Vegetarian Italian Sausage and Bean Stew with Polenta

I got this recipe from the Morningstar website and just made a few tweaks. We *really* liked it, and it is super-easy to prepare. Throw together a salad and a take-and-bake crusty loaf of break (we love Pillsbury) and you have a wonderful (and healthy) meal with minimal effort. The hardest part is finding the veggie sausage crumbles -- if you can't, you could use the regular ground crumbles, but I'd add some more savory spices if you go that route.

Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil (I just used Pam)
2 Tbsp jarred minced garlic (or fresh, to taste)
1 1/2 cups chopped white onions
2 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, undrained
2 cans (15 oz. each) cannellini beans (white kidney beans), drained
1 package Morningstar Farms Sausage Style Recipe Crumbles
1 package (16 oz.) prepared polenta (preferrably with Italian seasoning) cut into 1/4-inch slices
salt, pepper, red pepper flakes to taste...and a dash of cayenne pepper if so inclined

Directions
1. In large saucepan combine olive oil (or Pam), onions, and garlic over medium heat, saute until onions are translucent.
2. Add tomatoes, beans, and sausage crumbles. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Season additionally if desired.
3. Fry polenta slices in a large skillet in olive oil (or Pam) until golden and crusty, about 3 minutes per side. Spoon stew over polenta slices and serve immediately.

Slow-cooker healthy turkey chili

This is a recipe I got from Hungry Girl. I think it turned out pretty well, but definitely needed some sour cream (I used Fage yogurt actually) mixed in, and was good served with cornbread (what isn't?). In the future I might consider using soy crumbles or something, as I was totally wild about the turkey. But all in all a good recipe that I would indeed make again!


10-Alarm Turkey Chili

Ingredients:
1 lb. raw lean ground turkey (I actually used 20 oz)
One 29-oz. can tomato sauce
One 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
One 15-oz. can chili beans (pinto beans in chili sauce), undrained
One 15-oz. can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup canned sweet corn, drained
4 - 5 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped, sauce reserved (2 - 3 if you don't want it crazy hot!)
2 bell peppers (in different colors), chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 oz. VERY dark chocolate (70%+ cacao), broken into small pieces
salt, to taste
Optional topping: fat-free sour cream, low-fat cheese

Directions: Bring a large pan sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat on the stove. Add turkey and spread it around in the pan to break it up a bit. Cook and crumble until meat is brown and cooked through, about 6 minutes. Drain any fat or liquid, and then transfer turkey to the crock pot. Add all other ingredients except for the chocolate to the crock pot. Add 1 tbsp. adobo sauce (from the canned chipotles). Mix well to combine. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, and then reduce heat to low and cook for an additional 3 hours. (OR cover and cook on low for 6 - 7 hours straight.) Add chocolate and stir until pieces melt and disappear into chili. Cover and cook for 1 hour longer on low. Add salt to taste. If you like, top each serving with a little sour cream and/or low-fat cheese. MAKES 12 SERVINGS

PER SERVING (about 1 cup): 172 calories, 3.5g fat, 790mg sodium, 22.5g carbs, 5.5g fiber, 6.5g sugars, 13g protein -- POINTS® value 3