White Chicken Chili

I've been contemplating whether to just quit the whole blogging, or continue on, even if I post once a month...at least it's better than none at all. I've invested five years into food blogging. so I'm not gonna stop now! I've been using my smart phone to take quick photos of everyday 'life' and I must say it's a lot more convenient than lugging around your digital camera although, today I decided to get my camera out for this 'brainstorming' quick idea of making chili...not just any chili with the beef, I decided to use white chicken breasts...no big deal just leftover rotisserie chicken from my local Publix supermarket.

What a fun way to welcome September, and fall season just around the 'corner' to come up with all these beautiful and vivid falls colors, and hardy 'stick to your bones' goodness with a bowl of warm chili with chicken which is so much lighter than beef. Instead of making it in the slow cooker (crockpot) I just didn't want to wait for it to cook for 6 hours...although, I did cook the dark red kidney beans, and the Great Northern beans ahead of time separately, and added the shredded chicken at the end of cooking time.

 Let me tell you, this amazing chili with is such a $ stretcher...a real 'thrift' bargain, you can feed an 'army' with it and they will love it and thank you for it, and you can 'pat' yourself in the back that you have a winning recipe idea on your hand. Also, you most likely have most of these ingredients in your cupboard and in your fridge. As for the spices, they are also very basic as well. You can make this as hot, medium, or mild if young children are eating it. Since I'm such a Pinterest 'geek' I actually did find this recipe on Pinterest by a well know food blogger, so I will post her recipe and my adaptation of how I made it!


    { Crockpot} White Chicken Chili

My adaptation in BLUE
serves: 8-10

• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 can (15-ounces) low sodium Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed well
• 2 cups dry cooked Great Northern Beans+ ( save1 cup of the liquid it was cooked in)
• 1 can (15-ounces) low sodium Red Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed well
• 2 cups dry cooked dark Red Kidney Beans + (save 1 cup of the liquid it was cooked in)
• 2 cans (10-ounces each) diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1-28 oz can diced tomatoes (drain liquid and save in a measuring cup)
• 1 can (15-ounces) sweet corn kernels
• I used 2 fresh leftover cooked corn (shaved off the kernels to add at the end)
• ¼-teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ¼-teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼-teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dry granule garlic and parsley
• ⅛-teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika
• salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups of the liquid from the beans it was cooked in
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 bottle (12-ounces) beer
• 1 bottle Samuel Adams beer
• 4 chicken breast halves
• whole breast of a store bought rotisserie chicken taken off the bone
• 1 avocado, diced, for garnish
• shredded cheddar cheese, for garnish
• sour cream, optional

Instructions

1. Place the chopped onions, beans, tomatoes, and corn in the crock pot.
2. 1-1lb. bag of dry Great Northern Beans soaked for 2 hrs. after bringing it to a boil (in a large pot covering it with water) adding 2 bay leaves, 1 half onion, salt and pepper. Do the same with the red Kidney Beans. Simmer beans on low heat till almost tender to the 'al dente' about 1 hr.

1. Stir in chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper.
2. Add both beans with their liquid to a 'Dutch oven' (heavy duty large pot) the drained diced tomatoes, add the spices, and the beer. Cook for an additional 1 hr. on med- low uncovered.
3. Add chicken broth and beer.
4. Place chicken breasts on top.
5. Cover and cook for 3.5 to 4 hours ON HIGH, or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Or cook
6. on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, or until chicken is done.
7. Shred the deboned chicken breast, and add it to the pot, along with the corn kernels. Add the olive oil. Add 1/4 cup of flour to the reserved tomato juice, which is about 1/2 cup, whisking it till a smooth paste, and add it to the pot with all the ingredients. Simmer for an additional 25 minutes
8. Remove chicken breasts from the pot and place on a cutting board; let cool for a few minutes.
9. Shred chicken and stir it back into the pot; cover and continue to cook for 15 minutes.
10. Ladle chili into bowls and garnish with avocado, shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.
11. Serve.

