Day: January 9, 2014

Warm and inviting, there’s nothing like a bowl of chili on a bitterly cold evening. What’s even better is when you can stay in your nice warm house and all the ingredients for that chili are at hand. Having a well stocked pantry doesn’t put you at the mercy of one more supermarket trip every time you follow a recipe or create a new dish on your own. Having basic ingredients on hand means you will be less likely to give up on cooking that night and order another mediocre take out dinner.

Your basic pantry will depend on your personal likes and dislikes. Love chili? Then you should have tomatoes, beans and some good chili powders on hand. Enjoy Asian food? Then your pantry should include soy sauce, oyster sauce, noodles, toasted sesame oil.

Keeping your pantry up to date is an ongoing task. Did you use the last bit of Dijon mustard? Immediately put it on your shopping list so you’re not surprised the next time you need it. When I was catering I had an endless source of materials to work with, now I try to be a bit more discriminating and choose the items we use most. I don’t keep much meat in the freezer, mostly ground turkey and pork tenderloins and try to use them within a month of purchase. Less chance for freezer burn or becoming that frosty mystery meat at the back of the shelf.

My three tiered lazy Susan (never liked that term) holds my spices that I attempt to keep in alphabetical order, not that they always stay that way. Having a varied supply of spices is a definite plus to impromptu cooking. Label everything you put in the freezer. You’re positive you’ll know what that brown sauce is in the container but two months later it will be an unidentified frozen object that is relegated to the garbage pail.

All I needed to do to prepare for this chili was to thaw out the low fat ground turkey and two bags of frozen roasted tomatoes. I am a Penzeys addict and am always looking for new spices and blends to add to my collection in addition to the basic items I purchase. I decided on adobo seasoning, a combination of onion, garlic, black pepper, Mexican oregano, cumin and cayenne pepper to season the ground turkey. When I added the tomatoes to the chili I added chili powder, chipotle chili powder and just a little unsweetened cocoa. Chipotle chili powder gives a deep smoky flavor and the cocoa powder adds a depth of flavor along with richness and a velvety texture. This chili turned out to be only moderately spicy, if you like it hotter, add more chili powder. Usually I would have added kidney beans to my chili but I only had black beans. Corn or another type of bean would be a good addition. Next time I’ll think ahead and presoak and cook the dried borlotto beans from our garden. A simple garnish of  cilantro, sour cream and cheddar to blend into the bowl and you are set for a warm satisfying bowl of chili.

Fridge and Pantry Turkey Chili

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1T olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1t finely chopped garlic
• 1 1/4lb ground turkey (mine was low fat)
• 1T Adobo seasoning
• 1 28oz can chopped tomatoes (I use my frozen chopped tomatoes)
• 1T Chili powder
• 1T unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1-2T Chipotle chile powder
• 1T tomato paste
• 1 can black beans

Directions

1. In a medium Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes, add garlic and sauté one minute more.
2. Loosely break apart the ground turkey and add it to the pot. Gently stir until slightly more separated and sprinkle the adobo seasoning over the meat. Saute the meat until it starts to turn brown, 5-6 minutes.
3. Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, medium chile powder, chipotle chili powder and unsweetened cocoa powder. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low or low and simmer, stirring frequently, until the sauce is slightly reduced and thickened, about 20 minutes. Stir in the black beans and taste, adding more seasonings . Garnish with sour cream, and shredded Cheddar cheese, if you like.