Turkey Chili

This is what I would consider my best version of chili to date.  There wasn't any particular recipe to follow...just threw things together (we just got our CSA box over the weekend) and they all somehow worked.  I'm getting this all down now while it's still fresh in my head to help me remember how to recreate this later.

• about 1 to 1.25 lb ground turkey
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper
• 2 sweet peppers
• 1 ear corn
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 cans tomato paste (1 more can if you don't use the marinara)
• 1/2 jar Mario Batali's marinara sauce (making use of leftovers)
• 3-4 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tsp ancho chili powder
• 2 tsp smoked paprika powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp smoked bacon sea salt
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper powder

First, brown the ground turkey in 1 tbsp of the extra virgin olive oil in a deep pot.  Remove the meat and set aside.  There was a good amount of juice from the meat, which I drained but should have kept (something I'll do differently next time).  Heat the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil in the pot then add the onion, peppers, and mushrooms, sauteing until the onion is translucent.  Return the browned meat to the pot.  Mix in the spices then the marinara sauce and tomato paste.  This mixture can be a bit thick so add water in 1/2 cup increments to your liking.  The corn was added at the end as a bit of an afterthought, giving it a nice crunch and contrast from the rest of the ingredients.

This version is a little on the sweet side, reminiscent of sloppy Joe but not completely since it doesn't have the vinegary barbecue aspects.  We had this over small baked potatoes.  Now, if I only had the foresight to make cornbread...perhaps later this week when we have the leftovers, plus a dollop of Greek yogurt as a sour cream substitute.  Yummm...

Update 7/4/2011
Peel and cube (about 1/2 inch each) 1 Russet potato after adding the tomato paste to add another starch component.  The chili's ready once the potatoes are cooked all the way through.  It's SO good this way.