If you’ve been paying attention, you know by now that when anything with beans is on the menu, it means my dad is out of town.

My dad is with the U.S. men’s water polo team at the world championships in Barcelona, so I got the expected mid day call from my mother requesting one of her favorite things. Chili. On a ninety degree day.

Most might think this is a ridiculous request, but she gave me life and she let me live at home for free. So mommy gets what mommy wants.

Turkey makes this chili a little lighter and as “summery” as chili can get. Allright, “summery” is probably a stretch, but it was really tasty.

You will need…

2 tablespoons olive oil,

2 onions, cut into ½ inch dice

3 bell peppers (assorted colors), cut into ½ inch dice

1 serrano chili, seeds and membranes removed and finely chopped

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 ½ lb ground turkey

2 ½ tablespoons chili powder

1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

¾ cup blonde beer

28-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes

15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained

15-ounce can black beans, drained

Salt and pepper to taste

Your favorite chili garnishes (cilantro, avocado, cheddar cheese, diced onions)

In a large pot, heat the oil. When the oil is hot, add in the onions and bell peppers and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened.

Add in the Serrano and garlic to the pot and cook until the garlic is fragrant.

Add in the turkey and cook, breaking up any lumps with a spoon, until the meat is white throughout, about 4 minutes.

Stir in the chili powder, paprika, cumin and season well with salt and pepper.

Add in the beer and bring the liquid to a simmer. Cook down the alcohol for 3 to 4 minutes.

Pour in the tomatoes and beans and bring the chili back to a simmer.

Simmer over medium heat until the chili has thickened. About 20 minutes.

Season well with salt and pepper and served hot topped with your favorite chili toppers.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Garbanzo and Black Bean Turkey Chili

2 tablespoons olive oil,

2 onions, cut into ½ inch dice

3 bell peppers (assorted colors), cut into ½ inch dice

1 serrano chili, seeds and membranes removed and finely chopped

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 ½ lb ground turkey

2 ½ tablespoons chili powder

1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

¾ cup blonde beer

28-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes

15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained

15-ounce can black beans, drained

Salt and pepper to taste

Your favorite chili garnishes (cilantro, avocado, cheddar cheese, diced onions)

In a large pot, heat the oil. When the oil is hot, add in the onions and bell peppers and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened.

Add in the Serrano and garlic to the pot and cook until the garlic is fragrant.

Add in the turkey and cook, breaking up any lumps with a spoon, until the meat is white throughout, about 4 minutes.

Stir in the chili powder, paprika, cumin and season well with salt and pepper.

Add in the beer and bring the liquid to a simmer. Cook down the alcohol for 3 to 4 minutes.

Pour in the tomatoes and beans and bring the chili back to a simmer.

Simmer over medium heat until the chili has thickened. About 20 minutes.

Season well with salt and pepper and served hot topped with your favorite chili toppers. 

So I have come to a conclusion. I have decided that a camera should follow me twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

Not because I’m super funny or interesting. Not because I’m profound or inspiring.

I need to be followed with a camera because my every day life is some of the best slapstick humor out there.

On any given day, I slip, trip, smack, bang and bump myself COUNTLESS times. I don’t even want to put a ballpark number on it because I don’t think that would do it justice.

Just yesterday, I got into work and went straight for my first morning project. The coffee. We have a wonderful coffee machine in the office, but you have to make sure the water stays above a certain level. As I took a full cup of water and tried to move it from the water dispenser to the machine, a total of three feet, I caught the cup of water on the corner of the counter and it went flying EVERYWHERE. In the few hours following, I banged my knee four times and ran into my next-door neighbor’s cube wall, almost taking the whole thing down. And circa three in the afternoon, I went to make tea and somehow managed in one motion to launch the lid of the tin tea canister directly into my face, only to stomp it into a twisted mess the second it hit the floor.

Seriously, where was the camera?

And I’m not even going to talk about the spilling problem.

Basically, I am absolutely a walking disaster and you are all missing out on some solid laughs.

There is no doubt in my mind or those who spend any time with me, that I’m clumsy. But somehow, the only place I seem to be able to keep it together is in the kitchen. In the kitchen, I have some finesse. In the kitchen, I’m less bull in a china shop and more elegant stallion, galloping and prancing around the kitchen with speed and grace.

All right, that last analogy was super weird, but you get the point.

This is a dish that just came along organically from a trip to the market and it just fell into place. Without any actual falling.

You will need…

1 lb heirloom tomatoes, diced into ½ inch cubes

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped mint

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2 ounces robust and creamy cheese, like Brie

1 sourdough baguette, sliced into ½ inch thick slices

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by combining your garlic and olive oil and let the garlic infused for 30 minutes up to 24 hours.

Preheat your oven to broil.

Lay out the bread slices on a baking sheet and broil until toasted 2 to 3 minutes a side.

Remove the bread from the oven and set it aside to cool.

While the bread is cooling, bring the vinegar to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer the vinegar until it is reduced by half. About 8 minutes.

As the vinegar is reducing, combine the garlic and olive oil, mint and tomatoes together in a bowl. Toss well and season with salt and pepper.

Spread the cheese onto the toasted bread.

When the balsamic drizzle is ready, top the toasted bread with a hearty helping of the tomato mixture.

Drizzle the balsamic over the top of the tomatoes and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta with Brie and Balsamic Drizzle

1 lb heirloom tomatoes, diced into ½ inch cubes

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped mint

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2 ounces robust and creamy cheese, like Brie

1 sourdough baguette, sliced into ½ inch thick slices

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by combining your garlic and olive oil and let the garlic infused for 30 minutes up to 24 hours.

Preheat your oven to broil.

Lay out the bread slices on a baking sheet and broil until toasted 2 to 3 minutes a side.

Remove the bread from the oven and set it aside to cool.

While the bread is cooling, bring the vinegar to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer the vinegar until it is reduced by half. About 8 minutes.

As the vinegar is reducing, combine the garlic and olive oil, mint and tomatoes together in a bowl. Toss well and season with salt and pepper.

Spread the cheese onto the toasted bread.

When the balsamic drizzle is ready, top the toasted bread with a hearty helping of the tomato mixture.

Drizzle the balsamic over the top of the tomatoes and serve.