FRUGAL HALLOWE'EN/GUY FAWKES: CHILLI CON TURKEY, frugal, low-fat & salt, Vegan Opt

A KNOCK-OUT LOW-CALORIE, LOW-SALT CHILLI & BUDGET FRIENDLY, TOO

67goingon50's flagship Chilli con Turkey: 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 at home' Taster

updated 07.04-20; photo  13.10.18

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.  The chilli has been made dozens of times over the years with great success.

Leftovers freeze well but frankly are unlikely at any gathering.

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

Ingred:
   500gm/17.6oz minced turkey, breast or thigh
   scant tablespoon olive oil
   2 large onions, finely chopped (or roughly processed)
   2 garlic cloves, grated

   2 x 250gm/8.8oz passata OR 2 tins plum tomatoes, pureed
   1 further tin plum tomatoes, kept aside for later

   4 tbsp mild chilli powder OR

       3 tbsp mild chili powder + 1 tbsp hot chilli powder (67 used Roasted Mexican Spices**)
   1 med 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
   pepper & salt

     

   Garnish: chopped parsley

VEGAN OPTION: replace turkey with defrosted firm tofu squeezed nearly dry and 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.  (A potato masher will break up lumps.)
2. Add passata OR pureed pureed tomatoes (rinsing out containers and saving the juice) plus garlic; bring to the boil; reduce heat to med; cook 5 mins
3. Blend chilli powder, flour, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, paprika & chipotle pepper, incl soaking water, if using.   If not using chipotle pepper, add a few tbsp of meat juices and the tomato juices from the tins to make a smooth paste. Stir into the casserole until well blended 
4. Add rinsed, drained kidney beans
5. Cook over a med-low heat on stovetop or in an 180c oven for 1 1/2 hours 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 back 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 butter-free garlic bread, 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 your man finds this too mild, add finely chopped chillis to his portion.

*Waitrose

**Boots: holiday bottles 
***M&S

Please leave a Comment in the box below

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