Yummy cold-weather fare

Yesterday, I made a great low fat turkey chili. You may think that is impossible, but I think I have found a great way to add taste to recipes when using ground turkey, which really is bland. The secret is adding a couple of turkey (or chicken) bratwursts for every pound of ground turkey. It really punches up the flavor. It won't make it look like beef, but it really improves the flavor.

Find it in the fresh meat counter at your grocery store. It is ground and in casings. You will need to take the meat out of the casings and brown it up with the ground turkey.

My recipe:

Turkey Three-Bean Chili

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground turkey
2 turkey bratwursts, removed from casings
1 finely chopped onion
1 finely chopped zucchini
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1/2 cup lentils, dried
2 cups water
1 can tomatoes
1 can black beans
2 cans pinto beans
4 tablespoons chili powder (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon cumin
Cilantro, for garnish
Chopped green onions for garnish

Brown onions and zucchini in oil. Brown meat. Add lentils and water. Simmer on medium low for fifteen to twenty minutes. Water should be be reduced and lentils soft. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer on low for about a half hour. Add chopped cilantro and serve with garnishes. This is great with corn chips and sour cream.