Perfectly Awry: Everybody in the Pot Chili

I am in the excruciating process of moving. I hate it. The packing, the de-cluttering, the cleaning and of course the actual moving part. It’s an exciting move because I am finally getting over to North Portland and I am pretty sure I got really lucky on my digs. It’s closer to work, closer to some good friends, a fun part of town and I get to garden in my new place. (YAY!) Those new digs come with a lot of work attached though, so on top of all the normal headaches that come with a move, I am also doing a baby re-model of my new place. The place I am moving into is in that…”a lot of potential” phase. Thankfully I have some amazing friends and family that are clever, talented and clearly crazy. They are all pitching in to help me make the place more livable. My first big work weekend on the new place is coming up and we will see what I am really in for.

Because of the move, I have been trying to clean out my pantry. I pulled out some frozen ground turkey and decided that with some of the cans I had in the pantry that it was time to make an interpretation of a veggie/turkey chili. This is the "throw everything into the pot chili". This is NOT your traditional "take it to the fair to win a blue ribbon chili". HOWEVER, this is delicious, very healthy and a great way to get those veggies out of the fridge that look like they are on the verge of being thrown out soon. The ingredients are not measured exactly. Just go with what you got. Season and taste everything. If you have an extra veggie you want to throw in (corn is yummy!)…do it. If you dont' have celery, don't worry about it. You don’t have turkey but you have beef or you don’t have ANY meat…no problem. If you don't have garlic...go out and buy some...everyone should have fresh garlic on hand. (I have to draw the line at some point) Just make sure that you let all the seasonings come together on the stove for a while and taste as you go so you can adjust your seasonings and acid levels (that’s where the sugar comes in). Also… chili powder is mild, but please wait for it when tasting your soup. Chili powder hits just a few seconds after you first taste it. Let it hit your palate. I know a lot of people who taste quickly, spoon in one hand and seasoning in the other. They then immediately start to add more of an ingredient before they let it hit properly. That burn…can creep up slowly, so you have been warned.

Veggie/Turkey Chili

1lb of ground turkey meat

1 onion chopped

3 stalks of celery chopped

3-4 carrots chopped (peeled)

1 green bell pepper chopped (seeds removed)

3 cloves of garlic minced

Olive oil

1 14.5 oz can of chicken broth

2 15 oz cans of beans, rinsed (any kind will do)

1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon of tomato paste

Cumin (to taste, I recommend starting with at least 1 tablespoon)

Chili powder (to taste, I recommend starting with at least 3 tablespoons)

Red pepper flakes (if you want some heat)

Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Sugar (to taste, I recommend starting with at least 1 tablespoon)

Heat your pan on med-high. Coat the bottom of the pan with some olive oil. Put in your ground turkey. Season with salt and pepper. While your meat is cooking add all of your chopped veggies except for your garlic. Watch the heat on the stove and cook until the veggies become tender. Add your garlic and spices and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.

Add your chicken broth and can of diced tomatoes with the juice/water from the can. Rinse your beans and add them to the chili. Stir in your tomato paste. Add a little bit of sugar. (1 tablespoon to start) Bring the chili to a simmer and then lower the heat, simmering for about 45 minutes to an hour. Taste and season if needed.

Garnish with whatever makes you happy! Sour cream, cheese and onions are always a nice start.