Coming from the rural South as I do, there are certain “white-trash” recipes bound to cross my—and your—table at one point. My mother tends to be a fan of very simple recipes and will often call me to pass one along. She often says that although the dish is easy to make and humble in its ingredients, everyone at her Sunday night bridge group raved over it. I took her recipe for “Dump Soup,” as it was previously named much to its disadvantage, and turned it into “Scrumptious Turkey Chili” by cutting out half of the fat and salt, and using more wholesome ingredients. It’s still quick and easy to make, but now it’s just too fancy to call by that other name. I paired it with a variation of a basic bread pudding described in the October issue of Martha Stewart Living. Maybe I should send Martha some to let her know that she still inspires me to try things.
Scrumptious Turkey Chili
1 medium onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
2 tblsp. olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. 85-percent lean ground turkey (Leaner is too dry)
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can rotel tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
1 pkg. frozen corn
1 jalapeño minced (optional)
2 tblsp. chili powder, or to taste
1 tblsp. cumin, or to taste
Salt
Garnishes
Red or green cabbage, diced
Cheddar cheese
Sour cream
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
Sauté onions and bell pepper in olive oil until soft. Add turkey and sauté until done. Meanwhile, open all of the beans, drain and rinse in a colander. Once the meat is done, add all of the other ingredients along with two cups of water. Simmer for one hour. Serve in big bowls with lots of garnishes. The cabbage adds so much to this in flavor and fiber. Serves 8 to 10.
