Winter Chili

This dish is slightly different every time. The basic ingredients and spices remain close in each batch, but the vegetables are often whatever I have on hand. I started with my dad's, "Too Hot Chili," recipe and have modified it for my own taste. His chili calls for beef and onions, two foods I try to avoid- I have high cholesterol and am allergic to onions. Instead, I use ground turkey (or no meat at all) and add vegetables and dried beans to make it an all-in-one nutritious meal. I also choose not to add any salt if using any canned ingredients.

Ingredients:
1.5 lb lean ground turkey
olive oil
8 oz dried red kidney beans*
32 oz diced tomatoes
16 oz tomato sauce 
32 oz chicken broth
assorted veggies (see step 4)

3 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tsp cayanne pepper
1 tsp dry mustard
2-4 jalapeno peppers
1/4-1/2 cup masa harina (Mexican flour used to thicken) 

*Dried beans should be soaked in water ahead of time overnight in a heavy pot. Two cans of beans can be substituted in a pinch, but I prefer dried beans for the taste, texture, and lack of sodium, BPA or other additives. 

1. Brown turkey in skillet on medium to medium-high heat. Use olive oil for browning if using 97-99% lean turkey. Otherwise the meat has enough fat and doesn't need to be cooked in oil. Allow meat and liquid to separate as shown. 

2. If you're a multitasker in the kitchen, start adding ingredients to a crock-pot or a large chili pot on the stove over low heat between stirs of the browning turkey. If you prefer serial processes, add the following once the turkey is cooked:
      -diced tomatoes
      -tomato sauce
      -cumin
      -paprika
      -garlic
      -cayanne pepper 
      -dry mustard
      -jalapenos*
      -masa harina (1/4 cup for a more soupy version, 1/2 cup thickens it a bit more)

*Couple notes on the jalapenos... 
     a. They vary in heat level. My dad tells me the seeds are the spiciest part of peppers. If you don't like you're chili as spicy, remove the seeds before chopping the jalapenos or use only one pepper. I typically start with 2 jalapenos inclusive of their seeds, chopped finely. After a couple hours of cooking I do a taste test and decide whether or not to add another pepper or two. Chili will become spicier as it sits. If you plan on eating it for a few days or freezing some, be aware it may taste hotter the next day!
  

     b. Like any hot peppers, you do not want the juice anywhere close to your mucus membranes!!! I wash my hands thoroughly immediately after chopping jalapenos and adding them to the pot. From previous experience, an innocent eye rub hours after cooking could otherwise lead to a painful experience.

3. Add broth, cooked turkey and kidney beans to the pot and stir. 

4. At this point it's starting to look like chili. Time to health it up with veggies! I prefer winter vegetables like potatoes, mushrooms, eggplant, zuchini, squash, etc. Just about anything works. This time I've got the following:
      -8 oz baby portabella mushrooms (~16 mushrooms)
      -2 cups cubed eggplant (had about a third of an eggplant left over from stir fry)
      -12 oz cubed butternut squash

Use enough vegetables to fill the pot. It's okay if some are popping out above the liquid line; they will cook down. 

5. Put lid on pot and simmer 4-6 hours, stirring a couple times. I set my crock pot to high for six hours and stir once or twice. Don't forget the heat test half way through to determine if you've got enough jalapenos!

I typically make beer bread to eat with the chili.