Simple Turkey Chili

I must say...I am VERY proud of my husband and his recent eating habits! This past January, he and some of his co-workers launched their own "weight loss challenge" at work--they have goals that they have to reach every couple of weeks and so far, Marcus has done remarkably well! (Don't get me wrong...he's not "obese" by any stretch of the imagination..I don't want him to read this and think that I'm bashing him on here! He's just gained a "few extra pounds" since we got married!) I was a bit skeptical at first, because he very much enjoys his carbs, sweets, etc, but we've been working together to eat healthier as a family and I've been trying my hardest to experiment with healthier recipes. He has asked me a few times about trying ground turkey, so I went in search of recipes that I knew would appeal to him. He's always been a big fan of my chili, so I thought perhaps he would enjoy a "turkey chili". Some reviewers of this recipe suggested that you add an extra can of beans to make it less "soupy", so I did just that--I actually used two cans of mild chili beans, instead of kidney beans. To be completely honest with you, I have always had myself convinced that I did not like ground turkey--I literally felt sick just thinking about eating it. Don't ask me why, because I love turkey...it's just the idea of ground turkey that's always made me gag! This chili, however, was surprisingly good! When I tried it, I was expecting to tell a noticeable difference, but I really didn't! It definitely tasted different than the chili I ordinarily make, but only because of the differences in spices. The chili does have a bit of a "kick" to it, so if you prefer food less spicy, I would opt to reduce the amount of chili powder!

Simple Turkey Chili

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
2 cups water
1 (28 ounce) can canned crushed tomatoes
1 (16 ounce) can canned kidney beans - drained, rinsed, and mashed
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Place turkey in the pot, and cook until evenly brown. Stir in onion, and cook until tender.

Pour water into the pot. Mix in tomatoes, kidney beans, and garlic. Season chili powder, paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes.

Source: Allrecipes