A chili March day

[Edit: I usually only make half a recipe, so that's why I was able to use a shallow pan as in the following picture:]

This week was an abnormally dark and dreary one in San Antonio. The best sort of remedy to cure the glooms and chills? "Chil"-i. Get it? Ha. Well, at least Linda thought it was funny.

In all seriousness, this is one of my favorite recipes which I stole from Food Network's Rachael Ray. I've made it over and over again and haven't gotten bored with it (which is easy for me to do). It's a one-pot wonder--i.e., you don't have to dirty a million dishes for this one. And it's tasty, fast, and satisfying. It also goes with everything.

Here's the recipe (sorry I'm short on words today--I'm late getting this post out, so I wanted to do it, but it's also time for bed):

This is the way I ate it this week--oven fries on the side, sour cream, cheese, and green onions on the top. I've also eaten this with corn fritter toppers, tortilla chips (my roommate Linda's favorite), or just plain. It's good any way you eat it, and you can adjust the seasonings to suit your taste. I don't measure anything exactly; I use Rachael's "measurement" methods and also add more of whatever I think needs adding at the end. It comes out different every time, which is just the way I like it.

Indian Summer Turkey Chili

Adapted from a recipe by 30-Minute Meal Queen Rachael Ray

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan

2 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey (or other lean ground meat)

4 tablespoons dark chili powder, 2 palm fulls

2 tablespoons grill seasoning blend, 1 palm full

1 tablespoon cumin, 1/2 palm full

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (or however you say it)

1 to 3 tablespoons hot sauce, whatever your heat tolerance is

1 large onion, chopped

2 large bell peppers, any color combination, chopped

1 cup chicken broth

1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce

1/2 cup smoky barbecue sauce

2 cups corn kernels, optional (I never put these in because I never have them, but you can if you want. You could also add the beans of your choice if you like beans in your chili.)

Heat a pot over medium to medium high heat. Add EVOO, 3 turns of the pan, and the turkey meat. Season the meat with chili powder, grill seasoning, cumin, Worcestershire, and hot sauce. Break up the meat into small crumbles or chunks.

Brown meat 5 minutes, then add onions and chopped bell peppers and cook 10 minutes more. Add broth and deglaze the pan, scraping up drippings. Add tomato sauce and barbecue sauce and bring to a bubble. If using corn kernels and/or beans, add them now. Let chili simmer 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings and heat level to your taste. Remove from heat and serve.

Serves 8-10