TURKEY PICADILLO WITH ANCHO CHILES AND BELL PEPPERS

This recipe doubles easily when cooking for a crowd. If ancho puree or powder is unavailable, use chili powder and add cayenne or hot sauce to taste.

Makes: 4 servings

1 pound ground turkey

1 small red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 can (15 ounces) diced fire-roasted tomatoes

¼ cup ketchup

2 to 3 tablespoons tomato paste

¼ cup homemade or bottled ancho chile puree (see note) or 2-3 tablespoons ancho chile powder

1 teaspoon pureed chipotle in adobo or ½ teaspoon chipotle chile powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon each: salt, oregano

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 ½ cups thinly sliced red, green or yellow bell pepper (or a combination)

⅓ cup each: dark raisins, thinly sliced green olives (with or without pimiento)

3 or 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Queso fresco or feta cheese, crumbled

12 to 16 corn tortillas, warmed

1. Put turkey and onion into 10- to 12-inch nonstick skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often and breaking up clumps, until turkey turns opaque, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute.

2. Stir in tomatoes (with their juices), ketchup, tomato paste, ancho, chipotle, cumin, salt, oregano and pepper. Mix well. Stir in bell peppers, raisins and olives. Simmer until peppers are crisp-tender, 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Serve garnished with cilantro. Pass crumbled cheese and tortillas for making tacos.

Note: For ancho chile puree, tear open 3 or 4 dried ancho chiles and discard seeds and stems. Put chiles into a bowl and add very hot water to cover. Put a plate inside the bowl to keep the chiles submerged. Soak until chiles soften, about 20 minutes. Drain off water. Puree chiles in a high-speed blender, adding fresh water as needed, to make a smooth puree with the consistency of thin ketchup. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and refrigerate covered up to two weeks.