This'll put some hairs on your chest...

Dear bloggers, friends, family, and anyone who has accidentally stumbled upon my blog,

Welcome to what I'm sure is going to be a terrific journey into the mind of someone I know very well: myself.  For my first entry I decided that I would cook something, since the way to anyone's heart is through their stomach.  I've been dying to make chili for a few weeks now, so I decided I would try to make it a bit healthier by substituting ground beef with ground turkey, and full fat cheese with reduced fat cheese (don't you feel SO much less guilty now?!).  Let us begin.

Turkey Chili

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound(ish) ground turkey

1 red onion (chopped)

1 (28 ounce) can of crushed tomatoes

1 (16 ounce) can of kidney beans- drained and rinsed

1 cup water

1 tablespoon garlic (minced)

2 tablespoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

A dash of cinnamon

A dash of Sriracha (optional)

Reduced fat "Mexican" Cheese (optional, but delicious)

1. Heat oil in a large pot over low heat.  Break up ground turkey into small chunks while placing it in the pot.  Turn up the heat to medium once all of the turkey is in the pot.  Cook turkey until evenly brown.  Stir in onion, and cook for about 5 minutes.

2. Pour Water into the pot.  Mix in crushed tomatoes, kidney beans, and garlic.

3. In a separate small bowl, mix together the chili powder, paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt, pepper, and cinnamon.  Pour the dry mixture into the pot, and stir.  Bring to a boil.  Turn the heat down to low, cover, and simmer for 30-35 minutes.

4. Serve chili in a decorative bowl, and finish with a couple dashes of Sriracha and a small fistful of cheese.

Servings per Recipe 8-10

 
This recipe is delicious during the cold winter months when you want to feel slightly like a lumberjack and a lady simultaneously.  I adore spicy foods, so I like to add about a tablespoon and a half of Sriracha to my chili bowl, but obviously to each his/her own.  Chili is terrifically filling and, if you live alone like I do, this chili will last you about a week (Unless you're sharing with friends!).     

Originally I made this chili while following this turkey chili recipe but I thought that there were a few flaws, like I only wanted to add one cup of water instead of two so the consistency would be thicker.  Also, I didn't want to mash up the kidney beans cause I enjoy eating them whole.  Lastly, I thought the dish needed a bit of zing, so I added Sriracha for spiciness and a dash of cinnamon to enrich the flavors.  Well, it's getting late, and I hear leftover chili calling my name. Byyyeeee!