Notes

RECIPE SOURCE: DIETHOOD

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 486 grams (17-ounces) Calories: 345 Fat: 5.3 

 

Chili Con Carne and Buttermilk Corn Bread

I had this yummy Chili post up for about 10 minutes earlier, and for some technical problem, lost the entire post...so here I go again, repeating the post, and my recipe.
Also, my apology to Sandra @ Sandra's Easy Cooking for having to remove her kind comment to re-do the post.

As I mentioned earlier, we've been having some pretty chilly weather here in South Florida, as an example, last night the temperature dipped down to 31 degrees and the wind chill made it drop down an additional 10 degrees or more. It was unbearable for the Palm Beaches, but than again, at least we only had to just watch all the snow storm up north.
The best thing to make when the weather is as CHILLY, is to make a nice batch of CHILI...to take the CHILL off.
Wow, it even rimes...chilly...chili...and chill, as long as I get the spelling right, you know what I mean.
Lora @Cake Duchess  has a wonderful recipe called: Grandmother's Buttermilk Corn Bread...no clue as to whose grandmother, but it sure is the best, with real butter, and the buttermilk.

As you can see, I photographed this with my awesome new camera, and this is the actual color, and the moist texture, and also the nice wedges cut, from the cast iron skillet, which it was baked in. If you would like the recipe, you will have to click over to Lora's blog. My recipe for the chili is to follow. It's my very own recipe, and I did not want to even check for references, because I prefer the simple, yet homey and tasty chili, without all the mystery ingredients added to it. This doesn't have any kind of peppers, so the kids won't complain, so it's just the beans, and the meat sauce, with a medium spicy flavor to it.

Chili Con Carne
my own recipe

1-1/4 to 1-1/2 lb. organic ground beef
1-28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2-15 oz. cans light kidney beans
2-15 oz cans dark kidney beans
2-15 oz cans black beans
1 teaspoon good quality chili powder
(more if you want it spicier)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dry oregano
a dash of Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Saute onion and garlic in the oil, until it starts to wilt. Add the ground beef, all the spices, and cook until it loses all the pink color, and starts to get brown. Now, add the crushed tomatoes, the Worcestershire sauce, and simmer for about 30 minutes till it gets thick, and the excess liquid starts to evaporate. If it doesn't, you can always ladle out the excess, from the top. At this point you can add all the beans, but drain the liquid from them, before adding them to the sauce. Simmer for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, and serve with a dollop of sour cream if you like, and some shredded Cheddar, or mixed Cheddar, and Jack cheese.
Very delicious, and filling. Serves 6.

note: You can also make this vegetarian if you omit the ground meat, and follow the rest of the recipe, after sauteing the onion and garlic

Sweet and Spicy Salmon

As much as I love spices, and spicy foods, I have not ventured out of my sphere yet...hoping to be more adventurous in exotic spices, and cuisine. I cropped these photos, really focusing on the beautiful sweet, and spicy salmon, which was marinating rubbed with the spices, of hot paprika, chili powder, cumin, zest of 1 lemon, sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and rubbed 1 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil (to prevent from dryness, )marinated  it in the frig.  for about 25 minutes...broiled for about 6 minutes, and laced with a Tbsp of honey and the juice of 1 lemon, to finish broiling for another minute...no longer, for a 6 oz. fillet.

When you are dining alone, and you want to make a quick and healthy dinner, not to mention somewhat elegant...after all, you deserve it! Look, what just 1 nice piece of Norwegian salmon can do for you. Livens up your "thrift find" 69 cents plate...LOL...the pepperoncini, which I always like to buy a nice large jar  of and of and the amazing jar of black olives, from Peru purchased at the Latina market, the mesclum fresh salad, and the jasmine rice, which only takes 20 minutes. This truly is a 30 minute meal, from start to finish, and hardly any messy clean up...and you did it for YOURSELF!...So, start to enjoy gourmet, for 1, or 2, at home!