Turkey Chili (Aloha Aina Cafe)

I had a pound of ground turkey breast in the refrigerator and a hankering for some chili so I decided to try this recipe from By Request, The Search for Hawaii's Greatest Recipes, by Betty Shimabukuro, a columnist for the Honolulu Star Bulletin newspaper. This little cookbook is a collection of the most popular recipes requested by the readers. This chili recipe comes from the Aloha Aina Cafe in Wai'anae. I only ate there once, a couple of years ago, but it is a cute little place--an off-shoot of an organic farm with simple, good food.

Aloha Aina Cafe Turkey Chili

1 lb ground turkey

1 1/2 to 2 cups chopped yellow onion

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

4 cloves garlic, minced or 1 tsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp fresh chopped oregano

1 Tbsp cumin powder

1 cup canned pinto beans

1 cup canned black beans

1 1/2 cups tomato sauce

2 Tbsp chili powder, or to taste

Salt & pepper to taste

Brown turkey and onion in vegetable oil. Add garlic, oregano, and cumin; saute. Add beans, tomato sauce, and chili powder. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.

Serves 6-8

That's all there is to it--about 30 minutes to a quick basic turkey chili. I used ground turkey breast, olive oil instead of vegetable oil and added some chopped cilantro as it's my favorite herb. Not the world's fanciest or best chili but good overall flavor and excellent over a scoop of brown rice.