A Teeny Lunch For Christmas Eve Day

11:49 AM Edit This 1 Comment »
How do you like that cow napkin? Straight from the mothership. It came with my picnic basket ensemble one year. Since I am staying put for the time being, I had to come up with some menu items for my lovely Christmas Eve Day. I have to celebrate, no matter what. There will be a festive dinner post later on, but for now, you get lunch.

This incarnation is based on my Grandma's Chili Recipe. I still use her card, but I make all the substitutions in my head. My brother and sister and I all went to the same University in the city where my Grandma lives. She saw it her duty to feed us on Sundays. Plus, having had four children to feed while she was young, it was hard for her to cook just for one. She would cook for us on Sundays, knowing that the leftovers would feed her during the week. It worked out for all of us. And we got to know our grandmother in a way that others never will.

We'd come barreling in around eleven. Sometimes bringing homework, sometimes bearing the groceries that she'd asked for, and no matter what, I always seemed to find a nap on her couch while we listened to Car Talk on NPR in the afternoons. And somehow, I turned into the official light bulb changer at her house. That was always my job. To get on various chairs in various rooms at various times of the year to change them out. Now that I don't live there, I always wonder if she calls someone right away to do it, or if she waits in the dark. That makes me sad. But I cherish, cherish, cherish those memories. And her chili was one of my favorites. Always served with Texas toast.

Grandma's Chili - Reinvented
1 lb. ground turkey breast
1 can kidney beans - drained
1 can black beans - drained
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 28 oz. can tomatoes
2 cups beef broth
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
3 T. chili powder
1 1/2 t. dried oregano
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. cayenne

Brown the ground turkey and drain. Slightly sautee the onions and garlic. Then throw all the rest of it in a crock pot and cook for hours. Your house will smell glorious. If you don't have a crock pot, put it on the stove and bring to a boil, then turn the heat down, cover, and simmer for 1-2 hours. Season with salt and pepper. Makes 6 servings.

I even worked out the nutritional information on this lazy day. It's actually a lot more healthy than I thought! Low in calories and fat and high in protein and fiber.
Per Serving:
Calories: 326
Carbohydrates: 42
Protein: 23
Fiber: 10
Fat: 2

1 comments:

Sara said...

I considered my self lucky to be able to have lunch at your grandma's house every once in a while! Great memories...