turkey chili – Harmonious Belly

As I mentioned earlier, we chose to have our turkey this Thanksgiving in the form of turkey chili. We thought it would be a low-key way of incorporating the traditional bird into the meal, plus we are just big fans of chili. I’m happy to say that it worked out really well – delicious and virtually no stress in working with ground turkey, compared to a whole bird.

I actually made this with beef a while back, and I remember us liking it that way, too. So, if turkey isn’t your style, beef works well.

For a long time, now, I’ve been searching for a simple and tasty chili recipe, and I’m thrilled to have developed one that works well for our tastes. This isn’t a blow-your-head-off spicy chili, though you could probably add enough heat with chiles to make that happen if you’d like. It’s not a super thick chili (which has its appeal), and it’s not an overly soupy chili (a style of chili I find utterly unappealing) – for me, it’s just right.

My boyfriend loves it, and has been singing its praises on a daily basis since Thursday. I expect this will make its way into the monthly rotation, especially now that it’s getting cooler (though today it was 70 degrees in NYC!). I could also see doubling this recipe and freezing a bunch of it for quick meals after a long day.

Continue reading “Turkey Chili”

Thanksgiving 2011 was a modest time, but really nice. We made a (relatively) simple meal, complete with traditional and not-so-traditional dishes. Everything was delicious! Our menu was:

turkey chili
celery root and apple remoulade
roasted root vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, rutabagas, garlic)
roasted brussels sprouts
pumpkin pie with whipped cream (sweetened with maple syrup)

The turkey chili was made with organic, free-range turkey from our CSA – I used a pound of ground turkey and a half pound of turkey sausage. I’ll share the recipe very soon – it was a huge hit here at home. The root vegetables all came from the CSA, too, including the celery root.

I was introduced to celery root remoulade about 8 years ago, when I tasted it at an elaborate Thanksgiving dinner. I remember not being able to get enough of it, it was so delicious! It’s basically raw celery root cut into matchsticks, and it is sauced with a mixture of sour cream, mustard, lemon, and vinegar. I think it’s wonderful and it does well with the addition of diced Empire apple.

I roast brussels sprouts in olive oil and salt. I roast the root vegetables in olive oil, thyme, and salt. Both pans cooked at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes. Both dishes were delicious – I love how everything caramelizes and turns sweet and salty.

I forgot to cook the kale I had planned! D’oh. Tomorrow.

Continue reading “Thanksgiving 2011”