I love developing new recipes and being creative in the kitchen, but when I feel like taking a night “off” I love trying recipes from some of the other blogs that I read. I’m always amazed at how talented my friends are! Healthy Seasonal Recipes is one of my favorites, and I was so excited to receive a review copy of Katie’s brand new cookbook, Maple.

You guys, this book is GORGEOUS and every recipe in it sounds incredible – I want to cook it cover to cover.

There are over 100 sweet and savory recipes inside, from Maple Cranberry Walnut Granola to Maple Tahini Chicken + Broccoli to Maple Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies. Katie is an amazing photographer, and the full color photos in the book are stunning (of course, if you’re familiar with her blog, you wouldn’t expect anything less.)

So far, I’ve tackled two recipes – the Sweet and Smokey Turkey Chili you see here and Katie’s Sap Baked Beans  – and they were both delicious. (See the sap baked beans on Instagram here.)

This Smokey and Sweet Turkey Chili is just the kind of recipe I love this time of year. It’s rich and warm and the maple syrup adds a subtle sweetness. The combination of maple with smoked paprika, chipotle powder, and fire roasted tomatoes, gives the sauce a bold, barbecue-like flavor that we loved.

The chili is ready in about 40 minutes, so it’s perfect for a weeknight. Or, make it on the weekend and let the flavors mingle in the fridge for an even easier Monday night dinner (as good as the chili is right away, chili is always better after it’s had time to sit.)

Pair the chili with cornbread muffins or corn chips – either way, you can’t go wrong.

For the recipe for sap baked beans, you’ll have to grab a copy of the book for yourself.  If you’re from the Capital Region, Katie is doing a demo and book signing at Healthy Living Market in Saratoga on November 21.

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Smoky and Sweet Turkey Chili

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Lauren Keating

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons avocado oil or organic canola oil divided
• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 1 large Spanish onion diced
• 1 tablespoons freshly chopped garlic
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground dried chipotle or to taste
• 4 ½ teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 1 28- ounce can crushed tomatoes preferably fire roasted
• 1 15- ounce can dark red kidney beans drained and rinsed
• ⅓ cup dark pure maple syrup
• 1 avocado diced
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• ¼ cup toasted pepitas

Instructions

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Add turkey and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon and stirring occasionally, until completely browned. Transfer turkey and any juices to a bowl and set aside.
• Return pot to medium-high heat and add remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add onion, garlic, and salt and cook, stirring often, for 6 to 10 minutes, until onion is soft and browned.
• Add chili powder, cumin, paprika, and chipotle and cook, stirring, for 30 to 90 seconds, until spices are fragrant and starting to toast and darken slightly.
• Add vinegar and stir for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until liquid is evaporated.
• Add water and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits and spices from the bottom of the pot.
• Add tomatoes, beans, syrup, and browned turkey, stirring to combine. Increase heat to high and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 14 minutes, until turkey and onions are tender.
• Serve topped with avocado, cilantro, and pepitas.

Notes

This recipe is reprinted with permission from Maple by Katie Webster.

I’ve mentioned before that I attended an amazing photography workshop this summer. We stayed together in a gorgeous lake house (in Sweden…no big deal) and basically just ate and took photos for four days straight. What I haven’t mentioned – and what I didn’t know until I got there – was that the workshop was entirely vegetarian.

One afternoon we came in from a walk around the lake and were greeted by the mouthwatering smell of bacon. Of course, it wasn’t bacon – it was smoked tofu, and I became an immediate fan. The rich, smoky flavor is a great way to infuse a recipe with tons of flavor. I’ve been keeping an eye out for smoked tofu ever since, and was ecstatic to find it at Whole Foods a few weeks ago. I bought a few packages and couldn’t wait to start cooking.

These quinoa stuffed peppers might not look like much, but you’ll be blown away by how much flavor they have – from the smoky tofu to spicy serrano peppers and aromatic garlic, ginger, and scallions. Finishing the stuffed peppers under the broiler keeps the cooking time down (you don’t even need to fuss with a water bath) and allows the vegetables to char slightly, adding another flavor dimension.

If your peppers are on the smaller side, you might have some filling left over. Don’t throw it away – it’s delicious for lunch the next day.

Looking for more stuffed pepper recipes? Try these, these, or these.

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Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Smoked Tofu

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Lauren Keating

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ cups water
• ¾ cup quinoa
• 2 large red bell peppers halved and seeded
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 4 ounces smoked tofu diced
• 2 carrots shredded
• ¼ cup cilantro chopped
• 1 ½ tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 3 scallions chopped
• 1 serrano pepper minced
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

• Heat the oven to 450ºF. Arrange the bell peppers cut-side up in a broiler-safe pan. Bake until slightly softened, 6 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Turn broiler to high.
• Combine water and quinoa in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the sesame oil in a sauté pan set over high heat. Add the tofu and cook 2-3 minutes per side, or until deeply browned. Stir in the cooked quinoa and the remaining ingredients.
• Spoon 1/2 cup of filling into each pepper half. Broil until warmed through and starting the brown, about 5 minutes.