CHILLI CON TURKEY, low cal, low cholesterol, low salt & frugal

 A WINNING LOW-CALORIE, LOW-SALT CHILLI -- BUDGET FRIENDLY, TOO 

updated 2018

67goingon50's flagship Chilli con Turkey - intensely savoury but low-fat/salt/cholesterol with Ham, Chilli & Niblets Cornbread

'Another success - fiery and fulfilling. The beans & turkey were tender and spicy.  This recipe I will try' Taster

This is the recipe that started off 67goingon50 and has graced many a party table since 2015.

It's a real winner, especially for the budget conscious, producing a vat of intensely savoury chilli which scores high on both the taste and health meter.  It uses turkey, not beef, to reduce cholesterol and fat, and tinned tomatoes not salt-laden tomato paste to reduce salt.  And all without loss of flavour.

The chilli was the first thing the Blogger cooked for a Luncheon Club sponsored by the National Lottery.  Everyone was taken aback - in a good way! - not just by the taste but also by its heart and weight friendly qualities.  And by the low cost.  

Even better, no exotic ingredients are necessary (though if you like heat, dried chipotles* are a good addition to any store cupboard).

The recipe was adapted from one of the first modern gourmet chefs, Robert Carrier, from the 1960's. 67goingon50's copy of his cookbook - sadly out of print - is so battered, the publication name and date have vanished.  

Leftovers freeze well but frankly are unlikely at a gathering.

Cost: around £10 with carb, salad and garnishes
Serves: a crowd, or 6-8 as a main

Ingred:
500 g minced turkey
scant tablespoon olive oil in a spray bottle**
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced or grated

2 x 250 g passata and 1 tin plum tomatoes, OR 3 tins plum tomatoes, two of them pureed

4 tablespoons mild chilli powder OR for more heat, 3 tbsp mild chili powder and one of Roasted Mexican Spices***
1 dried Chipotle chilli, reconstituted in 2-3 tbsp water (opt).
1 tablespoon flour
2 bay leaves, crumbled
1/4 tsp powdered cumin
1/2 tsp oregano

2 tins kidney beans, rinsed and drained

up to a tablespoon of sugar
s&p

chopped parsley for garnish.

VEGAN OPTION: replace turkey with tofu mince from frozen defrosted firm tofu that's had much of the water squeezed out of it and has been processed to a rough mince

Method:

1. Spray olive oil in a large, flameproof casserole pre-heated over med high.  Add turkey and onions, stirring frequently until meat is crumbly and browned.  (Use a potato masher to break up lumps.)
2. Add 2 packets passata/tins pureed tomatoes (rinsing out containers and saving the juice) and the garlic; bring to the boil and simmer 5 mins
3. Blend chilli powder, flour, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, paprika & chipotle pepper, if using incl soaking water.   If not using chipotle pepper, add a few tbsp of meat juices and the tomato juices from the tins/containers to make a smooth paste. Stir into the casserole; the mix will be sloppy.
4. Add rinsed, drained kidney beans
5. Cook over a low heat on stovetop or in a 180c oven for 1 1/2 hours or according to Instant Pot directions until thick and rich.    
6. Add third tin tomatoes, cutting with a knife or scissors so that there are lumps of tomato within the sauce.  Check seasoning but salt sparingly. 
7. Add up to one tablespoon sugar to moderate acidity of tomatoes
8. Dig out the chipotle pepper; add a few spoonfuls of juice and blitz to a puree; mix into the beans & sauce 
9. Serve very hot, sprinkled with parsley, on rice, buttered noodles or mashed potatoes.  A separate dish of finely diced chillis goes down well.
10. For a party table:  serve with separate bowls of grated cheese, finely chopped red onion, avocado mashed with lemon juice and dried chilli, tortilla chips, and fincely diced fresh red chillis.

Comments:

'Another success - fiery and fulfilling. The beans were tender and spicy, as was the turkey. I didn’t know they made turkey mince. Wow I just ate the (hidden) chilli! Live emailing! This recipe I will try.  The cornbread with niblets was perfect.'   Political Agent

Tips:

1. If there are no health issues, squeeze in up to 2 tbsp tomato paste 
2. If your kids find this too hot, swirl in some yoghurt. 
3. If others find this too mild, add finely chopped chillis to his portion.
4. If you like this, you'll also like Southern Unfried Chicken, spicy tantalizingly crispy chicken -- baked, not fried. 

*Waitrose

**Boots: holiday bottles 
***M&S

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This recipe has been adapted by B Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission