Ground Turkey Chili with Black Beans

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Black beans and turkey help to nourish the kidney yang. This is another warming and nourishing recipe, great for cold winter nights. The recipe is adapted from Marjie Lambert’s The Real Chili Cookbook, p. 60.

2 dried ancho chilies
2 dried anaheim chilies
1 lb. ground turkey
1 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 fresh jalapeno or serrano chilies, minced
1 15 oz. can tomatoes, chopped
3/4 tsp. dried sage
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 15 oz. can black beans
1 tsp. salt (more to taste)

Cut the dried chilies in half and remove the stems and seeds. Put them in a small heat-proof bowl. Pour 1 cup boiling water over the chilies, making sure all parts are immersed. Leave chilies to soak about 30 minutes while you prepare other ingredients.

Crumble and brown the turkey in a skillet. Drain the fat if needed. Put the turkey in a large sauce pan with the chicken broth and simmer.

Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the onion and celery for 5 minutes. Add the vegetables, along with the
fresh chiles, tomatoes, sage and oregano. Let the turkey simmer. Pour the dried chilies and their soaking water into a blender or food processor. Puree until a thick red sauce forms. Strain the sauce to remove seeds and bits
of skin. Discard the solids. Add the sauce to the turkey. Simmer the turkey 15 minutes, adding water or chicken broth if needed. Add the beans and salt to taste, heat through and serve.

Makes 4-6 servings.