By Emily Weinstein, The New York Times
Halloween is coming, and with it the burning question of what to feed everyone to counter handfuls of miniature peanut butter cups (mmm) or multiple packets of Nerds Gummy Clusters (shudder).
Genevieve Ko and I are in complete agreement on the answer: chili. Saucy, sturdy and hearty — and inherently festive, too, since it’s a dish for gathering — chili absorbs the excitement and jittery exhaustion of the day better than any frozen nugget could. Make it ahead of time if you like, so you just have to heat and serve.
Try Genevieve’s new recipe, a fresh and very quick turkey chili. (Cornbread is never a bad idea either!)
1. Quick Turkey Chili
Can this be considered chili if it’s ready in half an hour? For a completely fresh take, yes — yes, it can. Right when it’s done, the kale, cilantro and peppers remain green as grass with a bright bite. The turkey is still tender and juicy, the tomatoes tangy and the spices tingly. Those distinct lanes of flavor merge if you keep the pot over low heat for an hour or more, or if you pack up leftovers and reheat them throughout the week. Thickened with lentils and a whole pound of kale, this chili is hearty with protein and fiber, making it as satisfying as it is satiating.
By Genevieve Ko
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- Grapeseed or canola oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 Hatch or Cubanelle peppers, seeded and diced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 serrano or jalapeño chile, seeded for mild if desired, finely chopped
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 pound frozen kale, thawed
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chiles
- 2 cups chicken broth, plus more if needed
- 1 (15-ounce) can lentils, drained and rinsed
- 1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped (including stems)
- Lime wedges, sour cream or yogurt, cheese and rice (optional), for serving
Preparation
1. Heat a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over high until hot. Add a very thin sheen of oil and swirl to coat. Add the onion and spread in a single layer. Cook, without stirring, until the bottoms are deeply charred, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Drizzle more oil into the pan. Add the peppers, garlic and serrano. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, 1 to 2 minutes. Push the vegetables to one side of the pot.
3. Coat the empty side of the pot with oil, and then add the turkey and spread it over that half of the pan. Sprinkle the turkey and vegetables with the chili powder, coriander and cumin. Cook, smashing the spices and aromatics into the meat and breaking the meat into tiny pieces, 2 to 3 minutes. The spices should smell toasted.
4. Add the kale and cook, stirring, until any liquid has evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chicken broth and bring to a boil. For a thicker chili, smash the lentils a bit. Stir in the lentils and return to a boil. Turn the heat down to maintain a simmer and stir in half of the cilantro. At this point, the chili is ready and will taste light and fresh with crisp green vegetables. You also can keep simmering it for hours over the lowest heat setting for a softer, stewier chili. If the mixture dries out, add more broth or water.
5. Serve the chili with the lime wedges, sour cream, cheese and remaining cilantro, over rice if you’d like.
2. Cumin Beef and Green Bean Stir-Fry
Borrowing from both Hunan and Indo-Chinese cuisine, this speedy stir-fry features a generous amount of crushed cumin seeds for their aroma and earthy flavor. While ketchup is commonly used in Indo-Chinese cooking to provide tangy sweetness, sriracha does double duty, delivering a spicy kick without needing to reach for the chile powder. Green beans are ideal here for their mild sweetness and crunchy texture, but any quick-cooking vegetable will work in their place.
By Zaynab Issa
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds, crushed (see tip)
- 3/4 pound steak, such as sirloin, boneless short rib, New York strip or rib eye, cut against the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices (see tip)
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
- 4 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 (1-inch piece) fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 12 ounces green beans, trimmed and halved
- Kosher salt
- Cooked jasmine rice, for serving
Preparation
1. In a medium bowl, combine steak, cumin, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Toss to evenly coat the steak. Set aside. (Steak can be marinated, refrigerated, up to 3 hours in advance)
2. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 3 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 teaspoon cornstarch with the garlic, ginger, sriracha, sugar and vinegar. Stir well to combine.
3. Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high. Once warmed through, add oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add steak and cook, undisturbed, until charred on the underside and still pink on the surface, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir and toss briefly, then transfer the steak to a plate.
4. Add 1/2 cup water to the pan to deglaze it, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits. Add green beans, season with salt and stir-fry until the green beans are crisp-tender and about 1 tablespoon of liquid remains, 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Return the beef to the pan and pour in the soy sauce mixture. Cook, stirring frequently until warmed through and thickened, about 1 minute. Serve immediately over rice.
Tips
To crush cumin seeds, use a mortar and pestle or briefly pulse in a spice grinder. (Another option is to chop the seeds on a cutting board or crush them under a skillet. Instead of cumin seeds, you can also use 2 teaspoons ground cumin.) To make the steak easier to slice, chill it in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Creamy Tortellini Soup
Store-bought, cheese-filled tortellini are immersed in an extra creamy tomato broth alongside Italian sausage and Tuscan (lacinato) kale, creating a hearty and comforting soup that comes together in 30 minutes. Paprika and dried fennel seeds give the soup an unexpected flavor profile that enhances the sweet creamy tomato broth. Kale is added in the last few minutes of cooking, ensuring it keeps enough of its bite. Lemon juice finishes off the soup, bringing a hint of brightness at the very end. Endless subs and additions are welcome for this recipe, with kale easily replaced with spinach, Swiss chard or cabbage. The sausage can be left out for a vegetarian option and the heavy cream can be subbed with whole milk or non-dairy cream for a lighter broth. And of course, the tortellini can be replaced with ravioli, which are basically the same thing, but shaped differently.
