Red Wine Turkey Chili

The last trip to Houston I stayed with my sister for a couple days. She's quite the burgeoning cook herself and shared her favorite chili recipe with me. It's a great alternative for those who can't take the heat (and even those who can loved it too!) I tweaked it a bit to feed more people, but it's quite delicious. Thanks Lauren!

Red Wine Turkey Chili

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 pounds ground turkey

1 onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 can black beans

1 can red beans

2 cans crushed tomatoes, slightly drained

1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons cumin

3 tablespoons brown sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

3/4 cup red wine

1/4 cup water

Cheddar cheese (optional)

Fritos (optional)

Heat a large stock pot on medium and warm oil. Brown turkey meat (about 8 minutes). Add onion and garlic and cook an additional 3 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes and spices and stir. Stir in wine and water, cover, reduce heat and simmer about 30 minutes. Serve with cheddar cheese and Fritos if desired.

This has quite a different taste from my Turkey Bean Chili, so it was nice for a change!

Steak Tacos and Black Beans

My coworker Eric always has delicious homemade tacos everyday for lunch, so I decided to make my own steak tacos Friday night. I went a little crazy with sides and toppings (with the roommates' help!), so we had quite a feast. I also used a delicious spice combo that my friend Ivette gave me for Christmas which was Chili, oregano and salt to season the steak- the flavors really complimented one another.

Steak Tacos

2 pounds flank steak
1 tablespoon chili, oregano and salt mixture
1/4 cup Worchestershire sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil 2 avocados, sliced and divided
1 poblano pepper, roasted
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Corn tortillas
Optional:
2 mangos, peeled, pitted and sliced
1 cup shredded jicama
1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons cheddar cheese

Top steak with first 3 ingredients and marinade for 30 minutes to an hour. Heat a grill pan to medium high heat. Cook steak about 5 to 6 minutes on each side (for medium to medium rare). Remove from heat, let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

Combine 1/2 avocado, pepper, sour cream and salt and pepper in a food processor and serve as sauce for tacos in corn tortillas. Top tacos with remaining avocado and mangos, jicama, cilantro and cheese as desired.

Black Beans

4 cloves garlic
1 cup chopped red onion
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
1 green bell pepper, halved, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup corn kernels
1 teaspoon chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro

Heat oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add garlic and red onion and saute 2 to 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and cook about 10 minutes. Serve with rice and cheddar cheese.

The boys also prepared fried yucca and plantains which were SO good. If I ask nicely, I'm sure I could get them to blog about it :)

The final product!

As an added bonus, I had some beans left. The next morning I made a southwestern scramble simply by scrambling 8 eggs then mixing in the beans for the last minute of cooking (I warmed them first) and topped with some cheese. Delicious!

Christine's Turkey Bean Chili

Living in Texas, it's only appropriate to have a chili recipe in your arsenal when the timing is right. Normally, August is no time for chili, but this past week was rainy and dismal. The weather coupled with a few extra cold days in the office, chili sounded like just the antedote. This recipe is from Cooking Light, but I call it Christine's since it's her favorite thing that I make.

Turkey Bean Chili
1 cup prechopped red onion
1/3 cup chopped seeded poblano pepper (about 1)
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (19-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
6 lime wedges

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add first 4 ingredients; cook for 6 minutes or until turkey is done, stirring frequently to crumble. Stir in chili powder and next 8 ingredients (through broth); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

To me, chili wouldn't be complete without a topping of cheese and a side of cornbread, so I sprinkled my bowl liberally with some cheddar cheese. I also prepared a box of cornbread mix, but I added some fresh corn kernals for a nice added texture.

Yum!