A chili to guide you to autumn
The bulk of Single Adult Diner recipes are portioned for one person and can be made in 20 minutes or less.
However, there’s something to be said about making a big pot of chili on a Sunday so that throughout the week all you have to do is nuke a bowl for a protein-fibre-vitaminpacked meal in minutes.
We’re in that weird transition period between summer and fall. Food magazines and clothing stores are telling you to snuggle up with a bowl of stew while wearing a sweater, but in the real world, temperatures are still sweltering. Enter chili: synonymous with backyard barbe- cues and cook-offs, but hearty enough to keep you warm when temperatures inevitably dip.
Aside from serving it with bread, chili can be eaten as a meaty pasta sauce, taco filling, in a chili cheese dog, paired with fried eggs (think nonvegetarian shakshuka) or pour it over a bed of brown rice to build a Mexican-inspired rice bowl. Garnish with sliced avocado and cilantro. At a party, use it as a nacho dip. You won’t get bored, I promise.
My chili is packed with veggies, beans and lean turkey, yielding a protein and fibre-packed bowl that will fill you up and give you the energy to get in those last swims and volleyball matches for the summer. The chili’s flavours intensify overnight, so while you can eat this right after cooking, it’s so much better the next day. To make a vegetarian version, take out the ground turkey and swap in more beans (try chickpeas or pinto beans) and add more hearty veggies such as chopped celery, carrot and cauliflower. In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat oil.
Sauté turkey, onion, garlic, red pepper, mushrooms and corn until browned and most of juices have cooked off. Season with salt and pepper.
Add beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, cumin, Italian seasoning and cayenne. Continue cooking over medium-high heat, uncovered and stirring occasionally, to let juices from tomatoes seep out, about 20 to 30 minutes.
Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
Transfer to serving bowl, top with grated cheddar, if using, and serve immediately.
Alternatively, let cool to room temperature for two hours and refrigerate in a sealed container for up to a week.
Makes 6 servings. Other spices to try: Experiment with different spices and herbs to perfect your own chili. Cinnamon adds a sweet kick while paprika adds a mild spiciness. Adding torn cilantro leaves at the end gives it a TexMex spin while chives or green onion gives the chili an astringent, grassy taste. Chocolate chili? Chocolate chili con carne (chocolate with meat chili) is a long-standing flavour combo in Mexican cooking. The bittersweet taste of dark chocolate (shoot for 85 per cent) rounds out the spiciness of the chili. A pop of brown sugar also has a similar effect, adding a sweet undertone to the spicy chili. karonliu@thestar.ca