Zoe Cuisine

Mole Chili

I love making chili in the slow cooker throughout the winter, but I burned out on my standard turkey version this season. I have been really into cooking with chorizo and chipotle peppers, so I decided to try out a chili that incorporated those smoky and spicy flavors. To balance out the heat, I added a little brown sugar and cocoa powder which are often added to Mexican Mole style sauces. These ingredients add a really nice depth of flavor with only a subtle sweetness in the background. This chili is packed with veggies, and the only fat comes from the meat which is drained before it is added. So overall this is actually a fairly heart healthy dish that warms the soul and the stomach on a cold New England night. Enjoy!

Mole Chili Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef, 80% lean 1 cup chorizo sausage, chopped in 1/4-1/2" chunks 2 15 oz cans fire roasted tomatoes 1 15 oz can plain tomato sauce, such as Hunts 1 15 oz can kidney beans, such as Goya 1 15 oz can black beans, such as Goya 1 cup frozen corn, thawed 1 cup carrots, chopped 4 chipotle chilis in adobo, chopped 2 tablespoons of adobo sauce 1/3 cup brown sugar 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, such as Ghiradelli 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 yellow onion, diced 1 red bell pepper, diced 1 poblano pepper, diced (optional, I added one because I had it already) 1 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Franks Red Hot 1 tablespoon chili powder 2 teaspoons cumin 2 teaspoons paprika Salt and pepper to taste Garnish - sliced scallions, sharp shredded cheddar, fresh lime juice, fresh chopped cilantro Instructions: Start by browning the beef in a medium frying pan over medium high heat. Once cooked through, drain off the fat and add the meat to the slow cooker. Clean out the frying pan and brown the chorizo in it until crisp, drain fat and add to slow cooker. Add diced onion, peppers, carrots and garlic to the slow cooker. Drain and rinse both cans of beans and add to slow cooker. Add the 2 cans of fire roasted tomatoes and tomato sauce. Add the chipotle chilis with adobo sauce. Add spices, brown sugar and chocolate. Cook on low for 5 hours. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add frozen corn. Cook for one more hour. Uncover for 15 minutes so some of the condensation that forms on top of the chili evaporates and it thickens. Serve with the garnishes of your choice.

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Slow Cooker Turkey Chili

2 cans diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 can black beans
1 can red kidney beans
1 small can sweet corn niblets
1 diced green bell pepper
1 diced red bell pepper
1 cup spicy V-8 tomato juice
4 cloves crushed garlic
1 medium chopped onion
1 lb. ground turkey meat
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 small can tomato paste
1 fresh jalapeno, diced with seeds removed OR 1 small can of diced jalapeno

Brown the turkey meat in a skillet, drain off fat and then add to the slow cooker.
Drain the beans and corn and add to cooker. Add diced veggies and all other ingredients. Mix thoroughly and cook on low for 6-9 hours. You will come home to a delicious and healthy pot of chili that should last you for days! I like to top with cheese and some chips for dipping.

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