Turkey Black-Eyed Pea Chili

Cooking one dish that results in multiple meals can be very convenient, but it can also get boring. At least, that was my experience with this turkey chili. I made it last Sunday night (I should have posted the recipe then) and by Friday I was tired of eating it. It actually wasn't terribly exciting to begin with - it might have been because I used turkey instead of beef, or maybe the flavor just needed to be "kicked up" a little. Overall, I think this is a good base recipe, but next time I will use beef and some additional seasoning. The recipe below is adapted from Clean Eating magazine and represents the changes I made this time, not what I would change in the future:

Turkey Chili with Black-Eyed Peas

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 large carrot, diced
1/2 large onion, diced
2 sticks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
1 yellow pepper, seeded and diced
optional: 2 jalapenos, seeded and diced (I omitted)
3 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 cups black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained (either dry/soaked or canned)
1 14-oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 tbsp. tomato puree
2 1/2 to 3 cups water
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
optional: hot sauce (I omitted)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large ovenproof pot, heat half the olive oil over medium heat. Add turkey and brown for 5 minutes. Remove turkey from pot, set aside. Add remaining oil and saute carrot, onion, celery, garlic, peppers, chili powder, and cumin for 10-15 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Return meat to pan and stir in black-eyed peas, tomatoes, tomato puree, and water. Bring to a simmer.
2. Remove pan from burner and place in preheated oven for 2 hours. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce (if using) to taste.
   

Here are my thoughts for future adaptations:

• Use lean ground beef instead of turkey
• Use shredded chicken instead of turkey
• Add additional cumin
• Use the jalapenos as directed or add cayenne pepper
• Increase garlic
• Increase the amount of tomato puree
• Use chicken or beef stock in place of some of the water
• Garnish with cheese, sour cream, and/or baked tortilla chips (especially when eating as leftover)
  

Anyone have suggestions on (healthfully) improving this chili or changing it up when eating it the second or third time?