When I selected this recipe I had no idea that the "roast," portion of the recipe title was referring to what this recipe would do to my house. As many of you know I recently moved and with moving comes some joyful adjustments! For example, running into the wall as you get up to go to the restroom in the middle of the night because you have forgotten that the bed to bathroom location has changed. Or being told after you sign the lease that there is a bear, like a real bear, that lives in the greenbelt behind your house. Um say what!!

And last night brought about another learning experience dealing with smoke detectors. And in case you were concerned about my fire safety, fear not!! Because last night I tested those bad boys...not just once....nope not even just twice....but three times!! I am safe!! And my chiles were well roasted. For the record, I did not burn them, but when the recipe calls for roasting the chiles in the broiler with the door open...just don't...unless you want a billowing cloud of dark chili flavored smoke taking over your house and making you cough uncontrollably. Good times!!



So as you guessed it step one in this recipe involves roasting the poblano chiles. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet, put them in the boiler and roast until blackened 7-8 minutes, with the door open if you are following the recipe. However, in my experience I would recommend closing the door and if you do they may take a little longer to roast, but in the long run it will save you a lot of pain and suffering. Once they are roasted, place in a bowl and cover until they are cool enough that you can touch them.



Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the turkey and break into pieces, cooking for approximately 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the cumin, chile powder, oregano and cinnamon. I liked the hint of cinnamon in this recipe, it gave it a nice addition without being too overpowering.


Add the onion and garlic to the turkey mixture and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock, the beans, hominy and cornmeal. Add some hot sauce and simmer. On a side note, I used pinto beans, but the recipe said that great northern beans could be used as an alternative.


At first, I thought adding cornmeal to my chili sounded a bit odd, however when I googled it I discovered that it can be used as a thickening agent. And it worked well in this recipe.


Once the poblano peppers have cooled, peeled the skin and it should come off very easily if charred correctly. Next chop 2 peppers and add to the chili mixture.

Place the other 3 peppers in a food processor and puree with salt, pepper, chicken stock, cilantro and lime.






Add to the chili and continue to simmer until thickened slightly, 4-5 minutes.

The chili can be served with cheese, sour cream, radishes, onion, pickled jalapenos, toasted pumpkin seeds or pretty much anything else you want to toss on top. The sky is the limit and who am I to take away from your creativity?

Here is the actual recipe:

Ingredients:
5 large poblano peppers
2 T olive oil
1 lb ground turkey
salt and pepper
1 T ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ancho chile powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, grated or crushed
3 cups chicken stock
1 can pinto or great northern beans (14.5oz), drained
1 can hominy (15oz), drained
3 T cornmeal
Tabasco or mild hot sauce
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juiced

Toppings: Sour cream, toasted pumpkin seeds, radishes, chopped onion, crumbled cheese or pickled jalapenos

1. Preheat the broiler to high. Place the poblanos on a rimmed baking sheet and broil with the door ajar until the skins are blackened, turning once 7-9 minutes. Place in a bowl, cover and let cool.
2. Heat a large nonstick or cast iron skillet over high. Add the oil, two turns of the pan. Add the turkey and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up with a spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the cumin, chile powder, oregano and cinnamon. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, 2-3 minutes. Stir in 2 cups stock, the beans, hominy and cornmeal; season the chili with Tabasco and reduce the heat to a simmer.
3. Peel and seed the poblanos. Chop 2 poblanos into bite size pieces or strips. Coarsely chop the remaining 3 poblanos and place in a food processor; season with salt and add the remaining 1 cup of stock, the cilantro and lime juice. Pulse a few times to finely chop, then process into a thick puree. Add to the chili and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Serve the chili from the skillet into shallow bowls and top with toppings.

I thought this chili had a lot of great flavor and it wasn't too spicy or too bland. The roasted poblanos made for a smoky flavor and as I mentioned above the hint of cinnamon gave it a nice diverse flavor profile. This is a recipe that is even better leftover and it is just straight up coze for these chilly winter evenings...well since I am back in Cali...I guess a little less chilly than last winter in the Mitten, but still a little brrr cold. Cheers my friends and enjoy every moment of this holiday season!!