Turkey Chili Take Two

Here is another version of turkey chili (see 1/10/10 posting) that makes a warming winter meal. I adapted a recipe in Melissa Clark's New York Times column, A Good Appetite, which was too meaty for my taste. I used the same seasonings and basic ingredients but reduced the amount of turkey and added a variety of veggies. I loved the result. This recipe makes lots of chili. If you don't have 8-10 people coming over for dinner, the chili keeps and freezes well.

2 tbl. olive oil

1 lb. ground turkey

salt and pepper to taste

4 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tbl. chili powder

1 large Spanish onion, chopped

2 red peppers, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

3/4 lb. calabaza winter squash, peeled and cut into small chunks

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)

1 28 oz. can tomato puree

1 15 oz. can white hominy, drained

2 15 oz. cans pinto beans, drained

1 12 oz. bottle beer

2-3 chipotles in adobo sauce, to taste, minced

1 tsp. dried oregano

2 bay leaves

sour cream or non-fat Greek style yogurt, for serving

5 scallions, white and light green parts, sliced, for serving

1 bunch chopped cilantro, for serving

Lime wedges, for serving

In a large pot over medium-high heat, warm 1 tbl oil. Brown the ground turkey with salt and peer, stirring occasionally until golden, 6-8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and chili powder. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the turkey to a bowl.

Add remaining tbl. oil to pot and saute onions, peppers, carrots, calabaza and optional jalapeno with salt to taste. Cook, stirring, until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.

Return turkey and any liquid in bowl to pot and add tomato puree, hominy, beans, beer, chipotles, oregano and bay leaves. Simmer chili, partly covered, until it is thick enough for your taste, about 1 hour. Serve hot, garnished with sour cream or yogurt, scallions, cilantro and lime wedges.

Serves 8-10

Notes:I did not have scallions, cilantro or lime wedges. I'm sure that they would add more flavor but the chili was still terrific without these ingredients.

If you don't care for hominy, leave it out. If adding beer isn't appealing, don't add it.

I use canned chipotles packed in adobo sauce. I puree a whole can at a time in the food processor, put it in a small plastic container and refrigerate. It keeps for a very long time. I got this tip from Annie Somerville, author of Fields of Greens. For this recipe, I used 1 tsp. and could have doubled that amount to add more smoky flavor.