Spicy Turkey Chili

I'm not a pack rat by any means but I came across this recipe recently which I had cut out from the Sacramento Bee when I was maybe 10-12 years old.  At that time I had a lot of exposure to Vietnamese food but was really curious about regular American food.  I wanted so badly to be American and eat macaroni and cheese and hamburgers and chili, none of this foreign food my mother was cooking every day.

This was probably one of the first American recipe I ever made.  I remember having a helluva time getting together all the ingredients to make this chili based off the spices that we carried in my Asian household.  I remember it being tasty, but there is no way to know for sure except to give it another go.

At the time I didn't even realize that this is actually a recipe from Weight Watchers.  When eating healthy and cutting out the bad stuff, spices are increasingly important for flavor.  I think the allspice and cinnamon make this chili really unique.  I love that it is such an easy chili recipe and with ingredients I always have on hand make it perfect for a weeknight meal.  Sometimes I want a little bit of chili without having a vat of it that I have to eat for days.  I love this stuff and it's not just because of the nostalgia or the lack of calories, but because it is really good.

Weight Watchers Spicy Turkey Chili
7 oz ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup drained canned Italian tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp bay leaf
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp each, ground cinnamon, ground allspice, crushed red pepper

Serves 2.  Per serving - 218 calories, 20 grams protein, 14 carb, 4 fiber, and 8 fat.

Spray a medium saucepan with non-stick cooking spray and add turkey and onions.  Crumble and cook the meat until browned, about 5 minutes.

Add the rest of the ingredients and let simmer on reduced heat for 25-30 minutes until thick.  Remove bay leaf and serve immediately.