Fresh Tomato Turkey Chili
March 19, 2012 § Leave a Comment
J: We’ve posted a couple chilis on the blog in the past, and they are consistently one of our go-to quick meals when we want something healthy, hearty, and easy. This chili is a bit different than ones we’ve made in the past; our standard chili is basically canned beans, canned tomato, cumin, chili powder, maybe some ground meat, and any other veggies we feel like throwing in, but for this one, we realized that we have no idea why we always use canned tomatoes. So, we decided to use fresh tomatoes instead! (Incidentally, we have recently been into beautiful heirloom tomatoes, so if you can get your hands on them, this would be a great way to use some!) We also added some Greek yogurt, because, you know, it’s good in pretty much everything — and acting on the advice of Erik’s cousin (the same who brought us Susan’s Baked Beans!), we added some molasses for a bit of extra flavor.
If you’re looking for a different chili recipe, give this a try! It’s no more complicated than any other chili recipe might be, and it’s tasty and unique in its texture and flavors.
Ingredients:
1 large yellow onion, diced
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 medium-large “beefsteak” tomatoes, or 4-5 tomatoes on the vine
1 lb ground turkey or chicken (or beef I suppose)
1-2 poblano peppers, diced
1 serrano pepper, minced (or to taste)
2 smallish zucchini
1 can (~14 oz) kidney beans
1 Tbsp molasses (or to taste)
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin
1.5 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp coriander
2 tsp salt (or to taste)
Black pepper
1 small container plain Greek yogurt (about 6 oz.)
E: The first step, as it often is, is to dice up your onion and get it sautéeing in some olive oil for a few minutes (about 5), on medium high. If you can get a little color on it that’s great, but don’t let it burn. While this is going on you should prepare your garlic and tomatoes, so you don’t get delayed.
Take the minced garlic and add that, cooking for 2 to 3 minutes and keeping the heat fairly high. Then add the diced tomatoes.
Cook these for a while to get them to release their liquid, turning the heat down to medium once everything has warmed up. I’d say cook for at least 10 minutes to start. So you don’t lose too much liquid you should consider covering or part covering the pot for much of this time.
Once the tomatoes have softened, add the ground turkey and break it up so it gets mixed in evenly. While this cooks for a few minutes, dice and mince up the peppers. Also slice the zucchini into thin half-moon shapes.
Once the turkey or chicken has cooked for about 5 to 8 minutes, add the peppers and zucchini. Drain and rinse the beans, and add those as well. Cook everything until the zucchini and peppers are done.
As a final step, add the spices and other flavorings. Start with the molasses and be gentle: it is strong stuff. We found that about a tablespoon was sufficient. Then add all the dried spices, and salt and pepper to taste.
As a final step, lower the heat and stir in the container of Greek yogurt, to give the chili a nice creaminess. Grate some cheddar over the top and serve with a snappy or crunchy garnish such as sliced scallions.
Enjoy!
