Was Santa good to you? He must've known I have a thing for food because I got some cookbooks, some decorative sprinkles, an awesome gorillapod to help me take pics (my very unsteady hands are bad for food pics), and... a brand new laptop! to search the world wide web for new recipes. Guess being a Good Girl really does pay off!
But Christmas has me kind of cookied out at the moment, so instead of another sweets recipe, how about something savory for this frigid time called winter. It's both hearty and healthy, being packed with fiber and protein while using very little oil (healthy oil at that). Since I used ground turkey, it didn't create a lot of excess oil so I just left it all in there, but feel free to drain it. Top some whole grain spaghetti with it and some cheese like I did for a full meal, or eat it as a side to something else. It'll warm you up right quick, maybe even set your tongue on fire if you're sensitive to spicy food, and keep you full all night.
If you're spicy intolerant, my condolences. You can just leave out some or all of the crushed red pepper, cayenne, and tobasco. Or start with a dash each and add until it suits you. The great thing about this is that it's a forgiving recipe where you just season and taste until it suits your liking.
Turkey Chili Mac
by me
3 gloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp canola oil
1 lb ground turkey
30 oz black beans, mostly drained
30 oz kidney beans, mostly drained
30 oz diced tomatoes (or 1 can + a few diced tomatoes)
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon EACH: chili powder, crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne, cumin, dried basil, dried oregano, cocoa powder
however many dashes tobasco sauce to taste (I use about a tbsp)
salt and pepper to taste
In a large pot, saute onion and garlic in oil until onion is translucent and garlic is soft. Add turkey and stir, breaking up to the meat consistency you want. Lightly salt and pepper. Cook until mostly done. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well. Allow to simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent the bottom from burning, for at least 30 minutes for flavors to blend. Just taste it here and there and add salt/pepper/spices to your liking.
Option 2 (recommended if you're not in a rush to eat): you can cook the turkey as directed and add it and the rest of the ingredients to a slow cooker and let it sit on low all day.
Make spaghetti according to the box. Top with the chili and some cheese (I used mexican blend, but cheddar works fine).