Three bean chili

The weather has finally gotten cold (by Texas standards) and that means only one thing - chili. There is nothing better than a great bowl of hot chili on a cold fall night. Add in some beer and football and that, in my opinion, is the definition of fall. After weeks of eagerly waiting for the first real cold front so I could whip up a batch of chili, it finally came.

Although many Texans will tell me my chili ain't real chili, since it has beans (three kinds actually) I think it is pretty dang good. I adopted this recipe from a three bean vegan chili I found a recipe for years ago;  however, aside from containing three beans, it has no resemblance to that recipe now.

One of the most important components to chili, in my opinion, is the spice. We like a lot of heat. So here is my star: the jalapeño.

I chop the jalapeño and leave in the seeds, but you can also de-seed the pepper and take out the membrane to make it less spicy. But really - why would you want to do that?!?!

Next chop up some bell peppers, onion and garlic.

Mmmmm....looks so yummy! Brown up some ground turkey and then throw all these wonderfully colorful veggies in with the turkey to sauté for a few minutes.

Next, toss in some canned tomatoes, tomato paste, water and the three beans (drained and rinsed) and bring to a simmer. Don't forget to add in your spices as well. I use chili powder, paprika and cumin.

This is one of my favorite parts of the chili making. Leaving the pot simmering on the stove for an hour or so, making the entire house smell warm and delicious.

While the chili is simmering, I typically whip up some cornbread to serve with the chili.

Deciding when chili is done is really just a judgement call - the longer you simmer chili the more flavorful it will get. If you have all day, you could let it simmer all day; but most of us don't have that luxury. Typically I give it an hour.

I serve the chili topped with shredded cheese and cilantro. If you are cilantro lover a heaping serving of cilantro is really key with this chili. However, if you are one of the small percentage of people that think cilantro tastes like soap - then obviously you should pick another topping.

So delicious, warming and healthy! AND it makes a lot. It is impossible to only make two servings of chili. So after hubby and I have had our fill there is plenty left for the rest of the week! YUM!


Three bean chili recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 can black beans
• 1 can red (kidney) beans
• 1 can garbanzo beans
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 green or other bell pepper, diced
• 1 onion (red or other) diced
• 5-8 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 jalapenos diced
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 2 cans water
• Cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt - to taste
• Cheddar cheese, grated 
• Cilantro, chopped

1. Rinse all three beans in a strainer, set aside.
2. Brown ground turkey in pan sprinkled lightly with cumin, chili powder and paprika. 
3. Add in bell peppers, onion, garlic and jalapeno - sauté for 2-4 minutes over a medium heat. 
4. Add diced tomatoes (with juice), tomato paste and 1 can of water. Add in beans, and seasonings to taste (do not be shy with the chili powder). 
5. Simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally and adding water/spices as needed.
6. Top with cheese and lots of cilantro.