Turkey Quinoa Chili, Protein Packed Corn Bread, and Baby Banana Berry Quinoa

Are you ready for a punch of protein without eating loads of lean meat?  Together, Turkey Quinoa Chili and Protein Packed Corn Bread provide 27 grams of protein!  Quinoa is a protein powerhouse.  You can also serve quinoa as a high-protein breakfast food (mix with yogurt and fruit) or use quinoa flour for wheat-free and gluten-free baking.  Turkey Quinoa Chili only uses 1/2 pound of lean ground turkey, so if you prefer a vegetarian chili, you can easily omit the turkey without disrupting the recipe.

Is baby too young to eat chili?  Try Banana Berry Quinoa – a great finger or spoon-fed food.  Instead of preparing 1 cup of quinoa for the chili, boil 3 cups of water and add 1 1/2 cups of quinoa.  When the quiona is done, remove 1/3 of the quinoa and continue with the Banana Berry Quinoa recipe below. 

To quick thaw the blueberries without using the microwave, place the frozen blueberries in a serving dish (I used the Lock N Lock Bebe Soup Mug as it retains heat), top with the hot quinoa; let sit for five minutes.  Prepare the Banana Berry Quinoa as directed.

Protein Packed Corn Bread not only utilizes frozen corn (I used the corn from the garden that I froze this summer) and cheese to create this moist bread, but it also includes flaxseed to increase the fiber content. 

Turkey Quinoa Chili

Serves 9

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

3-1/2 cups water, divided

1/2 pound lean ground turkey

1 medium red onion, chopped

1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 medium zucchini, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

In a large saucepan, bring quinoa and 2 cups water to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove from the heat; fluff with a fork and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan coated with cooking spray, cook the turkey, onion, red pepper and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain. Stir in the chili powder, cumin and cinnamon; cook 2 minutes longer.

Add the black beans, tomatoes, zucchini, bay leaf, oregano, salt, pepper and remaining water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in corn and quinoa; heat through. Discard bay leaf; stir in cilantro. 

Protein Packed Corn Bread

Serves 9

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup ground flaxseed

1 tablespoon sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups fat-free milk

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed

1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup finely chopped sweet red pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, flax, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in the corn, cheese, and pepper.

Pour batter into a 8x8-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve warm. 

Baby Banana Berry Quinoa

Serves 1

2 tablespoons cooked quinoa

1 tablespoon frozen blueberries (thawed)

1/2 ripe banana, chopped

2 tablespoons vanilla yogurt (I used YoBaby vanilla yogurt)

Combine the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.  Serve.