Turkey and Black Bean Chili

INGREDIENTS

1 pound dried black beans, soaked in cold water for 24 hours
1 batch homemade vegetable stock, see recipe
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 small dry chili, ground
4 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon safflower oil
2 pounds ground turkey meat
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 yellow onion, small dice
1 bulb of fennel, small dice
2 red bell peppers, small dice
4 cloves garlic, chopped fine
4 large vine ripe tomatoes, medium dice
1 large acorn squash (about 2 ¼ pounds, top cut off and seed cavity hollowed out
1 large butternut squash (about 4 ½ pounds), cut in half, seed cavity hollowed out
2 red bell peppers
2 yellow bell peppers
2 orange bell peppers
3 zucchini, split in half lengthwise and hollowed out slightly
4 portobello mushrooms, stemmed
2 cups cilantro, chopped semi fine
Juice of 1 lime

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 500F, and grill or indoor grill pan on medium high heat.
• Drain the soaked black beans and rinse with fresh cold water.
• In a large saucepot, add beans and vegetable stock, cover and cook for 2 ½ to 3 hours or until beans are soft and tender.
• Remove from heat and keep covered in a warm place.
• Heat a large sauté pan over high heat.
• Toast each type of seed separately for 1 to 2 minutes or until fragrant and color slightly darkens.
• Remove from heat and in a mortar and pestle, grind spices and dry chili into a fine powder.
• Add paprika to ground spices and mix well.
• Return pan to heat.
• Add 1 tablespoon of oil and cook ½ of the ground turkey
• Season with half the spices and black pepper and stir to break up any extra large chunks.
• Cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until turkey turns light golden brown.
• Remove to a mixing bowl, wipe out pan, and repeat with remaining turkey meat and spices.
• Drain off any excess liquid from turkey meat and reserve.
• In a separate large saucepot, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat.
• Once hot, add onions and sweat for 3 minutes stirring constantly.
• Add fennel and sweat for an additional 3 minutes.
• Add peppers and garlic and cook for 3 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Add tomatoes and gently stir to mix.
• Bring to the simmer, add turkey, and reduce heat to low.
• Cook covered on low heat for 10 minutes, after which the tomatoes will begin to release their liquid.
• Drain the beans from their cooking liquid but reserve ½ cup of the bean broth.
• Add beans and reserved broth to the turkey mixture and gently simmer covered for an hour.
• At this point, brush each squash, the peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms with remaining 1 teaspoon of oil.
• Roast each squash uncovered on a sheet pan for 1 hour or until flesh is just barely soft but not mushy.
• When squash is halfway done, place peppers in the oven and roast for 30 minutes or until skin starts to color and peels away from the flesh.
• Add zucchini to oven when squash and peppers have 10 minutes of cook time left and grill portobellos for 5 minutes on each side.
• Remove all vegetables from oven and grill and reserve.
• Once peppers have cooled slightly, peel skin away from flesh, cut top off pepper and discard seeds.
• Stuff each roasted vegetable with chili and arrange on a platter.
• Garnish with cilantro leaves, squeeze lime juice over chili, and serve.