Kelly used to be a picky eater.  Then we introduced her to the world of travel.  It started with a family trip to the Dominican Republic in 2000. Kelly & I took a trip to Ireland the next year with my mom and two sisters.  Kelly only ate pasta everywhere we went in Ireland.  I think she tried a few bites of one or two new dishes, but her picky status was still intact. Fast forward a few years, and Kelly wants to go on a European tour with People to People Student Ambassadors to France, Italy, Malta and Monaco.  We impress upon her the need to try different foods and away she goes, experimenting with different cultures & foods. Add in trips to Canada, Spain, Ecuador, Jamaica, Russia, Ukraine and Greece in the high school and college years and we no longer have a “picky” eater. Kelly still has food “rules” but she will try eating most foods and cooking them as well!

I’m pretty open to trying new foods except when it comes to meats. (I attribute it to my biology background and years of dissections.)  I eat white meat chicken, some pork, beef and a vast variety of seafood.  Kelly turned the tables on me when she brought home some venison and a recipe she had tried and liked.  Against my better judgement, I participated in the making of the chili and promised to try at least a bite – the same as we had always required of her.  I had some leftovers in the fridge I planned to have for dinner that night after my requisite “bite”.  Turns out, I left the leftovers in the fridge.  The venison & turkey chili was way better than I thought it would be.  While I’m still not a wild game convert, I’d eat THIS venison dish again!

Venison-Turkey Chili (Adapted from Momma Hen’s kitchen) Serves 4-6

• 1 pound ground turkey
  

  Kelly brought home a slab of venison. We took the meat, chunked it, then ground it.

• 1 pound ground venison
• 1 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 2 15-ounce cans of tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water (maybe more if the chili is getting too thick when simmering)
• 1 tablespoon chili seasoning
• 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
• 1-2 teaspoons chipotle chili seasoning
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

The turkey and venison go into the pot together.

Cook the turkey and venison together over medium heat in a large soup pot until all the pinkness is gone from the meat.

Make sure there is no pinkness left in the meat.

Drain the grease.  Add the remaining ingredients, stirring well.

Everything else goes in after the meat is cooked.

Bring the chili to a boil then turn the heat back to low and simmer for 1-2 hours.  Serve with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese. (My Rich Corn Cake muffins go very well with this dish. See “Warm Up with Chili” for the recipe.)

My “I’ll try ONE bite!” turned into 2 helpings!

Wonder what Kelly will have me trying next?!   ~Linda

Venison-Turkey Chili (Adapted from Momma Hen’s kitchen) Serves 4-6

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 pound ground venison
• 1 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 2 15-ounce cans of tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water (maybe more if the chili is getting too thick when simmering)
• 1 tablespoon chili seasoning
• 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
• 1-2 teaspoons chipotle chili seasoning
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Cook the turkey and venison together over medium heat in a large soup pot until all the pinkness is gone from the meat.

Drain the grease.  Add the remaining ingredients, stirring well.

Bring the chili to a boil then turn the heat back to low and simmer for 1-2 hours.  Serve with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese. (My Rich Corn Cake muffins go very well with this dish. See “Warm Up with Chili” for the recipe.)