free)

Okay, I know I just posted a cozy stew recipe last week but as I get older, the need for comfort fall foods (soups, stews, chili’s) has increased so sorry, not sorry! I have needs too, haha!

Just like the veggie beef stew, this chili recipe is a simple and easy way to load up on things healthy while being super affordable. 

Harvest vegetables like butternut squash, yams, sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, pumpkin while adding a Mexican twist that also includes harvest ingredients like green chilies, poblano peppers, fire roasted tomatoes, beans, and corn - you are truly getting the best of both worlds!

When it comes down to flavor,  this chili recipe is a perfect balance of sweet, savory, and spicy. But if you lean more towards spicy, you can refer to the notes section at the bottom. 

Now, let’s talk about garnishes and sides! For this recipe, I used chopped cilantro, extra roasted poblano slices, pickled jalapeno slices, and avocado. Feel free to follow the same vibe or add plain greek yogurt, green onions, tortilla chips or sliced corn tortilla strips, cotija, lime juice or roasted pepitas!

Pumpkin cornbread muffins are the star side dish for this chili recipe (recipe coming this week!). In the meantime, you can most definitely use the best gluten-free skillet cornbread recipe (*cough*) add sliced jalapenos to the batter!

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Mexican Harvest Turkey Chili - A simple to make healthy and hearty recipe that is packed with flavorful and seasonal ingredients. (gluten and dairy-free)

Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 45 min Total servings: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1lb ground turkey

• 3 cups total (butternut squash, yams, and/sweet potatoes) 

• peeled, seeded, cut into ½ inch cubes

• 2 cups low sodium chicken bone broth

• 1 can (4 oz) green chilies

• 1 can fire roasted tomatoes, with liquid

• 1 can northern beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 medium white onion, diced

• 1 poblano pepper

• 1 cup corn (fresh or frozen)

• 3-5 cloves garlic, minced

• ¼ cup pumpkin puree

• 1-3 Tbsp taco seasoning of choice

• 1 Tbsp tomato paste

• S+P 

Garnish: jalapeno slices, avocado, cilantro

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.

2. Depending on if you are using butternut squash, yams and/or sweet potatoes (I did 1 ½ cup each butternut squash and yam cubes) arrange in a single layer on a prepared baking sheet. Drizzle or spray cooking oil (I like using avocado or coconut oil) over cubes, season with salt, pepper, and cinnamon (optional but so worth it!) and toss to coat. Make room on the baking sheet for the poblano pepper and bake for 20-25 minutes until veggie cubes are tender. 

3. While the veggies are roasting in the oven, heat cooking oil in a large pot over medium high heat. 

4. Add onion and garlic and cook for about 2-4 minutes until fragrant. 

5. Add in the ground turkey, salt and pepper and stir to break it up into small pieces, mixing with the sauteed onion and garlic. 

6. Once turkey is cooked through, add the fire roasted tomatoes, green chilies, tomato paste, broth, pumpkin puree, and spices and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cover the pot for 20 minutes. 

7. At this point, the roasted veggies and pepper should be done. Transfer roasted vegetables to the chili pot along with the beans and allow the poblano pepper to cool before handling. 

8. Once roasted poblano pepper is cooled (the skin should appear blackened and blistered) carefully peel away or rub off and discard the charred skins. Cut the stem off, de-seed, chop and add to the chili pot. 

9. Add the frozen corn to the pot and continue to simmer until liquid has reduced to desired “chili” consistency. At this point you will want to adjust salt and pepper to taste. 

10. Serve warm with favorite garnishes and serve with cornbread!

Notes

1| You can really play with the produce in this chili recipe! For example, choose butternut squash, yams, sweet potatoes or a combo - I just use whatever is leftover from batch cooking! Not a northern beans fan? Try pinto, garbanzo, black beans or tri-beans instead. 

2| Need more spice? Play around with pepper of choice or add a spicy taco seasoning blend, hot sauce or add jalapenos to your cornbread if adding on the side.

Mango Melon Sorbet with Chamoy Sauce

Mango melon sorbet with chamoy sauce - A popular Mexican condiment that is salty, sour, spicy, and sweet. Paired with the two most favorite summer fruits and sprinkled with chili lime seasoning - it’s the ultimate refreshing summer dessert! Naturally sweetened, dairy free, and bursting with flavor! 

It is sad to say that my taste buds have not been in contact with chamoy sauce until two weeks ago! It’s actually embarrassing, just writing it out. I thought, maybe because I just wasn’t exposed to it being that I have live in the South and Midwest my entire life but it’s not that because out of all the places in the world, I had my first chamoy experience in this small Mexican sorbet shop in Oklahoma! 