By Dan Pelosi
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Total time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound loose sweet Italian sausage or sausage links, casings removed (optional)
- 1 medium white or yellow onion, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried fennel seeds
- Salt and black pepper
- Crushed red pepper
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (28-ounce) can tomato purée
- 8 cups (64 ounces) vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 (9- to 10-ounce) package refrigerated or frozen cheese tortellini
- 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 bunch Tuscan (lacinato) kale, leaves stripped and chopped
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh basil
- 1 lemon, juiced
- Grated Parmesan, for serving
Preparation
1. If using the sausage, heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high (if not using sausage, heat the oil on medium, then proceed to Step 2.) Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon as you go, until it is browned, 5 to 9 minutes. Push the sausage to one side of the pot and spoon out any excess grease, leaving about 2 tablespoons behind.
2. If necessary, adjust heat to medium, then add onion, garlic, paprika, fennel, 1 1/2 teaspoons each salt and black pepper, and a pinch of crushed red pepper, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, until the onion is just softened and everything is fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it darkens, 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust heat to high, stir in tomato purée and stock, cover the pot and bring to a gentle boil, then add the tortellini and cook until tender, 2 to 3 minutes (1 minute longer if frozen).
3. Add the heavy cream, kale and basil, and cook, stirring, until warmed through and the kale and basil are just wilted, 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice. Stir to incorporate, then taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
4. Serve warm topped with plenty of grated Parmesan. Soup can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
4. Crispy Sour Cream and Onion Chicken
Picture sour cream and onion dip slathered on chicken cutlets, dredged in panko breadcrumbs, and fried until crisp like a potato chip, and you’ll envision this recipe. The marinade doesn’t just deliver flavor here: The lactic acid in the sour cream also keeps the thin chicken breasts juicy. Shower the crispy chicken with fresh chives and lemon juice, or, if you crave something creamy for dunking, pair it with a dip of sour cream, lemon juice and chives.
By Ali Slagle
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally (see tip) and pounded 1/8-inch thick, or use 4 chicken cutlets (don’t split or pound)
- Salt and black pepper
- 1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced chives (or 1 tablespoon dried chives), plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- Canola oil, for frying
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Preparation
1. Pat chicken dry, and season both sides with salt and pepper.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the sour cream, chives and 1 tablespoon onion powder. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and turn to coat. (Chicken can sit in the marinade for up to 8 hours. Refrigerate, then let come to room temperature before cooking.)
3. In a shallow bowl or lipped plate, stir together the panko and remaining 1 tablespoon onion powder; season with salt and pepper.
4. Working one at a time, press the chicken breasts into the panko, using your fingers to pack the panko onto both sides of the chicken, and place on a large plate or a sheet pan.
5. Line a plate with paper towels. Heat 1/8-inch canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Drop a piece of panko in: If it sizzles, the oil’s ready. Add a chicken cutlet (or two, if they can fit comfortably), and cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to the paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with remaining chicken, adding and heating more oil as needed, and removing excess panko from the pan with a slotted spoon.
6. Serve chicken with more chives and lemon wedges for squeezing.
Tip
Freezing the chicken breasts for 15 minutes to firm them up will make slicing them through the middle easier.
5. Sheet-Pan Shrimp Tikka
This quick, flavor-packed meal brings the smoky, tangy essence of tandoori-style cooking into the kitchen with minimal effort. The shrimp are marinated in spiced yogurt to infuse them with bold flavor before being roasted over a bed of vegetables in just minutes. Bell peppers and onions add sweetness and a bit of crunch, while a final blast under the broiler gives everything a slight char. Serve with warm naan, roti or fluffy basmati rice and a cooling raita for a complete meal.
By Zainab Shah
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste or finely grated ginger (from a 1-inch piece)
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste or freshly grated garlic (3 to 6 cloves)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Kashmiri chile powder or other mild red chile powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or other neutral oil, divided
- Salt
- 1 1/2 pounds large peeled and deveined shrimp
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 small red onion, cut into 1-inch wedges
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- Lemon wedges, for serving
- Naan, roti or basmati rice, for serving
Preparation
1. Arrange one oven rack closest to the broiler and another on the middle position. Heat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Marinate the shrimp: In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, ginger paste, garlic paste, ground cumin, garam masala, chile powder, coriander, turmeric, 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Set aside to marinate.
3. On a large sheet pan, toss all the bell peppers with the onion, the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, the cumin seeds and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Roast the vegetables until tender and lightly browned, 20 minutes. Remove the sheet pan from the oven and flip over any especially browned vegetables. Arrange a rack 6 inches from the broiler and set the oven to broil on high.
4. Place the marinated shrimp in a single layer on top of the roasted vegetables. Broil until the shrimp start to char, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully remove the sheet pan, flip the shrimp and broil for another 3 minutes.
5. Serve with naan, roti or rice, along with lemon wedges.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.