So I really have been cooking. (Though, honestly, a lot of it is still the roasted chickpeas. Mmmm, roasted chickpeas.) But a lot of it has been simpler stuff: a coffee cake that was just OK, a pumpkin bread that wasn't as good as the banana bread I made the week before, stuffing based on a Williams-Sonoma boxed mix (to be fair that was AWESOME), and my post-gym last-ditch standby, havarti on rye Triscuits.
But this one is worth mentioning, even though I don't have a picture. I made my first post-Thanksgiving turkey chili. It's a stereotype, right? The chili made with turkey leftovers because you're so, so sick of just plain turkey? But like many common tropes, this one is... completely true.
And I fell into the trap I normally do when coming up with a dish. No recipe. Not even a base one to start improvising off of. Just me and the fridge and the cabinets, and a lot of things left over from making other things. And a husband who has the faith to ask "Can you make this again?" even as he and I both know the most likely answer is a tentative "... Maybe?"
But seriously, it was so good, so this is what I think was in it. Next time I'll even buy the ingredients on purpose.
Here's What's On Hand Turkey Chili
- 2 small links pork sausage
- 1-2 cups cubed turkey meat (dark and light)
- 1 can Goya chickpeas, drained
- 1 T smoked paprika
- 1.5 T ancho powder
- 1 t cumin
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
- 1 small can tomato juice
Take the sausage out of the casing and brown in small clumps in a saucepan or small dutch oven over medium heat. Add turkey meat and half of the chickpeas, stirring gently to distribute the fat, then add spices and garlic and brown for another minute or so. Deglaze with canned tomatoes, stirring to scrape up the spices, and add tomato juice. Once the liquid is bubbling, turn down the heat and let the chili simmer. Partially covering the pan with the lid is probably a good idea at this stage -- you want the liquid to reduce but not too much. After 15 minutes, add the remaining chickpeas and cook another 5 minutes or so.
Eat. Share. Make note: larger Thanksgiving turkey next year.
