Turkey Chili with Black-Eyed Peas

When my phone rang at work at 0705, I will admit feeling annoyed. Who calls someone just after they've hit the floor? The man on the other end of the phone was one of the pharmacists at the hospital calling to see if I knew how my family was. I was confused. (And grumpy.) He then told me about the Haiti earthquake. I was immediately into an (awake) patient's room flipping to CNN with my personal cell phone in hand. Thankfully, my family on the other half of the island of Hispanola was just a bit shaken up. Nothing serious happened.

About a month later, Chile's first major earthquake struck. Again, I missed the news story. My mother called me early (for her) that morning to let me know she talked to my cousin, Miguel, who lives in Santiago. In true Taveras form, he told his dramatic tale of running down 13 flights of stairs feeling like he was running through a washing machine. Everything in Santiago was pretty much in tact, as the earthquake struck much farther south. Miguel's biggest lament was that while not even a picture fell off the wall, he lost all of his booze.

After these two natural disasters, it seemed like each country- and my family- would have a reprieve. So, when my mother jumped on an airplane and headed down to Chile to see Miguel, I was not worried. My mother had planned the trip in January, and we both agreed that a major earthquake could not possibly strike so close to the date of the first. Aftershocks? No big deal. She'd be fine. For sure.

... And then, on my way home from work on Thursday, a call beeped through the conversation I was having with a friend. I raced to answer my Mom's friend (and other emergency contact), Rexanne. Rexanne told me my mother was okay, but she and Miguel ran down 13 flights of stairs in their pajamas that morning in the midst of a 7.2 earthquake (aftershock). While everyone is still okay, I am hoping that nothing shakes up Paris, the last foreign country home where I have family.

So here's to Chile, home to a city that has moved 10 feet on the map (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-03/09/c_13203099.htm) and to some amazing builders. (There is still nothing wrong with the building Miguel lives in.)

Turkey Chili with Black-Eyed Peas
(from Shape magazine, February 2009)
Serves 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound lean ground turkey breast
1 large carrot, diced
1/2 large onion, diced
2 sticks celery, diced
2 jalepenos, diced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
1 yellow pepper, seeded and diced
2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups canned black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 28-ounce can no-salt-added crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato puree
2 1/2 cups water
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Red pepper sauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large ovenproof pan, heath half the oil over medium heat, Add turkey and brown for 5 minutes. Remove turkey and add remaining oil; saute carrot, onion, celery, jalapenos, garlic, peppers, chili powder, fennel, and cumin for 10 minutes or until vegetables are soft and begin to lose their color.

Return meat to pan and stir in black-eyed peas; add crushed tomatoes, tomato puree, and water. Bring to a simmer and place in the oven for 2 hours. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper sauce to taste.

Hot chili for a cold day

It's cold for real this time. I love a warm meal on a cold day, but soup is not always enough to allay my hunger and keep me satiated. This recipe is easy and is a very different twist on a winter staple as essential as my favorite sweater. Make it, eat it, freeze it. Most of all, stay warm!

Turkey and Bean Chili (aka Liv's Turkey Chocolate Chili)

Thank you, Martha!
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/turkey-and-bean-chili?autonomy_kw=turkey%20and%20bean%20chili&rsc=header_1

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 4 bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 pounds ground dark-meat (7 percent fat), turkey
• 4 cups chopped onions
• 1/4 cup minced garlic cloves
• 2 medium fresh jalapeno chiles, ribs and seeds removed for less heat, if desired, minced
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 cans (28 ounces each) whole tomatoes in puree (I use 4-5 roma tomatoes and LESS H20)
  
• 2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
• Coarse salt
• 3 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• Fresh cilantro leaves, sliced pickled jalapeno chiles, reduced-fat sour cream, crumbled cornbread, grated cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Heat a Dutch oven (or other heavy 5-quart pot) over medium heat. Add bacon; cook until crisp and brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Raise heat to high; add turkey. Cook, stirring and breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Add onion, garlic, and jalapenos; cook until soft, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Stir in chili powder, cocoa powder, and cumin; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute.
3. Break up tomatoes with a spoon or your hands, and stir them in along with the puree. Add molasses, 1 cup water, and 4 teaspoons salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer; cook, partially covered, 30 minutes.
4. Add beans; continue cooking, uncovered, until meat and beans are very tender, and chili is thick, about 30 minutes more. Serve with desired toppings.

What's Cooking, Post Vacation

I was just in Connecticut for a wedding, where I had the best time with my boyfriend. There are a few things that must be eaten while in New England:
1. Mussels
2. Lobster (pronounced in Boston, but not in CT, as "lobstuh")
3. Clams
4. Any other fresh seafood possible.

I conquered 1 and 2 on the list.

I thankfully had the sense to ask for the day off today to catch up on life and avoid going back to my stressful job. That involved buying a grill and grill accessories, getting new baskets to organize my kitchen, and a trip to my favorite farmer's market for food.

With the advent of football season, and my hopes that the 95 degree weather in Atlanta will cool off, I decided on chili. Only, I was too lazy to go to Whole Foods for beans, so I settled on Rachael Ray's turkey and corn chili. Then, I decided while I was at it, I should make some meatballs using a new recipe, so I could freeze them.

One of my friends dropped by with her pooch for a sampling of the yummies. Check out the recipes and pics below.


Turkey Corn Chili
Rachael Ray 10/15/07
http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=862&r=862,477,1087,45,595,716
Serves 4

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large bell pepper, red or green, chopped (you can use up leftover pepper strips from crudite tray if you have them)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
1.5 pounds cooked turkey meat, light and dark meat, diced (I used ground turkey for mine)
1.5 tablespoons chili powder (a palmful)
1.5 tablespoons ground cumin (a palmful)
coarse salt
2 cups frozen corn kernals or leftover prepared corn
2 cups prepared chicken stock or broth
2 scallions, white and green, chopped

Heat a deep pot over medium-high heat. Work close to the stove for your chopping. Add EVOO to your pot, about one turn of the pan in a steady stream, then add vegetables as you chop them. Add bay leaf and cook vegetables for five minutes, stirring frequently; reduce the heat if veggies start to stick.

Stir in diced turkey meat and season with chili powder, cumin and cayenne sauce. Season with a little salt, to taste. Add corn, tomatoes and broth. Combine well and adjust seasonings. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 7-10 minutes. Garnish chili with chopped scallions.

Mini Meatballs (Albondigas)
a revised recipe by Jonny Valiant, In Style Magazine, Feb 2008
(serves 12)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/4 cup minced red pepper
2 jabanero peppers
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon corriander
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 pound each ground pork and ground beef sirloin
2 tablespoons dried bread crumbs (I used Whole Foods sandwich bread- it falls apart easily)
1 egg, lightly beaten (in truth, I forgot to add this)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In food processor, chop onions. Set aside. Next chop jabaneros (I use gloves so I don't kill my eyes later in the day), 1/4 cup cilantro, garlic, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in food processor. Season with salt and pepper. Set sauce aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat remaining oil, onion, and red pepper; cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in salt to taste, corriander, and nutmeg. Remove from heat; cool.

3. Combine ground pork and beef with bread crumbs (about 1 piece of bread), egg, and onion-red-pepper mixture. Form meat mixture into 1" balls. Place on foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with with G-F pasta or rice. Garnish with extra cilantro from the bunch.

You'll beg for more!