So I decided to take a stab at making my own chili recipe. The result was very yummy! It has all the flavors of chili, minus the hot ones! I think the lack of hot spices was why this wasn't David's favorite! Usually he's throwing in jalepenos or hot sauce but I decided to leave those out for this one (I like to taste my meal, or else my mouth gets so hot and everything just become numb!). I wanted to make a healthier chili too, so I added ground turkey breast in place of ground beef. AND I love the addition of a variety of veggies to a chili! I also added red wine this time. I happened to have an opened bottle that I didn't particularly care for. Adding wine to your cooking is, by the way, always a great way to use it up! It gives the meal a nice flavor too!
And I would just like to update everyone: I used dried beans again! Yay! And they worked out great after soaking them in water for a day, then boiling them for about an hour to an hour and a half more before adding them to my chili. Perfect! I'm glad I didn't give up on them :)
Here is my super experimental, all original black bean chili:
Ingredients
- approx. 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground turkey breast
- 1 onion, chopped
- 7-8 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 (14.5-oz) cans stewed tomatoes, chopped and with juice
- 1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
- 1 cup red wine, dry
- 1 (14-oz) bag of dried black beans, soaked overnight & boiled in water for 1-1 ½ hrs
- 2 green bell peppers, diced
- 2 medium zucchini, diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, chiffouna
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 3 tbsp chili powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- In large skillet or dutch oven, heat oil on medium-high heat. Cook turkey, onion, and garlic until turkey is no longer pink. Drain off any excess oil/grease.
- Add stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, and wine. Stir to combine.
- Add beans, peppers, zucchini, carrots. Stir to combine.
- Add basil, oregano, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for at least 30 minutes.
looks delicious! I've never tried chili with zucchini and carrots. Thanks for the idea. Happy eating!!
ReplyDeleteThat looks really good! Way to sub in turkey for beef. It's so much healthier for you.
ReplyDeleteAnd yay for the dried beans! I love using dried beans--they are so much cheaper than canned beans, and they aren't processed! They CAN be a bit tricky to figure out though. Depending on the dish, I'll soak the beans for 24 hours, and then slow cook them. If I'm making baked beans or a chili, I'll let them slow cook with all the sauces and spices for 8+ hours. It really helps infuse them with the flavors. And it's a good way to keep your stove top clear for other things.
Thanks Tameka! Yeah I love adding both zucchini and carrots - it is delicious! And I made so much that I ended up freezing it in portions :)It's worth it when you come home tired and not motivated to cook lol.
ReplyDeleteAnd Shannon! Thanks for the advice! I will have to try out something new with black beans - go outside of my box LOL. Do you have any favorite black bean recipes?