Turkey Chili with Corn and Black Beans

I’ve been suffering from a terrible case of writer’s block recently. Stories about lassi and poppers spark in my brain but fizzle in my fingers, refusing to type themselves into coherent English. I get distracted by the best show ever and thoughts of shopping and taxes and spring flowers and cooking and cravings.

But somehow, something prevents me from sharing my adventures with you. I want to, I really do. Every night, I sit with my laptop, hoping for inspiration to come. I write one sentence, then another, then read them over, only to find utter drivel. Phrases flop and flounder, never quite finding their place — that crystal clarity that comes from a well-woven sentence. I read voraciously, everything from favorite blogs to newspaper articles to Anna Karenina, expectantly waiting for some of that greatness to rub off on me. I even ordered My Life in France, calling upon the great Julia Child to be a pinch-hitter and knock my writer’s block out of the park. (I’ve been watching a fair amount of baseball during this downtime too.)

Nothing seems to work. Granted, I got my Julia Child book a week and a half ago and haven’t opened the box yet, but minor detail. I try to take my mind off of it, and instead think of other things. But I really like to think about food, and I really like to talk about food, and when you’re constantly thinking about food and talking about food, it’s really hard to forget that all of a sudden, you can’t write about food. For the life of you.*

Thankfully, I haven’t stopped doing things or trying things. Spring is kind of sort of tiptoeing its way in, which means more time for me to enjoy the city. I really want to tell you about the awesome things going on in the kitchen and elsewhere (three words: luscious lemon bars. They broke my “diet” this weekend. And I don’t even like lemons). I want to, I really do. But I just don’t know how.

So instead I’ll talk about turkey chili. While this beef chili may be the only recipe you’ll ever need, turkey chili is a nice, lighter addition to your chili repertoire. It’s a late-winter kind of meal, for those days when it’s not quite cold enough for the scarf-hat-gloves combo, but you still need your winter coat. Black beans and corn give it almost a Mexican style, and the beer, as Emeril might say, kicks it up a notch. While I take issue with seasonings blends (I blame Tom Colicchio and his attitude towards green-tinned Jambalaya spices), I caved and added some here, because my aunt had a half-packet left from 1985 … we’re not sure when … and she decided it had to go. The chili was spicy and sharp, warming enough to tide you over until the sunny days of spring.

*After going through a period of intense stress about actual important things, recently, I’ve been inventing problems to fill the void in my new-found relaxed life. I obsess over the number of calories in the chocolate cupcake I just downed (I’m on a “diet”) or the fact that I can’t seem to write anything worth reading on a blog that was meant to be a leisurely past time. Sometimes I think I’m too Type A for my own good.

Also, if anyone has some tips on how to beat writer’s block, please (please!) send them my way!

Turkey Chili with Corn and Black Beans

Adapted from Rachael Ray and Bon Appétit

– 1-1/2 small onions, chopped

– 1 tablespoon dried oregano

– 2 tablespoons cumin

– 1 pound lean ground turkey

– 1-1/2 teaspoons cayenne

– 2 teaspoons paprika

– 2 teaspoons garlic powder

– 1 tablespoon hot sauce

– 2 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce

–  3 tablespoons chili seasoning (we used McCormick’s Hot)

– 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

– 1/2 bottle beer (I used a Yuengling Black and Tan because that’s what I had on hand, but another stout or even a crisp lager would work well too)

– 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes

– 1 14.5-ounce can black beans

– 1 14.5-ounce can whole corn kernels

– salt and pepper, to taste

1) Coat the bottom of a large pot with olive oil. Saute the onions on medium-high heat with the oregano and cumin until they are clear.

2) Add the turkey, paprika, garlic powder, hot sauce, Worchestershire, chili seasoning and crushed red pepper and mix well. Break the turkey into pieces using a wooden spoon and cook until the turkey is browned.

3) Deglaze the pan with the beer, scraping up anything stuck to the pan. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until the alcohol has cooked off. Add the tomatoes, beans and corn and crush the tomatoes with the wooden spoon.

4) Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt and pepper as necessary. Simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, jalapeño slices, etc.

[print in PDF form]