Turkey Chili

There's no denying it, fall is in the air. With the temperatures dipping down into the 30's and 40's, this time of year demands cozy blankets and something hearty to fill our tummies with. I don't know how you feel about the fall, and impending winter, but the only thing that keeps me going is the promise of the soul soothing and tantalizing food just waiting to be made.

One such dish that the King of Chicago and I really look forward to making this season is chili. With beef being a thing of the past around here, we've happily made the switch to turkey and haven't looked back. If you are wanting to make the switch as well, because of a desire to be healthier and leaner, take care to chose lean ground turkey breast only. Regular ground turkey is actually just about the same in nutrition when compared to ground beef.

I'm really big on is buying my beans dry. Canned is more convenient, sure, but do you know what's in there? Lots of salt, calcium chloride, sugar, and who knows what else. When you make your own at home, you're always in control as to what you're putting in your pot, and mouth. Buying dry beans is also much more economical than buying canned. A bag of dry beans is about a buck fiddy, and you can get the equivalent of at least four cans of beans after soaking. All that is required is a little preparation.

Turkey Chili – makes 8 to 10 servings

2 lbs lean turkey

1 small yellow onion (diced)

4 cloves garlic (fine dice)

2 cups dry beans (mix of kidney, black, and navy beans), soaked and rinsed

1 can original Rotel

1 can Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes*

1 Tbsp chili powder (recipe to follow)

3 Tbsp tomato paste

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

3 c chicken stock (preferably homemade)

2 dashes Frank's hot sauce (or other)

salt and pepper

*If you are having trouble finding this brand of canned tomatoes at the supermarket, try Whole Foods.

Procedure:

The night before you want to have chili, sort, rinse and soak the beans according to the directions on the back of the bag. There is a quick soak method that can be used, but I find that they don't hold together as well this way. Don't forget to add salt to the water when soaking or they will be bland.

In a large stock pot, brown the ground turkey, seasoning with salt and pepper and 1 teaspoon of the chili powder. For this recipe, we used a home made chili powder. The idea was really due to the fact that we were out of chili powder and didn't want to go and buy it at the store. It turned out so well that the KoC and I have just decided that we're not going to be buying it pre-made again. Granted, our recipe doesn't contain the same number of different chilies, but is still darn good and doesn't have fillers and additives.

Chili powder:

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

I believe that there is powdered oregano out there on the market, but powdered herbs lose their potency quickly, so grinding your own works best. Put your spices in either a spice grinder, or if you are lucky enough to have one, use a mortar and pestle and give them a good go. It's going to come out lighter and more tan than your conventional chili powder, but that's normal.

Once you have the turkey done, strain the meat in a colander to get rid of the excess fat, and set aside for later. To the empty stock pot, add your diced onion and sweat them until they become translucent. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute or two before adding back in the reserved turkey and the beans.

Now put all the remaining ingredients into the mix. I personally have a problem with the texture of cooked tomatoes, so I pureed both the Rotel and Muir Glen tomatoes. If you don't have the same hang up, feel free to skip that part, but I really feel that it makes the chili have a better consistency. Bring the chili to a boil, then cover and simmer for about an hour.

This soup is so delicious, but rather mild in heat. If you should wish to kick it up a notch, add another can of Rotel. When the KoC and I make chili or soup, it's always a big batch so that we can freeze whatever we have left over. It's so nice to have it on hand for those days when you want something really comforting, delicious, and fast. With a little pre-planning, you can pull a batch from the ice box and let it thaw in the refrigerator, anywhere from 24 to 48 hours. Properly packaged chili will last up to three months in the freezer.

Now, if you will excuse me, we've got some chili to eat and some football to watch. Enjoy!

Aww, cookie cookie now!

Welcome back! Let's do something with that almond meal that was left over from making your milk.

If you're anything like me, you sat down with a glass of your newly-made almond milk and thought how lovely it would be to have a freshly baked cookie to pair it with.

I will admit that I was having a little trouble deciding what to write about next, with all the delightful things that my boyfriend, the self-proclaimed King of Chicago, and I have been cooking up. However, my lovely friend (we'll call her the Nail Polish Princess, for now) settled the quandary when she sent me a message asking for a good cookie recipe. She didn't want just any cookie, though. She wanted one that was healthy, hearty, and low in sugar and fat. It's a good thing I'd been whipping up just such a treat. ;)

Going grain free certainly presents a textural problem when trying to formulate a cookie, since it's difficult to mimic gluten without using anything unnatural. Playing with substitutions - which we'll expand on another day - can be fun and rewarding when you get a spectacular result.

