My Favourite Recipe - The Short (dis)Order Cook

Hi everyone, next up with their favourite recipe is Rachel Zenhausern, aka the Short (dis)Order Cook. She writes two blogs, the brilliant and funny Shipwrecked and Comatose and the wonderful The Essential Rhubarb Pie.

Hope you don't mind me using this one, Rachel!

She's from Mamaroneck, New York, and she's "a home cook, an amateur singer, dancer and actor, an equestrian, and a huge goofball", and she loves to cook, although she describes herself as "a bit of a bumbler in the kitchen". She enjoys experimenting in the kitchen and putting her own twist on other people's recipes. She also loves entertaining, but admits to being a picky eater and says she's a failure as a "foodie".

However, she loves all kinds of food and cooking for her husband who is apparently an even pickier eater than she is!

Here's an appropriate recipe for the time of year. She says, "This is as close to perfect as chili can get with three kinds of chili peppers, lots of meat, and layers of flavor.  Enjoy!"


Triple-Spicy Turkey Chili


Ingredients

6-8 dried chili peppers (such as arbol habanero, guajillo, costeno, or other dried pepper variety)stemmed, seeded, and broken into little pieces
1 cup boiling water
2 Tbl oil
1 onion, finely diced
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ancho chili powder
1 Tbl cocoa powder
2 fresh poblano peppers, finely diced 
1 1/2 pounds Ground turkey thigh meat
4 links pre-cooked spicy chicken or turkey sausage (such as chorizo or andouille) finely chopped.
1 28 oz can pureed tomatoes
1 15 oz can pinto beans
2 tsp salt 

Place the dried peppers in a small bowl.  Pour boiling water over them.  Let sit about 30 minutes to soften.  When they are soft, puree them in a blender with half of the soaking liquid.

In a large pan (I used a big saute pan, but a big saucepan will work nicely too) heat oil and add onion.  Cook until soft.  Add cumin, oregano, ancho chili powder, and cocoa powder.  Stir until onions are well coated and spices are very fragrant.  Add garlic and cook for another minute or two. Add the poblanos and cook until they begin to soften.

Add the turkey and sausage to the pot and brown the turkey well.

Stir in the pepper puree, tomatoes,  and salt. Mix well and then gently stir in the beans.

Simmer for at least an hour.


Serve with tortilla chips and plenty of grated cheddar cheese if desired.




With all the turkey hanging around at this festive time of the year, this would be an awesome recipe to try, don't you think?

If you would like to see your favourite recipe printed here in glorious Jeff-O-Text™ on the ol' blog, then send it to me via my Facebook page or my email  jeffie2k@gmail.com with any pictures or back story to go with it, along with a short bio, and I'll get it up here asap.