Wow I have really been out of commission lately, food-wise. About three months ago, I started travelling for work, and haven't stopped since. I went to the Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Germany, France, back to the Netherlands, all of which was preceded by yet another 2-week trip in Taiwan, which got extended to 4 weeks... I'm literally sitting in bed in a hotel room in Hsinchu (somewhere in Taiwan) right now, where I will be staying for 3 weeks, if the trip doesn't get extended... So yeah, I've been away from my home and my kitchen in San Diego for 3 months, and have thus found myself plunged into a culinary creative black hole. And what do I do when I can't think of what to cook? I make chili! I managed to steal away a half day in a kitchen in San Francisco to make some after my Europe trip and before my Taiwan trip... I'm honestly so exhausted...
On another note, I have always had a sensitivity to simple carbohydrates (in high school, I ate too many and got paralyzed because of it >__<). I started eating a more meat-heavy diet, but have gradually re-introduced carbs to my life, but now they are coming to bite me again, ugh. My doctor told me to avoid diabetes by avoiding fatty liver by avoiding, you guessed it, simple carbohydrates (Kill me). I've never much cared about my health, but I do care, especially after all this time away from my kitchen, about a future full of going to dialysis every day and spending yet more time outside of the kitchen, and so I am consenting to living this terrible life without carbs.
With this in mind, I added cauliflower (since I can't eat anything with rice anymore) to the chili, as well as a double portion of meat in the hopes that a single bowl would be able to get me full. Unfortunately, I am a vacuous pit, and it still took 3 bowls to fill me up, even after pumping each serving full of cheddar cheese and sour cream... We'll see how long this "diet" lasts...
Butter Count: 3 Tbsp
3 Tbsp butter
2 yellow onions, diced
2 green bell peppers, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 Jalapenos, sliced into rounds
2 lbs ground turkey
1 cauliflower, florets separated and roughly chopped
4 Tbsp chili powder
3 Tbsp paprika
3 Tbsp garlic powder
3 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 28-oz can whole, peeled tomatoes
1 16-oz can black beans, drained
4 cups chicken stock
1. Heat the butter over high heat. Add the onions and cook until they begin to brown. If they get a little burned it's fine. I actually prefer that - just dont let them get uniformly browned (this means they have caramelized, and it will make the chili sweet).
2. When the onions are fully softened, add the peppers, garlic, and jalapenos. Cook, stirring often to scrape off any sticking bit, until the peppers are hot but not softened. A little char on their outside is good, but not required.
3. Add the turkey, chopping it up with a wooden spoon, stirring often, and cook until browned all over (it's turkey, so it will most likely just be white all over. The point is that it should be cooked).
4. Add the cauliflower. Immediately add the spices in, all at once, and stir until everything in the pot is well-coated with the spices.
5. Add the tomatoes and stir. Bring the mixture to a boil, then add the black beans and stir. Bring the mixture to a boil again.
6. Add the chicken stock and stir, then reduce the heat and bring to a simmer. Cook about 3 or 4 hours until the mixture is thick and the tomatoes are completely broken down, scraping the bottom every so often. If a "spice skin" - that's my term for it - begins to form on the surface, stir it in (this actually helps the liquid to evaporate and the chili to thicken more quickly).
7. When ready, transfer to between 6 and 8 bowls bowls. Stir in like a cup of shredded cheddar (or less if you are normal) into each bowl. Garnish with fresh cilantro and a huge spoonful of sour cream, and squeeze a lime quarter over each bowl.
8. Uncontrollably devour the chili from all 6 bowls.