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brrr…its cold out there! the car told daniel that it was 20 degrees this morning @ 7:30. 20 degrees! there are rumors of snow in chico  and i’m keeping my fingers and toes crossed that we will wake up one morning this week and see white on the ground, but we’ll see…

when its cold outside, my tummy says it wants chili, so chili it is. i have an old stand by recipe that i made for the first time many many moons ago, and whenever i make it i try to switch it up and bastardize it a little and see if i can improve on the original. in this case, it was a success! i added chipotle in adobo, cinnamon, and unsweetened cocoa. i know the last two additions sound weird, but when you add a little of them to chili they add depth and a little something that makes you go, hmmmmm? chocolate and cinnamon are two vital ingredients in mole sauce, so its really not strange at all. trust me, i wouldnt lie to ya.

ground turkey and black bean chili

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

2t salt

2T olive oil

1 yellow onion, small dice

1 jalapeno, seeded and veins removed , minced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2- 2 lbs ground turkey

1T cumin

2t paprika

2T dried oregano

3T tomato paste

3c peeled and diced canned tomatoes

1/2 of a  beer or 1/2 c red wine (i used sierra nevada torpedo, any lager will work)

3 whole dried bay leaves

2T chili powder

1/2c h20

1T chipotle in adobo sauce

1/2t cinnamon

1T unsweetened cocoa

heat oil in a large soup pot or dutch oven over med heat. add onion and jalapeno and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. add garlic and cook 3 minutes. add ground turkey and cooked until almost done, 10 minutes or so. it will continue to cook while the chili bubbles away so it needn’t be completely done. add all the spices and cocoa and cook 2 minutes. add the chipotle in adobo, tomatoes and paste, beer or wine, and h20 and give it a stir. toss in the bay leaves. close lid up and bring just to a boil, then remove lid, reduce heat to med-lo/lo and let cook 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. you just want it at a low simmer, so if med lo is too high just knock the temp down a notch. if while cooking it becomes too thick for your liking just add another 1/2 cup or so  of h2o. we like ours stand-a- spoon-up- in- it thick, but this may not be your preference….

serve with cornbread, sour cream, shredded sharp cheddar, freshly diced onion, cilantro, scallions, crushed up fritos, or avocado slices.

**** this recipe is really easy to change up, you can substitute pinto or kidney beans, ground beef or beef chunks. if you prefer vegetarian, use pinto and black beans and you could add zucchini and carrots. really, anything goes. if you dont like the taste of chipotle, just leave it out. same goes with the jalapeno, if you are scared of a wittle heat, leave it out (wuss).