Turkey and Black Bean Chili and Cornbread

After trying several chili recipes, I at long last created one that I really really enjoy.  So much so , that I entered it in a chili contest and won second place!

Turkey and Black Bean Chili:
4 lbs. ground turkey
4 Ancho Chiles
2 Poblano Chiles
1 Green Bell Pepper
1 Red Bell Pepper
2 Yellow Onions
1 Red Onion
10  Garlic Cloves
1 Can Tomato Paste
1 Quart Chicken or Beef Stock
1 Bottle of Beer ( I used Heineken)
1 Cup Diced Tomatoes
3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
3 Cans Black Beans (rinsed and drained)
1 Tbsp. Cumin
3 Tbsp. Chili Powder
1 Tsp. Oregano
2 Tsp. Cayenne Powder
1/2 lime (juiced)
Salt to taste

First brown the turkey and remove from pot until later. I used my Dutch oven to make this dish. In a small sauce pan bring 2 cups of water to a boil and turn off the heat once the water comes to a boil. Add the Ancho chilies to the pot and allow for them to sit for about 10 minutes or until they are reconstituted. Remove them from the pot and dice them, removing the stem and seeds. Place in a blender with a little bit of the water from the saucepan and blend on high speed to make a puree. Set aside for now. Drizzle a little olive oil in the Dutch oven. Begin dicing the onions and bell peppers and add to the Dutch oven once the oil is hot. Mince the garlic and toss into the pot with the onions and peppers. Once the onions and bell pepper are cooking a bit, begin roasting the Poblano chilies. I have a gas stove so I just turned on a burner and with a pair of tongs, roasted it on the burner until all the sides looked charred. Do the same thing for both chilies. Once the chilies are roasted, you can peel the skins- they come right off. Dice the chilies and add to the pot. Next add the spices: cumin, chili powder, cayenne, oregano and salt and blend with the veggies. Add the chicken or beef stock, tomato paste, and the bottle of beer. Using a fine mesh sieve, strain the Ancho chili paste from the blender into the pot and combine well. Reintroduce the ground turkey into the pot. Add the black beans and diced tomatoes and lime juice and allow the chili to simmer for about four hours before serving. Garnish with a little sour cream and serve with corn bread.

 For the Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread:
1 Cup Flour
1 Cup Corn Meal
1 Tbsp. Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 Cup Fresh Corn Kernels
2 Tbsp. Honey
1/4 cup Canola oil
1 Egg
1 1/4 Cup Plain Non-fat Yogurt
3 Tbsp. Butter
1/4 cup Water

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl and combine well with the exception of the butter which will be used in the pan. Next whisk all of the wet ingredients together and fold into the dry ingredients bowl. Take the butter and add to the cast iron skillet. Allow for it to turn into a golden brown color and remove from the heat. Once the mixture is blended well, transfer to the skillet and then place the skillet into the oven. Bake for 35 minutes.