Sasha's Kitchen: Superbowl Special - Turkey Chili

I really haven't eaten a lot of chili over the years - I guess I generally assumed I wouldn't like it with all those beans. But, last weekend we went over to a friends' house to watch the Jets-Patriots game and they made a delicious turkey chili. I did eventually get the recipe, but not before I attempted to replicate it with my own recipe. Remarkably, the two recipes were quite similar, and I have come up with this fusion that I will share as the perfect Super Bowl recipe. I really love the use of turkey in chili, as it is much healthier and more to my liking than the traditional meats used in chili. In addition, the toppings here are key - I used nonfat sour cream, grated cheddar cheese and sliced avocado as the toppings here, along with some tortilla chips of course. The tomatoes and beans are all from the delicious shipment of canned goods that I got from ShopRite. So this is the perfect recipe to watch the big game!

Sasha's Turkey Chili
1 T olive oil
2 medium onions, diced
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 lbs lean, ground turkey
1/4 cup ancho chili powder
2 bay leaves
1 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 28 oz can of while tomatoes
2 1/2 cups of low sodium chicken stock
15 oz can of white beans
15 oz can of black beans
handfull of chopped cilantro
top with grated cheddar, diced avocado and fat free sour cream

To make the chili, first heat the oil and saute the onions until light brown and tender, which should take about 10 minutes. I also added a bit of fresh red pepper here, but I think it didn't really need that. Add the oregano and cumin and stir. Increase to medium high heat and add the ground turkey, stirring to cool, and breaking it up into small pieces. Stir in the ancho chile powder, bay leaves, cocoa powder, cinnamon and a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Puree the can of tomatoes and mix in the chicken stock and the tomatoes. 

Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Towards the end of the simmering (it will reduce, like risotto), discard the bay leaves, and add the two cans of beans and simmer until the flavors are mixed together. You will want to be sure to drain and wash the beans before adding them. Serve warm, with fat free sour cream, chips, sliced avocados and grated Vermont cheddar.