Have you ever noticed that the nearer a country is to the Equator, the spicier the food is? It seems like hot food in hot weather makes people cooler and more comfortable. That’s logical, I guess!
As the weather heats up around here, I find that smaller portions of spicy foods keep me satisfied for hours. Salads are great, but I tend to eat more, and that’s just not a good thing in the summer.
As someone with Scandinavian background (where the stereotypical fare is bland and beige), I don’t want something spicy enough to blow my face off. Just food that is packed with flavour, interest, and a little bit of fun. Here is the perfect recipe!
Just a word about REAL Scandinavian food – not the stuff that shows up at church potlucks here in the Midwest – it is multi-cultural, loaded with fresh and colourful produce, and bursting with flavour. Just take a trip to Sweden or Norway, and you’ll see what I mean!
Speaking of hot weather, the last thing I want to do as the temperature rises is heat up the house with cooking. That’s why an electric pressure cooker is a dream-come-true for summertime. Begin browning the meat, and add the vegetables as you finish cutting them. Then toss in the seasonings, wine, and tomatoes, and seal it up. A quick 7 minutes on high, release the pressure, add the beans, and cook another 2 minutes. Bingo! Supper’s done, and you are still calm, cool, and collected!
PrintRed Hot Turkey Chili
- Yield: 8 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 large red onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
- 3 large carrots, chopped
- 3 large celery stalks, chopped
- 1 large jalapeño pepper, seeds and ribs removed, diced
- 3 – 14 ounce cans diced tomatoes (or one 28 ounce and 1 – 14 ounce – I like to use tomatoes with roasted garlic)
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 5 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp pepper flakes
- 1 Tbsp molasses
- 2 cans chili beans
Instructions
- Season the turkey with garlic powder, garlic salt, kosher salt, and black pepper, and brown until thoroughly cooked.
- Add the onion, carrots, celery, jalapeño, and garlic to the pot and cook with the turkey for a few minutes.
- Stir in the chili powder, cumin, pepper flakes, molasses, wine, and diced tomatoes. If using a pressure cooker, seal and cook on high for 7 minutes.
- (If cooking on the stove, cover and simmer one hour.)
- Release the pressure, and add the chili beans. Then cook on high for 2 additional minutes. Allow pressure to release slowly – about 10 minutes.
- (Stovetop, add the beans and cook another 15 minutes.)
- Serve topped with grated cheese, sour cream, onions, or whatever you like.
