Szechuan Turkey Chili (Photo: National Turkey Federation)

YIELD: 8 servings

1½ lbs. ground turkey
1 tsp. canola oil
½ cup red bell pepper, diced
½ cup green bell pepper, diced
1 cup yellow onion, diced
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh gingerroot, peeled, minced
½ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1-15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1-15 oz. can kidney beans, drained
8 oz. tomato sauce
½ tsp. five spice powder
1 tsp. ground black pepper
2 Tbsps. chili powder
1 Tsp. wasabi powder
2 Tbsps. Asian chili paste
1 Tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
8 cups sticky rice, cooked
2 Tbsps. sesame seeds, toasted

1. Brown turkey in canola oil and drain. Reserve the liquid.

2. In the reserved drippings, saute the peppers, onion, garlic and ginger. Do not brown.

3. Add soy sauce, tomatoes, beans and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat.

4. Return cooked turkey to the stockpot. Stir in all other ingredients. Simmer for 1 hour over low heat.

5. For each portion, spoon 1 cup sticky rice into a large shallow bowl. Press rice to the edges and top with chili. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Recipe developed by Chef Instructor Larry Weiss, CCC, CEC, Western Suffolk BOCES, Huntington, NY. The Szechuan Turkey Chili recipe was the award winning soup recipe in the NTF “Turkey with a Twist” National Recipe Competition.