Men's Health Food for Fitness Chili Recipes

Food For Fitness

Nutritious Chili Recipes

One-Bowl Wonders

These new takes on traditional chili are power-packed and healthy

A pot of chili shouldn't be a graveyard for leftovers. The best bowls contain a carefully selected list of ingredients -- far beyond the traditional beef and beans -- that balance spice and flavor. To kick off national chili month, two of the nation's best chili chefs share their secrets.

Mean & Lean Turkey Chili
The Chef: Glenn Harris of The Smith, in New York City

The Recipe
5 Tbsp olive oil
1 white onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 turkey breasts, cubed
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
2 Tbsp chipotle powder
2 Tbsp paprika
1 can (12 oz) stout beer
1 3/4 cup crushed tomatoes
1/2 lb sun-dried tomatoes, rehydrated and sliced
4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 cups rinsed, uncooked brown rice
4 cups chicken stock
2 lb pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and cubed
Salt and pepper
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup chopped cilantro

1. Coat the bottom of a large stockpot with 3 Tbsp oil and heat it on medium-high. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until translucent. Add the turkey, oregano, cumin, chipotle powder, and paprika. Cook until the turkey browns. Add the beer, tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, rice, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Then simmer for 40 minutes.

2. In a separate bowl, toss the pumpkin cubes with 2 Tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper, cocoa powder, and half of the chopped cilantro. Spread the cubes on a baking pan and bake them at 350°F for about 20 minutes.

3. Add the cooked pumpkin mixture to the chili pot with some salt and pepper and the remaining cilantro. Serves 4


Buffalo Chili
The Chef: Che Frey of Second Home Kitchen and Bar, in Denver
The Recipe
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 lb cubed buffalo chuck
5 jalapeños, seeded and diced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
8 tomatillos, husked and chopped
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
2 cups beef stock
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1 Tbsp paprika
2 tsp crushed cumin seeds
1 cup cooked black beans
Salt and pepper

Coat a heavy skillet with the oil and heat it on medium-high. Cook the buffalo until it's brown. Add the jalapeños, onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Cook over medium until the onions turn translucent. Add the tomato sauce, beef stock, tomatillos, cilantro, paprika, and cumin. Boil. Then simmer for 1½ hours. Add beans. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 6


Build Your Own Burn
Prepackaged chili powders lack firepower. Craft a more flavorful version by selecting any combination of these five peppers. Cut each one in half, remove the seeds, and bake at 300°F for 5 to 10 minutes until crisp. Then pulverize them in a food processor.

	Ancho	Cayenne	Chipotle	Guajillo	New Mexico Red
KICK	Low	High	Medium-high	Medium-high	Medium
BODY	High	Low	Medium	Medium	Medium-high
BURN	Low	High	Medium-high	Medium-low	Medium