I start with ground turkey meat that I cook in a few table spoons of butter. I find that you need some fat and prefer real butter to oils or margarine. On a side note, I have a friend who cooks their chili meat in coconut oil - I've not tried that myself but I understand it can be somewhat strong. While the meat is cooking, I put a large can of crushed tomatoes and a 14 oz (or roughly that size) can of Hunt's Fire Roasted diced tomatoes into the crock pot which I set to low (I'll put it on high if I'm making it a 2-3 hours before dinner). Once that's going I drain and rinse a 14 oz can of organic black beans and let them sit to drain all the water out.
Back to the turkey - when it's almost done cooking, I add grated garlic, chopped onion, cumin, cayenne pepper, paprika, and chili powder then the black beans. I do not have an exact amount of seasonings, I dump the spices (eyeball what I prefer) then adjust to taste after everything is cooked. That gets mixed together and cooks a bit longer. Once it's browned I add the meat and beans to the tomatoes. This is the perfect time to do a little taste test to add spices to your preference. We are not super spice eaters, specifically due to L and C. One thing to try, which I did not do tonight, would be to add some cocoa powder, it makes the chili richer - it does not taste like chocolate! It is very good, keep in mind the color of the chili will be darker. If you've never tried it, you really should - you'll like it!
Once the chili is almost done, I add salt and pepper to taste.
When I put the chili in bowls, I add shredded cheddar cheese, avocado and sour cream. Very tasty!
