Turkey Chili with a Gypsy Twist

Is it true what they say—-A brutal Winter promises a beautiful Spring? Please say it is true! But there are some benefits to courting Old Man Winter. Warm Fires, hot chocolate, and a big pot of chili! This recipe is healthy, easy to make, and will feed legions. I hope you will add it to your Winter repertoire!

Ingredients

I cup diced onion

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup diced celery

(Every great soup or stock starts with a classic “mirepoix” which is the fancy French word for sautéing carrots, onions, and celery!)

1 cup each of diced red,yellow, orange, and green peppers (seeds and ribs removed). The peppers give the chili a great dose of color! The more color in our diet the healthier we will be!

2-3 28 oz cans of WHOLE tomatoes. (Recently, I was in an Italian restaurant and the chef said if you have to use cans of tomatoes always go for the whole tomatoes, Marzano are the best, because the crushed and diced are usually the tomato cast-offs!)

2-3 cups of chicken stock or water

3 Tbs. tomato paste

1 pkg. ground Turkey breast

1 cup of French Lentils. I like the sprouted green ones!

1 14 oz can of Cannelini, red kidney, and/or black beans. It’s up to you how many beans you want in your chili. I usually do lentils, white beans, and a red kidney. I recommend you rinse the beans very well. The liquid the beans sit in can often be hard on the tummy to digest. 

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. turmeric

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 Tbs. brown sugar

Salt & pepper

1 cup each chopped cilantro, Italian parsley, and spinach

The best gift I ever received was my Le Creuset chartreuse Dutch oven. I use it for my soups, stocks, roasted chicken, ribs, and chili! You should see the patina on the bottom of this workhorse!

Coat the bottom of your pot generously with olive oil. Sauté your carrots, onions, celery, salt & pepper, and spices until soft. Add 1 pkg. of ground turkey breast. Once turkey meat is cooked through, pour the cans of tomatoes (including liquid), chicken stock, and tomato paste into the pot. Add your lentils. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes. Next, add your cans of beans. Taste all along the way. I usually cut up the tomatoes in the pot and end up adding more spices! At this point, you may add the sugar to reduce acidity.

Chop 1 cup each of cilantro, Italian parsley, and spinach. This is my healthy gypsy twist on the chili. I stir in the greenery at the very end—a beautiful accoutrement! 

The fun part of a chili dinner at our house is the toppings: A squeeze of a lime, a heaping tablespoon of diced avocado, a spoonful or two of grated cheese, a dollop of Greek yogurt, and some tortilla chips! A one-stop meal that will serve your family for days! 

Bon Appétit!

Farrell