pumpkin, turkey and black bean chili with cornbread

i held onto this recipe for about a year...i am not sure why i didn't give it a go last fall but for whatever reason it was definitely not a smart one...i'm still suffering from the same deprived happy fun cook alone time...perhaps it was the 5 a.m. wake up call from a not too discrete 16 month old? whatever the reason, i finally made it last month and to my now well rested eyes it was incredibly tasty....once again, little foodie jr. gave it 2 chubby thumbs up.

this is a really perfect fall dinner. i ended up throwing it in the crockpot for convenience since i didn't want to have to be stuck home watching it on the burner...the crockpot seems the way to go these days with a busy monster in tow and staying indoors drives me/us to insane limits.

the first time i made it i bought the ready made trader joes pizza dough (garlic and herb) and twisted them into breadsticks. they were great dipped in the soup. today, however its cornbread..seems just as yummy sopping up the juices!

enjoy!

pumpkin, turkey and black bean chili

1 small onion, diced
few cloves of garlic, minced *
1 pound ground turkey*
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tsp cumin*
dash of cinnamon
1 tsp dried oregano
1 large can diced organic tomatoes
1 can organic pumpkin*
1 can organic black beans*
s&p to taste
chicken, veggie or beef broth

saute the onion and garlic with a little olive oil in a dutch oven or pot.

add the turkey and brown.

add the spices.

at this point you just dump the rest in. the broth is there to add some liquid..enough to cover but not too much cause you don't want soup.

i then toss it all into a crockpot and put it on low all day..about 6 hrs maybe more maybe less depending on what you've got going on. a couple hrs. should do it.

if you keep it on the stove then put it on low for about an hour or so...the longer it stews the better the flavors meld and become more intense. just make sure it doesn't burn or get dry.

when its done ladle it out into a bowl...add some grated cheese, diced avocado and a little cornbread for sopping!


NOTE:
i use about a tbl or so
i have also used veggie crumbles in this as well and we really enjoy them...perfect for a vegetarian meal!
it may sound like a lot...i love cumin and so does little foodie jr....if you're not too fond try about a tsp
i use trader joes brand...tastes fresher than the regular stuff!...a fresh pumpkin would be great too. just make sure you buy the right kind of pumpkin to cook with...sugar pumpkins are the most common cooking pumpkin. they are smaller and fleshier with better flavor. you definitely do not want to use those pumpkins you buy at the pumpkin patch...those make some pretty tasty seeds though!
trader joes again...their canned black beans are yumm. no need for rinsing just dump them all in there..juice and all.

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this will first time that i've ever made these...i'll post the review of these and some pics tomorrow.
pretty standard cornbread recipe but again, i've been hanging onto it for awhile and decided today was the day.



cornbread cheese muffins

3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon organic cane sugar
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons melted Spectrum brand organic shortening*

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar; stir in cornmeal and shredded cheese. Make a well in center of dry ingredients; add beaten egg, milk, and the melted cooled shortening. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fill greased 2-inch muffin cups 2/3-full. Bake at 400° for 20 to 25 minutes, or until nicely browned. Makes about a dozen corn muffins.

*here is the link: http://www.spectrumorganics.com/


tomorrow night i'll be posting some pics of this meal as well as a little review for the cornbread muffins.