A Little Bit of Hot & Cold

Today was a REALLY cold day. We even had some snow falling this afternoon. It didn't stick around long though. It sure did make a pretty scene on the neighbor's trees. I am not sure if you can really see it in the picture, but I tried.

Tonight for dinner I decided to make something that would satisfy the "need for warmth" craving that I had. I also had to make something that would not cost me so many points! This Ground Turkey Chili was a winner for the family.

It was a really hearty chili but I wasn't too happy with the flavor. It called for 3/4 Cup of light beer and I was a little worried that it would mask the flavor of the chili, which it did. All I tasted was the beer. I would have also liked to kick up the heat a little bit too. It wasn't spicy at all. I like my chili with a lot of heat! Now I know to add more chili to the recipe.


Ground Turkey Chili

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 1/2 cups chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground turkey breast
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon chili powder (such as Mexene)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (16-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15.5-ounce) can small red beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5-ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained and coarsely chopped
3/4 cup light beer
1/3 cup hot brewed coffee

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Add ground turkey; cook 6 minutes, stirring to crumble. Stir in water and next 6 ingredients (water through tomatoes), and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in beer and coffee; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Source: Cooking Light, June 2003