That day forever changed my taste buds for the good! Literally, if you had chamoy sauce, your mouth is probably drooling at this point - because that is what it does to you! 

Chamoy = Salt + Sour + Spicy + Sweet

Meaning, chamoy has a unique flavor profile that hits your tongue to where you instantly want more. Traditional ingredients include flor de jamaica (hibiscus flowers), lime juice, dried apricots, sugar, prunes, ancho chilies, and cayenne powder. 

To make this super easy, while deriving sugar from fruit only, and using ingredients that most consumers can find at a grocery store, we are using just 5 ingredients: organic apricot jam, dried ancho chilies, lime juice, cayenne pepper, and salt. 

So what do you put chamoy sauce on? Personally, I just add the chamoy sauce into a squeeze bottle and squeeze it straight into my mouth but that might be a little TMI…

You could put chamoy sauce on fresh mangos as a refreshing healthy snack, make mango chamoy fruit roll ups, or  use it as a swirl to mango or fruit paletas, mangonadas, chili lime mango smoothies, or agua frescas. 

But my new favorite way of using this drool worthy sauce is pouring it over sorbet. For this recipe, I used my two favorite summer flavors: mango and watermelon to create a sorbet swirl. Layering chamoy and tajin or TJ’s chili lime seasoning in between sorbet is the ultimate refreshing summer treat! 

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Mango melon sorbet with chamoy sauce - A popular Mexican condiment that is salty, sour, spicy, and sweet. Paired with the two most favorite summer fruits and sprinkled with chili lime seasoning - it’s the ultimate refreshing summer dessert! Naturally sweetened, dairy free, and bursting with flavor! 

Ingredients

Watermelon sorbet 

• 2 cups seedless watermelon cubes

• Juice and zest of one lime

• 1 Tbsp honey (optional)

Mango sorbet

• 2 cups mango chunks (fresh or frozen)

• Juice and zest of one lime

• 1 Tbsp honey (optional)

Chamoy Sauce

• ½ cup fresh lime juice (5-7 limes)

• 1-3 dried ancho chilies 

• 1 - 10 oz jar organic apricot jam

• 1 tsp salt

• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Directions

1. To make the sorbet 

   1. cut up fresh watermelon until you have about 2 cups worth. Place watermelon chunks on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and place in the freezer to freeze. (up to 4 hours or overnight)

   2. If you are using fresh mangos, follow the same procedure (a) 

   3. Place frozen watermelon chunks into a blender or processor with juice and zest of lime and sweetener. You may need to add Tbsp increments of water to help the blending process. Once smooth in texture, transfer to a freezer safe pan like a bread pan and place in the freezer until firm, about 4 hours. 

   4. Follow the same procedure with mangos. You can either mix the frozen fruit chunks together or make them separate. 

   5. To serve, let the sorbets rest on the counter a few minutes before scooping. 

2. To make the chamoy sauce

   1. While the sorbets are freezing, prepare the chamoy sauce by preparing the ancho chilies. 

   2. Tear the stem off and deseed the ancho chilies. Submerse dried chilies in boiling water for a few minutes until the chilies are soft. 

   3. In a high speed blender, place the soft ancho chilies along with the entire jar of apricot jam, lime juice, salt, cayenne pepper, and a ladle or two of the water that the ancho chilies were in. 

   4. Blend on high speed until extremely smooth. Taste sauce and adjust flavors if need to (i.e. I typically add an additional ½ tsp cayenne pepper because I like it super spicy!) as well as sauce consistency. This should make about 2 cups worth. If you are unsure about the sauce consistency, look at the pictures above for reference. 

   5. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.  

3. To assemble! 

   1. Swirl chamoy sauce in a clear glass to coat the bottom and sides of the glass. One scoop each of mango and watermelon sorbet and layer with more chamoy sauce and tajin or TJ’s chili lime seasoning. Continue with another layer of one scoop each mango and watermelon sorbet and top with more chamoy sauce and seasoning. Enjoy!

The Best Gluten-Free Skillet Cornbread

The BEST gluten-free skillet cornbread made with just 10 ingredients! Fluffy, perfectly sweet, crumbly and so tasty! 

During the first few weeks of quarantine, I was a baking machine. I created all the things, paleo banana nut bread, muffins, cookies, sourdough bread, you name it! It was so bad, I had to start freezing the leftovers because my fridge couldn’t handle it!

I was also creating recipes using ingredients from my pantry. Like most, I wasn’t sure if the grocery stores were going to be closed or only provide limited ingredients so I got creative in the fast! But since I’m cooking for one, having a one pot meal goes a long way! 

