Dave's Kick Ass Chili

When one sees chili on a restaurant menu the image of beans in a bowl of spicy sauce with cheese sprinkled on top usually comes to mind. Well at least that was my image of chili.  Maybe I live on a Planet "Zog" but I've never had chili in my life.  Actually my first exposure to chili was at a Wendy’s not to far from my childhood home.  I had seen people eating it every time I went there for burgers but never thought of giving it a try.  One time I figured lets be adventurous so I ordered a side of chili with my cheeseburger.  I have to say I wasn’t that impressed.  To me it just tasted like a bowl of beans in some sauce.

Now many years later I was inspired to come up with my own chili recipe.  After watching a chef on TV create this wonderfully looking chili dish I decided to get into the kitchen and give it a try.  When you Google chili recipes online you will find out that there are so many different varieties out there that it will make your head spin.  Some chilis are made with chopped beef, some with chicken or turkey, mixed with beans or those that just have beans.  There are super spicy chilis that will leave your mouth on fire and mild ones that use a variety of herbs and seasonings to tantalize your taste buds.

I decided to go right down the middle with my chili.  It would have a bit of a kick but wouldn’t be to hot that it overshadowed the flavor.  My chili is made with ground free-range organic turkey meat and kidney beans.  If you are a vegetarian you could easily leave out the turkey meat and double up on the beans.  You could also experiment with navy, black, pinto, or other types of beans.  Here are the ingredients of my recipe followed by the instructions:

I named it Dave's Kick Ass Chili because my husband was helping me to cook it and after it was done, the chili was so delicious so I decided to give him a full credit. This is how good it was!

• 1 lb. organic free-range turkey meat
• 1 can organic kidney beans (rinsed and strained)
• 1 large sweet onion chopped
• 5-6 cloves of garlic minced (use a garlic press)
• ½ bag of frozen roasted pepper and onion mix (Trader Joe’s)
• 1-2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder (less for mild chili)
• 1 teaspoon of Himalayan sea salt
• 1 teaspoon of ground pepper
• 1 jar of organic tomato sauce
• 1 cup of organic beef or chicken broth
• 1-2 tablespoon Tabasco sauce (Less for mild chili)
• 2-3 tablespoon of organic ketchup or tomato paste
• 1 can of chopped organic tomatoes
• 2-3 tablespoon of organic avocado oil

Most if not all of the above ingredients can be found in Trader Joe’s food market. Feel free to modify some of the ingredients if you want the dish to be more or less spicy.  I find a good technique is to add the spicy ingredients to taste at the end.  Here are the instructions:

1. Add 2-3 tablespoon of organic avocado oil to a large pan and heat on medium
2. Add organic turkey meat to pan and cook until browned 6-9 minutes approx.
3. Strain turkey meat to remove excess grease & set aside in a large cooking pot
4. In same pan cook up the large onion, garlic & frozen vege. mix
5. As this is cooking turn on burner of large pot to medium-low & add beef broth
6. To the turkey & broth add the tomato sauce, ketchup,& chopped tomatoes
7. Add the cooked onions, garlic, green pepper & vege mix to the pot & stir
8. Wash & rinse the can of beans in a strainer and add to the pot
9. The contents of the pot should be simmering at this point. You should see a few bubbles but not to many. Be careful not to burn your chili. Give it a stir every couple of minutes with a wooden spoon.
10. Add the sea salt, pepper, cayenne powder, & Tabasco sauce to taste
11. Cover the pot & let simmer for 30 minutes, giving it a stir every 5-minutes.

Taste the chili at this point.  If it needs a bit more kick add some more cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce or both.   Serve your chili in a bowl with a dab of sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese on top.  For a great appetizer idea serve the chili in shooters with a dollop of sour cream on top. Since chili can be filling serving them in shooters would allow your guests to enjoy other appetizers that you may be serving.  Chili is great during anytime of the year.  I find it especially warming to the soul during those cold winter nights. I hope you all enjoy this recipe.  I look forward to your feedback and suggestions.