a lightened up, one-pot wonder

One-pot meals are a wonderful thing.

I love the ease of "throwing" everything in one pot without an inkling of worry having to clean multiple dishes. One-pot meals are usually associated with the ole' crock-pot, but I myself am a huge fan of the braise (searing the meat before adds so much more flavor).

I didn't grow up with many casseroles or one-pot meals in my immediate household. My father liked to grill and we usually accompanied lemon, herb or barbeque chicken with a salad, vegetable and starch of some sort.

Because this one-pot notion is a bit foreign to me, I concocted my own one-pot meal perfect for sharing and not too heavy for the warm weather.

Turkey Chili with Scallion Crema

This chili boasts the rich flavors of traditional chili but is lightened with lean protein and fresh vegetables. Although considered a sin with Texas chili, red kidney beans are added for flavor, color and texture. Scallion crema cools the rich spice with a burst of crisp freshness.

Yields 6 servings.

1 yellow bell pepper, diced small

1 red onion, diced small

3 T extra virgin olive oil

1.25 lb lean ground turkey

2 T flour

1.5 t chile blend (I used local Pendery's Spices)

1 t cumin

1/2 t cayenne

1.5 t Spanish smoked paprika

one 10 oz can diced tomatoes & green chiles

one 15.5 oz can red kidney beans

1 c water

1 T brown sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Scallion crema:

1 c light sour cream

2 T scallions, sliced thin

1 T fresh cilantro, minced

salt to taste

fresh cilantro and sliced scallions to garnish

Began by sautéing yellow bell peppers and red onions in a hot Dutch oven with olive oil until vegetables are softened and translucent approximately 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add ground turkey and break up with a wooden spoon. Re-season with salt and pepper. Sauté until cooked through.

Meanwhile, whisk together flour and chili spices: chile blend, cumin, cayenne, smoked paprika. Add atop turkey and vegetable mixture and mix to distribute. Flour will aid in adhering spices to turkey and to later thicken chili when liquid is added.

After flour and spice mixture is added, mix in rinsed and drained kidney beans, crushed tomatoes, brown sugar and water. Raise heat and bring to a simmer for approximately 20 minutes.

While chili is simmering, make the scallion crema. Combine sour cream with sliced scallions, fresh cilantro and salt to taste (this will be your only additional bowl used in the cooking process).

To serve chili, ladle portion into bowl and top with a spoonful of crema, fresh cilantro and sliced scallions.

Enjoy, y'all !