But this recipe, I was completely fine with that! Using all my canned items to make chili (I never make chili the same so sorry if I can’t provide a chili recipe! haha) I also made skillet cornbread, and oh boy, was it good! 

Growing up, my mom would make cornbread using Jiffy cornbread mix. It was my favorite version because I would rather have a sweeter cornbread than savory. Though, I do love adding fun add-on ingredients like minced jalapenos or green chilies to give it a kick! 

So if you are #teamjiffy, then you will love this recipe! Enjoy as a side with your fall and winter recipes or as an appetizer!  

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with! 

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The BEST gluten-free skillet cornbread made with just 10 ingredients! Fluffy, perfectly sweet, crumbly and so tasty! 

Ingredients 

• 1 cup yellow cornmeal

• 1 cup gluten-free 1 to 1 baking flour (or paleo baking flour)

• ¾ cup unsweetened plant based milk

• ¼ cup cup organic cane sugar

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

• 2 eggs room temperature; lightly beaten

• 1 Tbsp grass fed butter or coconut oil

• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

• 1 ½ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ¼ tsp pink Himalayan sea salt

Directions

1. In a liquid measuring cup, measure out milk and add 1 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. Mix until combined and set aside. How to create “buttermilk” plant-based way!

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a 9 inch cast iron skillet, melt 1 Tbsp grass fed butter or coconut oil on the stove top. Make sure the melted butter has coated the bottom and sides of the skillet. Set aside to cool. 

3. Add dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. 

4. In a medium mixing bowl, mix the oil, “buttermilk” mixture, and whisked eggs until combined. 

5. Slowly pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixing bowl and whisk until fully combined. 

6. The batter should be thick but pour-able. Add more cornmeal or flour if too wet or almond milk if too thick in 1 Tbsp amounts. 

7. Pour batter into the prepared oiled skillet, lightly sprinkle some sugar over batter, and bake on a center rack for 25-30 minutes, or until the edges are light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out completely clean. 

8. Let cool completely in the pan for 10-15 minutes - set on a wire rack to speed the cooling process. To remove, run a dull knife around the edges to loosen, then slice and serve. 

9. Serve with butter, maple syrup, or honey. 

10. Store covered at room temperature for 2-3 days, or in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Freeze up to a month. 

Notes

• Like a spicy kick in your cornbread? Feel free to mince in 1 jalapeno or green chilis to the batter.

• I have not tested this recipe with other sweeteners such as coconut sugar or maple syrup so if you try to sub sugar out, the texture and flavor may be off. 

• Here are the brands I use for this recipe: GF 1 to 1 baking flour, yellow cornmeal, and paleo baking flour, organic cane sugar

Chili Lime Mango Smoothie

Anti-inflammatory and detoxifying chili lime mango smoothie! Sweet, tangy, and subtly spiced. Perfect for Cinco de Mayo!

One thing you must know about me, I love spicy food! There is just something about adding a dash of sriracha or hot sauce to a meal that takes it to the next level!

This recipe was inspired by an Instagram post I made a while back with my favorite afternoon snack combo, mango, and chili lime seasoning. This seasoning mix brings out the flavors of the mango while adding the perfect amount of heat to it.

For this smoothie, in lieu of the premade seasoning mix that contains a fair amount of sodium, I have used chili pepper flakes and fresh lime instead. Chili peppers contain capsaicin which has proven to be an aid to weight loss, helpful in treating cancer and relieves pain.

Chili peppers pair great with fresh ginger root to detox the body. This power couple detoxes the body which eliminates any excessive toxins that are present in the bloodstream, liver, and other excretory organs. This power couple also provides a concoction that has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties to support the cleansing and protection of your body’s main system.

Since ginger, chili peppers, and lime can provide an intense flavor, mangoes, as well as coconut milk and bananas, balance the flavors out. At the end of it all, the harmony of the flavors-- it’s purely delicious!

In honor of #cincodemayo, you could easily make this smoothie recipe into margaritas by adding tequila! Don’t forget to rim your glasses with lime and the chili lime seasoning!

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Anti-inflammatory and detoxifying chili lime mango smoothie! Sweet, tangy, and subtly spiced. Perfect for Cinco de Mayo! 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 whole mango (or 1 1/2 cup frozen mango chunks)

• 1/2 lime

• 1 cup coconut milk

• 1-2 tsp fresh ginger

• Half frozen ripe banana

• few shakes of chili pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS

1. Blend until smooth!Optional: Add a dash of chili-lime seasoning and lime wedge for garnish