avocado & bravado : a food blog » turkey

smoky turkey chili with sweet potatoes

Rose — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 06:30:18 +0000

Sweet potatoes! It took me awhile to warm up to them, root vegetables aren’t necessarily as alluringly seductive as fresh berries are. Often sweet potatoes, yams, potatoes, cassava, and taro are pushed to the back of the produce section in the supermarket. Ugly and forgotten. I’ve since converted to the the Temple of Sweet Potatoes and they are now a year round staple at our dinner table. I usually only serve them two ways: chopped into bite-sized pieces and roasted with a dozen or so different spices (one day I’ll get around posting that recipe) or on occasion, mashed. This chili was a slight deviate from the norm (and Cory’s idea), but it worked really well despite my initial hesitation (sweet potatoes… in a chili?). I loved the sweetness the potatoes brought to an otherwise standard smoky and spicy chili. Definitely a new favorite.

Smoky Sweet Potato and Turkey Chili
(adapted from A Mingling of Tastes)
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1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 pound ground turkey
salt & pepper, to taste
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 yellow onions, chopped
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cloves
pinch of ground chipotle chile powder (or 1 to 2 canned chipotles in adobo)
cayenne pepper, to taste
28-oz can crushed tomatoes
4 cups chicken stock or water
1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, diced (leave the skins on, it puts hair on your chest)
4 poblano chiles, roasted, seeded, peeled, and cut into long thin strips
1/4 cup tomato paste
Optional garnishes: cilantro, sour cream, grated cheese, avocado slices, red onions

Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. When hot, add the ground turkey and sprinkle in some salt and pepper. Break up the ground turkey as it cooks and continue cooking until browned. Transfer the turkey to a paper-towel lined plate and set aside.

Turn down the heat slightly and add the onion. Season with some more salt and pepper. Continue cooking the onions until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and spices and continue cooking for a couple more minutes. Pour the can of tomatoes into the pot and add the stock or water. Raise the heat a notch and bring to a gentle boil.

When the chili begins to boil, return the turkey to the pot and simmer covered on low heat for a half hour. Toss the sweet potatoes into the pot and simmer for yet another 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the beans and poblano peppers, then season to taste for more salt, pepper, and heat. Stir in the tomato paste, simmer for 5 more minutes, ladle into bowls and serve.

Serves 5-6

Try the recipe index for more ideas.

white turkey chili

Rose — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 05:08:33 +0000

In my last post, I apologized for posting a stew, since so many of you are suffering through the summer’s heat. And here I am, two days later, posting a chili recipe. I suppose there’s no use apologizing again, since I’ll continue posting stews, soups, and chilis for the rest of the summer. I’m a big fan of one pot meals, or basically anything that will ultimately require less dish washing. This chili is hearty, filling, and incredibly easy to prepare. Feel free to use ground chicken instead of turkey. I originally was going to buy ground chicken, but ground turkey was significantly cheaper.

White Turkey Chili
(adapted from Serious Eats)
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1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 small onion, chopped
1-3 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
1 lb ground turkey or chicken
1-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
pinch of ground clove
pinch of ground nutmeg
cayenne pepper, to taste
salt & pepper
2 15-oz cans of white beans, drained (I used cannellini)
1 1/2 cups broth, chicken or vegetable
1/2 cup grated cheese (Monterey Jack, white cheddar, pepper jack), for serving
chopped scallions or sliced avocado (optional)

Heat oil in a large pot. When hot, add the onion and jalapeño, cook until the onion has softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic cook for another minute. Add the salt, pepper, spices and stir the turkey into the pot, continue cooking until no longer pink. Lower the heat, add the broth and bring to a gentle boil. Let the chili simmer, partially covered for 30-40 minutes, stirring often. Season to taste. Ladle into bowls and garnish with grated cheese, scallions, and avocados.

Serves 4

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turkey chili

Rose — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 06:17:07 +0000

I love chili. This was a standby dish of mine while I was still in college. I’d make a large batch of chili on Mondays and would look forward to coming home to a bowl of this the rest of the week. I no longer make this as often as I used to, so it felt like a comforting treat to make this tonight. Serve this chili with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, avocado slices, or cornbread (I made this, too! Recipe to come tomorrow).

Turkey Chili
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1 onion, chopped
1 lb ground turkey
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1-3 chilies (or as many as you can handle)
1 T cumin
1 t oregano
1/4 t clove
1/4 t cinnamon
cayenne pepper, to taste
salt & pepper, to taste
2 15 oz cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
cheddar cheese, sour cream, avocado slices (optional, for serving)

Add oil to a large heavy saucepan. When hot, add onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add garlic and chilies, stir for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add ground turkey and cook until no longer pink.

Stir in cumin, oregano, clove, cinnamon, cayenne, salt, and pepper to the saucepan. Add tomatoes and beans. Bring to a simmer and gently cook on low heat for about an hour. Stir occasionally. If the chili is too thick, add a little bit of water or chicken stock. Season once more to taste and serve.

Serves 4

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