Turkey Chili

Instead of using beef and/or pork, try using ground turkey for chili.

TURKEY CHILI

2 lbs. ground turkey breast
3-4 cloves fresh garlic (minced)
4 jalapenos (diced) (if you like a lot of heat, add the seeds.  For milder, omit seeds)
2 medium yellow onions (diced)
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
3 Tbs. chili powder (you can add more as the chili simmers if you feel the need)
1/2 tsp. cayenne (you can add more to taste as the chili is simmering)
1 tsp. garlic salt (again, you could add more to taste)
14 oz. can of diced tomatoes (with juice)
3 Tbs. flour (if you're on a gluten free diet, you can add cornstarch to thicken instead of the flour)
2 tsp. ground black pepper

Season the ground turkey with garlic salt and black pepper.  On medium flame, pre-heat a heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven (you'll need a lid for whatever pot you use) and add the turkey (break it up in the pot as it's browning).  If the pot is "crowded", the turkey will sweat.  This is a good thing; you'll use this liquid to saute the jalapenos and onions.

Once the turkey is no longer pink, remove from pot with a slotted spoon so the liquid remains.  Add the diced jalapenos to the pot.  Saute about 5 minutes, then add the onions.  Saute another 5 minutes, then add the garlic.  Saute 5 more minutes, then add the flour (if using corn starch, this will be added later).  Once the flour has had a chance to absorb all the liquid and starts to darken, add the turkey back to the pot and stir thoroughly to distribute the peppers and onions throughout.  Add the diced tomatoes (you can add some black pepper to these before stirring) and stir thoroughly to distribute.  


Add the cumin, chili powder and cayenne and stir.  Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and let simmer.  After about 15 minutes, stir.  Stir every 15-30 minutes.  After the first 1/2 hour, taste.  At this time, you could add more chili powder, cayenne and garlic salt if you feel the need (give a little taste whenever you stir to see if more of anything is needed). 

The chili should simmer 2-3 hours.  If you're using cornstarch as a thickener, after the first hour, mix 1 Tbs. with cold water and add some to the pot.  Remember that it will thicken as it heats up, so don't overdo.  You can always add more before it's done simmering.


Serving suggestions:


Over whole grain pasta (I like medium shells or elbows)
Over brown rice
With fat-free saltine crackers
With low-fat or fat free cheese
With low-fat sour cream


(If you want an extra added bit of texture, you could dice up some turkey breast fillets and brown it with the ground turkey.)

NOTE:  I'm from the "smush and throw" school of cooking ("Smush this up and throw it in") so I rarely use measuring spoons (unless I'm baking).  I eyeball most of my ingredients and cook to my taste.  Once you make this using the measurements I listed, you'll know how much you need to add or how you need to decrease.  A friend once asked me for this recipe, so I paid attention to how much of things I was adding, so the measurements I listed are a good starting point.  They may even be enough for some of you.