By February. Joey's anniversary. Eight years. The ritual: gumbo, Rémy, the pot, the stirring. But this year, something new. Rémy wrote about Joey in the journal. I gave him the pen and said, "Write what you know about Papaw." And he wrote, in his ten-year-old handwriting, which is half-cursive and half-print and entirely Rémy:
"Papaw Joey was a fisherman. He caught shrimp and crawfish and whatever the water gave him. He made the best gumbo. He laughed big. He loved Mamaw. He died when I was 2 but I remember his laugh. Papa makes his gumbo every February 3rd and it tastes like remembering. I want to make it when I'm a papa too."
I read it standing at the kitchen counter and I had to put the journal down and walk outside and stand in the driveway for five minutes because the words — "it tastes like remembering" — those words from a ten-year-old boy who barely knew his grandfather but knows him through the gumbo and the stories and the roux and the wooden spoon. "It tastes like remembering." That's the whole journal. That's the whole blog. That's the whole life. It tastes like remembering. C'est bon, cher. It's good. It tastes like remembering.
Rémy’s words — it tastes like remembering — are still with me every time I stand over a pot and stir. We do the gumbo on February 3rd, always, but on the other cold nights when I need to feel that same weight of love and continuity, I reach for this quinoa turkey chili: one pot, slow heat, a wooden spoon, and the same act of tending that Papaw Joey taught me without ever meaning to. It’s not his recipe, but it carries the same spirit — feed your people, stir it with patience, and let the cooking be the prayer.
Quinoa Turkey Chili
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 40 min | Total Time: 55 min | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground turkey
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
- 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Optional toppings: shredded cheddar, sour cream, sliced green onions, fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Brown the turkey. Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey and cook, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains, about 6–8 minutes. Drain any excess fat.
- Soften the aromatics. Reduce heat to medium. Add the diced onion and bell pepper to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
- Build the base. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and oregano, letting the spices toast for about 30 seconds. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add beans and quinoa. Stir in the kidney beans, black beans, and rinsed quinoa. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer low and slow. Cover and cook for 25–30 minutes, stirring every 8–10 minutes, until the quinoa is fully cooked and has absorbed most of the liquid and the chili has thickened to your liking. Season generously with salt and black pepper.
- Serve and tend. Ladle into bowls and top as desired with shredded cheddar, sour cream, green onions, or cilantro. This chili deepens in flavor the next day — make a full pot and let it remember overnight.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 385 | Protein: 31g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 44g | Fiber: 11g | Sodium: 620mg