Hearty Turkey Chili

OK sports fans! Our first Superbowl food is a classic - chili - with a Billy twist. I'm sure those of you who are Tex-Mex connoisseurs will scoff at this recipe as inauthentic, but trust me, it tastes delicious!

I tend to make my chili with ground turkey (the 93/7 lean kind... 99% lean turkey breast turns into little tasteless nuggets when cooked) because I try to minimize the red meat that I eat, but you could just as well make this with ground beef.

Also, to serve, I top with grated cheddar cheese and my FAVORITE condiment, sour cream.

On to the recipe!

• 1.5 lbs. ground turkey, 93% lean, 7% fat
• 2 Tbsp flour
  
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. garlic, chopped
• 2 large bell peppers (red or green), chopped
• 1 large can (approx 32 oz) diced tomatoes, with their juice
• 2- 15oz cans dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 750mL bottle of inexpensive red wine (I usually use Yellowtail Shiraz)
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tsp + 2 tsp salt, divided
• 1 Tbsp black pepper
  

Optional ingredients for a spicier chili:

• 2 cans diced jalepeno peppers, or 3 fresh jalepenos, seeded and chopped
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 Tbsp hot sauce or sriracha
  

1. In large, heavy pot (I use an enameled cast-iron pot) heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add ground turkey and brown, breaking it into small bits with a wooden spoon. Once mostly browned, add garlic, onion, bell pepper, and 2 tsp salt, and cook for an additional 5 minutes to soften veggies.
2. Once veggies are soft, add flour and stir to mix. Cook for one minute.
3. Add chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and black pepper.
   
4. Pour in tomatoes with juice, drained kidney beans, and red wine. Stir to combine. If using optional ingredients for spicier chili, add now.
   
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and let cook for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional 2 tsp salt as needed, plus additional spice if you like.
6. Serve to friends, family, and all the passersby who've smelled your delicious chili!

Are You Ready for some Football?

Hello readers! As many of you know, it is now less than a week until the Superbowl, which this year will feature an epic match-up of the hard-hitting Pittsburgh Steelers against the Aaron-Rodgers-offense-machine Green Bay Packers. Personally, I'm rooting for the Packers, mostly because I'm a big Rodgers fan, but also because I really dislike Pittsburgh sports. (CROSBY!!!!)

Now, I don't know how it works in your house, but in mine, the Superbowl is usually a day of packaged frozen junk food (followed by a day of gastrointestinal regret on Monday). This year, I decided it would be different! So, for the next week, I will share with you all some of my favorite football foods.

Some will be slightly healthy (but still taste good). Others will not. At least one will have copious amounts of cheese (a nod to Green Bay's Cheeseheads, natch).

I will be having some people over for the big game, so hopefully this will whet their appetites, and inspire you all to skip the frozen foods aisle this Superbowl Sunday, and instead make fresh, homemade food for your gridiron gang!

Oh, and a little side note for all you sports enthusiasts: Check out my brother's blog: JFlanland.blogspot.com, for news and analysis of all things sporty.