The basic grain free cookie recipe is really very versatile. I can't stress enough that cooking and baking in general is an experimentation process. If no one tinkered, we'd have no variation!

The basic recipe I use is:

• 1¼ c flours (combinations of nut, garbonzo, and root starches
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 5 Tbsp oil (coconut oil, applesauce, nut butters (ideally natural, and warmed))
• 3 Tbsp sweetener (honey, agave, stevia)
• 2 tsp extracts
• ½-¾ c additions (chocolate chips, cranberries, raisins, you name it)

The first couple of trial batches I baked up, I used mostly almond flour. The texture was similar to a coconut macaroon. It was kind of fibrous, and was very delicate after being baked.While using straight almond flour produces a delicious cookie, I wasn't satisfied yet. I found that a combination of garbanzo flour and potato starch gives substance and structure that a cookie needs, and lends a softer, cakey bite. This is my favorite cookie mix so far:

“Let's be Friends” Cookies – makes 18

Tools:

• two bowls (one large, one medium)
• whisk
• measuring spoons and cups
• cookie scoop (1Tbsp size)
• cookie sheet(s)
• parchment paper

Ingredients:

• ½ c almond flour
• ½ c garbonzo flour
• ¼ c potato starch
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil (melted)
• 3 Tbsp apple sauce (room temp)
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 2 Tbsp agave
• ½ tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp almond extract
• ¼ tsp pandan extract*
• ¼ c mini semi-sweet chocolate chips**
• ¼-½ c dried cranberries

*Pandan extract is amazing. For those of you that have never had the pleasure, it's a flavoring used in South East Asian cooking. I'm not really sure what dishes it is used in, but it lends a unique flavor that mimics the buttery and golden flavor identified with most baked goods. If you can't find it in your grocery store, the local Asian market is certain to have it.

**Looking for a chocolate chip that's really friggin' good and still allergen free? I found these dairy, nut, and soy free chocolate chips from the Enjoy Life company at Whole Foods. If those won't do, carob chips might be something for you to try. Be mindful that while carob is frequently used as a chocolate replacement, it has more of a molasses flavor.

Procedure:

Line your cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper and set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In the larger bowl, combine the flours, salt, and baking powder. Whisk the dry ingredients well, so that they are free of lumps.

In the smaller bowl, combine the oil, apple sauce, sweeteners, and extracts. Make sure to get this well mixed to insure even distribution. It's really important to bring the apple sauce to at least room temperature before assembling the ingredients. If it is cold, the coconut oil will harden quickly, and you'll have little chucks of coconut oil all up in your batter.

Speaking of making sure your ingredients are at room temperature, have you ever been making chocolate chip cookies, adding your eggs to the creamed butter and sugar, and it starts to look very wet and forms little pieces? Your butter, eggs, or both, were most likely too cold and it broke the emulsion that was created when creaming the butter and sugar. When your ingredients are at room temperature, you will get a rich and fluffy mixture. This principle is one that should be used in the majority of baking, whether you are using alternative ingredients or good old sugar, eggs and butter. If you are in a rush or found that you've forgotten to set out your ingredients, here are some tips: Place eggs in a bowl of warm to hot water and let them sit until they are warmed, about a minute or two, or just run them under the tap in your hand until they're body temp. For butter or coconut oil, measure out the desired amount and slowly heat it in the microwave, five to ten seconds at a time, until just softened and no longer chilled. If you are doing a stick of butter, rotate it to a different side with each addition of time. Coconut oil shouldn't need much time, considering it's melting point is 75 degrees.

Add your wet mixture to the dry and combine well. Fold in the mix-ins. Now you're ready to scoop! I have a small one tablespoon scoop that I just love, and I use it for all my cookies. While you certainly don't need one, it makes it a lot less of a hassle when compared to using a couple of teaspoons. Getting an accurate scoop will make sure that there is even baking and no one gets shorted on their cookie. Some flour combinations make a batter that doesn't spread much. If you're alright with your cookies being neat little mounds, excellent! Otherwise, you can roll the scoop of batter in your hand and gently flatten it before placing on the cookie tray. For an extra little bit of love, I gave my cookies a dusting with sugar before sending them to the oven. I think the next batch to try for will be snickerdoodles. ;)

Bake cookies at 350 degrees for ten to thirteen minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Once they are done, let them cool on the tray for five minutes before moving them to a cooling tray. Hooray cookies! Om nom nom! Store the cooled cookies in a air tight container at room temperature for up to two weeks, if they even last that long. ;)

Go and create! Please feel free to share in the comments section whatever different combinations you might come up with!