Story and Photos by Marcie Giovannoni
One cold and rainy afternoon, I was hungry and contemplating what I wanted to cook. I knew I wanted a simple warm soup, but I was craving something hearty too. My roommate, pitying my frustration, handed me her Cook Yourself Thin cookbook. I was a touch skeptical at first upon seeing the word “thin,” but after reading this recipe for chili, I was sold. Granted, I did change a few things from the recipe to fit my tastes- I’m sure it’s pretty amazing with the other stuff too. This was one of the better recipes I have made in a really long time and have been eager to share it with any other culinary inclined individuals; especially those on a college schedule and budget.
What caught my eye about this chili was that it wasn’t like any other chili recipe I had ever read before: the recipe called for cocoa powder. I was absolutely perplexed, what place does cocoa have in a chili recipe? Cocoa powder is used in things like red velvet and black-bottomed cupcakes, not chili. I thought the point of chili was to be thick, hearty, and spicy; not thick, hearty, and chocolaty. After much deliberation, I thought to myself, “What the hell, it’s worth an old college try!” (Ha.)
In my Italian opinion, the beauty of cooking is that any recipe can, and should, be easily adapted to the chef’s tastes. Since I’m a not a big fan of spicy foods, I decided to make the chili without the chipotle pepper: big mistake. I decided to take a leap of faith the next time I made it and added the daunting little pepper. Boy, oh boy, it totally blew my taste buds’ minds and to my surprise, the chili wasn’t too spicy either! If you just so happen to be into spicy foods, by all means, add a full chipotle pepper or more, chopped and seeded; that should surely be enough to pack a punch. I also left the cilantro out too because my roommates and I aren’t huge cilantro lovers.
The first time I made the chili, I prepared the ingredients as I went and making the chili was a much longer process than I had originally anticipated. The best thing to do is prep all of your ingredients prior to starting cooking so that when the next ingredient is called for in the recipe, you can just throw it in rather than delaying your arrival to the most delicious bowl of chili you’ve ever had. Chop everything up and put it in bowls, combine the spices all together, open the cans, get the big pot out, have a timer handy, and I promise you, cooking this chili will be a breeze.
Although a lot of time goes into this recipe, it’s well worth the wait because you really only have to cook once in order to have meals made for at least a week. When my stovetop masterpiece was finished and I was beginning to ladle it into bowls, I noticed that the chili was more of a hearty, chunky soup than a thick, chunky sauce. Usually I’d expect a chili to be a lot thicker and saucier, but maybe that’s what “non-skinny” chili is supposed to be like. Upon this discovery, I began to get a little worried, but after my first bite, I was in heaven. Not to promote laziness or anything, but since I was too hungry and lazy to grate some chocolate and bake a tortilla to go on top of the chili, I added a dollop of non-fat Greek yogurt, grated cheese, and crushed tortilla chips on top instead…NOMZ!
Crunchy Turkey Chili (adapted from Lifetime‘s “Cook Yourself Thin” recipe)
Serves 6
Calories per serving: 355
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground turkey
Salt
Pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pinch of ground cinnamon
1/2 red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 carrots, washed and peeled, diced 1/2 inch
1 14 oz. can diced whole tomatoes, with juice
1/2 chipotle pepper in adobo, seeded and chopped
– Found in the Hispanic section at the grocery store
– If you like your chili spicy, add the full chipotle pepper (chopped and seeded)
3 cups water
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 30 oz. can of pinto beans, drained
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus 1/4 cup for serving (optional)
Bittersweet chocolate, grated, for serving (optional)
3 scallions, chopped, for serving
A dollop of Greek yogurt, for serving
Tortilla chips, for garnish
Grated cheese, for garnish (optional)
1. In a large frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the turkey, a pinch of salt and a pinch pepper, and cook, stirring. Once the turkey starts to brown a little, add the chili powder, cumin, oregano and cinnamon, and cook, stirring until the water evaporates and the turkey sizzles.
2. Add the onion, garlic, and another pinch of salt. Cover and cook until the onion is wilted, 5 to 7 minutes. Once the meat is completely cooked and the onions have wilted, transfer to a big pot over medium heat.
3. Add the carrots, entire can of diced tomatoes, chipotle pepper, water, and cocoa powder. Bring to a simmer; reduce the heat to low, and cook, partially covered, 25 minutes. Stir in the beans and 1/2 cup cilantro (optional), and cook 15 more minutes.
4. Serve hot and in bowls. Top with scallions, the remaining cilantro (optional), a spoonful of yogurt, and some grated chocolate (or grated cheese)! Garnish with tortilla chips.
