Black Bean Turkey Millet Chili

I like to record our food successes here because sometimes I get in a food rut, this one was good because it hit the spot after playing out in the cold.  I also like the way the millet stretches the meat.

Just using what I had on hand and seeking advice from Foodily (thanks Gemina!) here's how I may want to recreate it again:

Day 1:  Soak (12-24 hours) a couple cups of beans in a glass bowl with a few Tbs. buttermilk (or you could use whey or lemon juice).

Day 2:  Rinse the beans and cover with fresh water in a crock pot.  Add an onion, few cloves of garlic, bay leaf and a splash of oil.  Cook on low for several hours - I filled to the max so it took almost 24 hours this time.  Now rinse 2 cups of millet and soak (12-24 hours) in a glass bowl with a few Tbs. of buttermilk and cover.  Start thawing out 1lb.  ground meat.

Day 3:  Strain the beans, set aside.  Strain and rinse the millet, set aside.  Chop 2 onions, 1 pepper, 6 cloves of garlic (actually I used more).  Heat a bit of olive oil in two separate pots, toss half the onions and garlic in one and the other half plus the chopped pepper in the other larger pot and saute.

In the pot without the pepper throw in the millet and allow it to toast up a bit with the onions and garlic, when it starts to stick go ahead and add 4 cups of water or broth and simmer down until you are happy with the texture (you may have to add more water), be sure to stir along the way to prevent sticking.

Meanwhile, cook the ground turkey in the other pot.  When it is finished reserve some in a separate bowl for Henry and George (or anyone else who is sensitive to tomato and spices).  Now add to the pot 1 large can of crushed tomatoes and 1 smaller can of diced tomatoes (Paul didn't like the chunkiness of the tomatoes but it was easy enough for him to avoid them, I liked them).  Also throw in 1 bay leaf, and season to taste with oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper.

One of the recipes suggested a splash of red wine vinegar but I did not try it this time because I forgot, I suppose it is to soften the acidity of the tomatoes.  Simmer for at least an hour.  At any point during the simmering you can gently stir in your cooked millet, just don't forget to reserve some separately for the little guys who can't have the works.

Top with what ever you have on hand.  In this case we were lucky to have a pint of sour cream from our dairy farmer and that may be what made it so good.  I also liked it with a sprinkle of cheese and avocado but would have also liked cilantro, lime and chips - next time.

Though it takes a few days to plan, it is worth soaking both the beans and millet because it enhances the flavor, nutrition and digestibility.  This got us through two dinners (and one quick breakfast for me!) this week and just like most chili tasted better as leftovers.

Now, here's something else that is worth trying on a cold day - tucking a dog in bed.