Turkey Chili Nachos: Exec Chef Shares Recipe Worthy of a Man Cave

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EDITOR'S NOTE: Meet executive chef Michael Davis, a man with a passion for good food and great cooking techniques. Michael will be an occasional blogger for Diet-to-Go, teaching us what we should be eating and telling us how it should be cooked so we can match his expertise in our very own kitchens.

Man Cave vs. Cave Man

When I moved to Pennsylvania I bought my first home and developed what I thought was the original man cave.

The term "Man Cave" equates to an area designated for things that men do -- things like watching sports and movies, while eating nachos, ice cream and wings.

I must admit I actually thought it was an original idea. But then I learned that they have TV shows to honor man caves like mine.

My man cave joy lasted just six months. Then my wife and son moved from Massachusetts and joined me in our Pennsylvania home.

My man cave was soon tranformed into a toy storage and play area accessible by everyone. And that was okay... once I got over the initial shock.

It's since inspired me to do a little thinking about the differences between a man cave and a cave man.

The thought of Man Cave vs. Cave Man draws up quite different pictures. I see men sitting around in a man cave indulging on the bounty of life. I also see cave men hunched over, wearing fur and lugging a big club.

In the man cave our indulgences of nachos, pizza and ice cream -- delicious treats that are laden in heavy fats and calories.

I can't imagine cave men being heavy people. I doubt they suffered high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels. They had to work very hard for every mouthful of food. They couldn't just reach into the refrigerator and throw a T-bone on the grill. They had to first hunt down a beast, kill it with a spear or club, then cart it back to their cave for dinner with the family or clan.

Living in the wild leads to a very lean diet. When you look at the progression of our diets, the more convenient and fast our foods get the further away from a natural diet we have gone.

Even our fruits and vegetables are now laden with pesticides and fertilizers. Our chickens are mass produced and injected with hormones.

And then there's our activity level... or lack of one.

We've come a long way, baby. But our diet and fitness seem to have gone the wrong way since the days of cave men.

When hunger strikes, we hop into our car and go to the grocery store to pick up some foods. Then we get back into our car and drive home to plop down on the couch and eat while watching TV.

We sorely need to look at the foods we're eating.

Fruits, vegetables and legumes are by far the best way for us to eat. Meats in moderation are fine but they need to be accompanied by exercise. This could be as little as walking 15 minutes a day.

When we eat fats (and meats are full of them) our body needs to burn it off or it will gum up things in our cells and bloodstream.

Consider yourself lucky that you are not a caveman forced to forage for your food.

Maybe you are a man-cave man. If you are, then consider food alternatives other than big rich proteins.

How about some delicous Turkey Chili Nachos? They're not as macho as beef steak nachos but they surelyt are a healthier alternative.

Turkey Chili Nachos

• 3 lbs. ground turkey
• 1 28oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 10-12 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 2 green peppers, diced
• 1/2 large or 1 small onion, diced
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 tsp. dried mustard
• 3 cups kidney beans
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup ground flax seed
• 70 oz. beef broth (or 8 beef bullion cubes & 70 oz. water)

Directions

1. Sauté turkey, stirring meet cook until just cooked, then drain any oil and remove from pan.

2. Saute diced onion and pepper.

3. Return meat to pan, stir in wheat flour and flax seed, then cook slowly until the flour is no longer "raw."

4. Add beef broth to pot, bring to boil, then reduce to a simmer, and stir to mix evenly.

5. Add spices, sugar and crushed tomato.

6. Simmer for 45 minutes, then add kidney beans, taste and adjust seasonings.

Nachos

• 1 bag baked corn tortilla chips
• 1/2 cup diced tomato
• 1/4 cup of sliced black olives
• 1/2 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
• 1/2 cup low fat cheese
• 1.5 cups of chili
• 1 cup salsa

Directions

1. Place tortilla chips on an oven-safe casserole dish or metal pan.

2. Top with chili and cheese.

3. Place in a 375-degree oven, until cheese melts.

4. Remove from oven, top with tomato, olives and lettuce.

5. Serve with salsa.

Executive Chef Michael Davis believes that a creative innovation of wholesome foods is the best approach to eating. Foods unadulterated by chemicals, layered in flavors with a picturesque presentation is at the heart of his cooking. For more information, check out Michael's website, thechefscookingschool.com

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