Fight Snow Fatigue with Tasty Tukey Chili

So, we're supposed to get more snow tonight. Yay. I wanted to eat something for dinner that was warm - both temperature warm and spicy warm. Something with a kick!

I got some new spices, which also helped to inspire me, from Penzeys Spice: a chili powder, some cumin, and some chipotle powder, which I was dying to try. To bring the flavors out, I took some inspiration from a Cooks Illustrated Texas Chili recipe which called for cooking the spices with the onions and some tomato paste at the beginning, for about 10 minutes, before adding the meat and beans. I also cooked the ground turkey separately to make it easier to leave any fat behind. To add more depth of flavor, I used diced tomatoes with chiles and tomato sauce (you could save some calories by using chicken broth instead of the tomato sauce; chicken broth also results in a less "intense" tomato flavor).

Here's the recipe - it makes 4 generous servings, 6 smaller sized servings.
* 1 lb. ground turkey (I used Nature's Promise)
* 1 T. olive oil
* 1 medium yellow onion (or two small), peeled and diced
* 2 garlic cloves, minced or crushed, or the equivalent
* 2 T. tomato paste
* 1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes with chiles (I used Trader Joe's)
* 1 15-oz. can light or dark kidney beans, or beans of your choice, drained
* 1 c. tomato sauce or puree
* 1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, diced or chopped into small pieces
* 1 T. chili powder, such as Penzeys Spices Chili 9000
* 1/2 t. ground cumin
* 1/2 t. ground chipotle powder (lends a spicy smokiness - use 1/2 t. additional chili powder if you don't have chipotle)
* salt and pepper to taste

1. In a skillet coated in cooking spray over medium heat, saute the ground turkey until cooked through, breaking it as it cooks into small pieces

2. While the turkey cooks, heat 1 T. olive oil in a saucepan; add the onions and garlic and stir to combine. Cook for about 2 minutes.
3. Add the tomato paste and the spices to the onion mixture, stir to combine, lower the heat and cook for about 10 minutes. Stir periodically to ensure it doesn't stick to the pan or burn.
4. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, bell pepper, turkey, and beans to the tomato and onion mixture, and stir to combine. Cover and simmer over low to medium heat for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are cooked through.

Serve over brown rice or a multi-grain pilaf topped with sour cream, shredded cheese, cubed avocado, or your favorite chili toppings.

Per serving (4 generous servings): 357 calories, 11 g fat, 35 g protein, 33 g carbs, and 8 g fiber