Aside from a little minor chopping, this is basically a “dump-it-in” recipe, a nice change after the cooking-intensive holidays. It’s thick enough to serve sloppy joe style if you prefer. We like ours with a sprinkle of grated cheese and a cast iron skillet of cornbread on the side. Double or triple the recipe for a crowd.

Black Bean Turkey Chili

1 T. vegetable oil
1 chopped onion
4 cloves chopped garlic
1 or 2 T. chili powder
1 or 2 tsp. ground cumin
1 lb. lean ground turkey
2 T. chopped roasted poblano peppers
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
15 oz. can black beans
12 oz. can tomato paste
1 1/2 T. molasses
1 T. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Saute onions and garlic until tender. Add the turkey and cook, stirring frequently, until the turkey is cooked through. Add chopped peppers, chili powder and cumin–(I like 2 T. chili powder and 2 tsp. cumin but season to your family’s taste). Dump in the tomatoes (undrained), the beans and the tomato paste, the molasses and the balsamic vinegar. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat until hot and the flavors have had a chance to develop, about 15-20 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 2-3 large bowls or 4 smaller bowls.

Note: You can substitute 1 T. canned jalapeno peppers or any source of heat (a few dashes of hot sauce, extra cayenne pepper, etc.), for the poblanos.