Nina’s Savory and Spicy Chili

It’s that time of year when I get really excited about preparing and creating hot dishes – especially soups. As much as I love summer, I still welcome the fall with it’s fresh, cool feeling, colorful leaves, sweaters, and SOUP! I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but soup is probably my favorite type of food to eat. It definitely tops the list of comfort foods as far as I’m concerned. I hope you’ve all had the experience of slurping up your mom’s or grandmother’s homeade soup on a cold night. I know I have a few of those. My mom used to make Chili from scratch all the time. This recipe is a take on her recipe, but I’ve added a few additions to make it a little more savory and spicy. Now it’s your chance to create warm memories for your family!

Ingredients
1 lb ground turkey (of course you can use ground beef if you like, I just like to use turkey because it’s healthier).
1 small (14 oz) can each – black, pinto and kidney beans (I like Trader Joe’s Organic Beans) – drain the beans but it’s not necessary to rinse.
1 (14 oz) can diced, fire roasted tomatoes (it doesn’t have to be fire roasted, but I prefer them)
1 tomato sauce
½ c beer
2 tbls freshly crushed garlic
A few tbls extra virgin olive oil
1 white onion, chopped finely
¾ c chopped celery
¼ c green olives with pimentos

Spices:
2 tbls chile
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp fennel
Salt to taste
Pinch of sugar
1 tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp crush red pepper flakes
½ tsp cayenne (if you like to extra spicy)

Directions

Splash olive oil in large pot and heat to medium
Add onions and saute for a couple minutes
Add celery and saute for another few minutes
Add salt, olives and most of the chili powder and continue to saute until the onions and celery are tender.
Squeeze the turkey with your hands to smooth out the little lines that form from the grinding process.
Add to the pan and turn up the heat so that the turkey can brown a bit while cooking. (Alternatively you can brown the turkey before sautéing the onions and celery. Just remove the turkey after it browns and then add the onions and celery).
Now push all the ingredients in the pan to the side, and on the clean side add a little more olive oil.
On the side you just added oil to, add the garlic and saute for about a minute.
Add the rest of the spices: cumin, oregano, pepper, cayenne, cinnamon.
Always taste to see how you’re liking the flavor. It’s at this point that I’ll add more salt, spice, etc, depending on the taste.
Now stir everything together and continue to cook for another minute or two.
Add a can of the fire roasted tomatoes and let simmer for a couple minutes.
Add the beer, simmer a couple minutes.
Now add all three kinds of beans and bring to a simmer once again.
Stir, cover and let simmer on low for about 20 minutes.

Serving suggestion:
Ladle in bowls and top with some chopped white or green onions, chopped cilantro, and some shredded jack or cheddar cheese. It’s nice to have some warm cornbread or whole grain bread.
Enjoy!