Fred's Spicy Turkey Chili

A long time ago, I remember my Dad occasionally calling me “Freddy boy”. Not sure how or why that name was picked. Wilson, John and Ajoy Joshi (my best friends in college, now great chefs in Australia) got wind of it and started calling me Freddy. So the name stuck for a while.

When I came to the US in 1993, I never really told anybody about my “other” name. That is, until a few years ago when I did some volunteering at an assisted living facility in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. There my older friends (most of them were 80-100+ years old!!) found it difficult to pronounce (or remember) my real name; and therefore I became “Fred the Volunteer”. They knew it wasn’t my real name; but were happy with my adopted name because they could remember it. Fred was their Monday night “bingo caller” and I had such a wonderful time with Vern and many others who looked forward to (and regularly attended) the bingo nights.

The hardest part of working in the assisted living facility was that I never knew if I would see my friends the following Monday. Sometimes they would go to the hospital for a procedure or emergency, never to return.  Sometimes they just never woke up. When I walked into the lobby I used to look at the piano in the corner. When any of the residents passed away, there would be a red rose along with a small card with the name of the person being remembered. I started losing my friends one at a time. One day Vern was gone too. After a year or so, I somehow got away from volunteering. Perhaps I should start again next year. It was truly an enriching experience while it lasted.

Anyway, to continue my “Fred” story… Nadine, one of the Admins at my workplace could never seem to remember my name and kept calling me Sathish (another Indian who used to work on the same team). One day I told Nadine to just call me “Fred” just to make it easier for her; but on condition that I call her “Jill”. So it became a joke between us and although she finally learned my real name she calls me Fred occasionally.

Yesterday we had a holiday potluck at work and I volunteered to make a spicy Turkey Chili. Nadine loves Chili and so in her honor, I called my chili “Fred’s Chili”. Although I do not make Chili very often, I think my concoction came out pretty good. Or so they said. Anyhow, Fred’s Chili was devoured to almost the last drop. Nadine took home the very little that was left!!

RECIPE: FRED’S SPICY TURKEY CHILI

Prep time: about 20 minutes

Simmer time: about 2-3 hours

Serves about 10-12

1.25     Pounds lean ground turkey

1          Pound Jimmy Dean’s sausage (or just use more Turkey)

5          cloves garlic (peeled and chopped)

1          Onion (diced)

2          tablespoons oil

Salt to taste

Note: remember that the sausage, beans, and salsa etc. already have salt in them, so don’t add too much extra salt

Spices:

1          tsp. ground black pepper

1          tsp. cayenne or hot chili powder

2          tsp. paprika

1          tsp. ground cumin

1          tsp. oregano

¼         tsp. basil

Tip: alternatively you could use a store bought Chili seasoning mix which contains cumin, garlic, oregano, basil, pepper etc.

1          28-oz. can crushed tomatoes

1          small can tomato paste

2-3       ounces Red wine (optional)

1          tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1          15.5-oz. can pinto beans (drained)

1          15.5-oz. can kidney beans (drained)

2          Cups hot salsa (I used a Lime and Garlic Salsa I found at Wal-Mart)

1          cup bell pepper, diced

6          Jalapeño pepper rings chopped

1          tablespoon brown sugar

1          tablespoon unsweetened/semi-sweet chocolate chips (helps to mellow down the heat)

            A pinch of Asafetida (helps to bring out the flavor of meat)

Method:

Step 1: In a large pot, heat oil and brown the onion really well.

Step 2: Lower heat and add chopped garlic and sauté for a minute taking care not to burn the garlic.

Step 3: Add, ground turkey, sausage meat, salt and pepper. Increase heat and brown the meats very well. Now add the other seasonings such as cayenne /chili powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, and Basil or the store bought Chili seasoning and sauté for 2-3 minutes.

TIP: At this point I usually transfer the browned meats to a crock pot for slow-cooking the Chili.

Step 4: Add all remaining ingredients. Mix well. Add a cup or so of water to prevent the Chili from scorching. Cover and cook on low/simmer for a good 2-3 hours or for at least an hour if you are in a hurry.

Serve hot with crackers, sour cream etc.

Storage: Leftover chili (if you are lucky to have some) can be stored in a freezer-safe container and kept frozen for a few weeks. Reheat Chili thoroughly before serving.