Southwestern Turkey and Barley Chili

This is a healthier take on traditional chili. It's made of turkey instead of beef, with barley to help add a robust flavor. Putting this dish together is very simple, especially since most of the ingredients are canned. I promise, this tastes so good that nobody will ever know. But if you prefer, you can substitute the canned ingredients with fresh.

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground turkey. You can also use ground chicken.
1 onion, chopped.
2 tblsp. vegetable or canola oil.
5 cloves of garlic, minced.
2 14.5-ounce cans of diced tomatoes and green chiles, such as Rotel. You can also find diced tomatoes in flavors like Mexican, Chipotle, Southwestern, etc. Any combination works.
2 8-ounce cans of tomato sauce.
1 cup barley.
2 14.5-ounce cans of chicken broth.
1 14.5-ounce can of sweet corn.
1 14.5-ounce can of black beans.
1/2 tsp. whole cumin seed.
1 tsp. oregano.
2 tblsp. chili powder.
1 shot of tequila (optional).
Salt and pepper, to taste.
Cayenne pepper (optional). I add a bit in because I love spicy chili, but you can skip it if you prefer a milder meal.
1 bunch of fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped (approximately 1 cup).

Start by heating a large 6-8 quart pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil, onions and garlic, and saute until the onions are translucent. Toss in the ground turkey and cook until the meat is browned.

Next, add all the other ingredients except the corn, black beans and cilantro. Bring the mixture to a simmer and turn the heat down to medium. Cover the pot and simmer for 50 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally, until the barley is tender. Add the corn and black beans and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in the cilantro just before serving.

You can serve this chili with a side dish, but I think it's perfectly good eating by itself.