As of last Wednesday at around 9 AM, I have been on summer break. While I've enjoyed lounging around, sleeping, and watching tv all day I'm very excited to get back into the kitchen & cook. Once I got home from break I thought about the dishes I wish I was able to make throughout the year but didn't have the opportunity (why don't dorm rooms have built in kitchens?). One of those dishes I wish I had been able to make was chili. It's always a favorite dish of mine to make in the winter to warm up on a cold day. At college when it was a cold day, I had to rely on some lackluster soup from the dining hall. Clearly one option is superior then the other. The chili I make in the winter is comforting, tomato based, and hearty. With summer right around the corner I wanted to try my hand at a chili that was still hearty and comforting, but a little bit lighter. Lucky for me I found an awesome recipe and decided to make
White Bean and Chicken Chili
Note: The recipe I used to make the chili can be found at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/white-bean-and-chicken-chili-recipe/index.html . The following list of ingredients are what I chose to include from the original recipe.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 pounds ground chicken
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 (15-ounce cans) cannellini or other white beans, rinsed and drained
- 11/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Freshly ground black pepper for seasoning
Procedure (also explained in the recipe on foodnetwork.com, my steps may be a little different)
*Mix the spices (salt,cumin,oregano,chili powder) and set aside in a small bowl
*Pour 2 tbsp of the oil into a lg heavy bottom saucepan & heat over medium heat
* Dice one yellow onion & cook over medium heat for about 5 min until translucent
* Mince garlic and cook for 30 seconds
* Add the chicken and the spices at the same time
* Cook chicken until cooked through
* Stir in 3 tbsp of flour
*Add the beans, corn, chicken stock, red pepper flakes
* Bring entire mixture to a simmer & simmer for about 60 minutes until mixture has thickened. The liquid should reduce by half.
to garnish
I am a firm believer in the fact that you cannot have chili without sour cream. I love the flavor it adds and I always include it on top of my chili. To go the extra (but easy) step, I decided to include potatoes in the garnish. I love potatoes in all forms whether it be mashed, baked, or even as a potato pancake. For this dish I decided to roast them & the recipe for my Awesome Roasted Fingerling Potatoes can be found below.
Awesome Roasted fingerling potatoes
* Lay fingerling potatoes on a baking pan
* Toss with oil, salt, and pepper
* Bake at 450 for 30 min
That's it. Essentially you do a minimal amount of work for an awesome result.
FINALLY: TO PUT THIS DISH TOGETHER
Slice a fingerling potato into small rounds
Ladle the chili into a bowl
Dollop the chili with sour cream and garnish the sour cream with the potato rounds on top
A delicious dish in all it's glory.
Thoughts on the recipe: I am in love with this dish. I wasn't sure how I would like it compared to a chili made with tomatoes, but I think I like this more. What makes this dish extraordinary is the combination of spices. The cumin is a warm, earthy spice while the oregano gives the chili an italian kick. The dish is rounded out by the subtle heat of the chili powder. While making this chili, and reflecting back on other times I've made chili, I think I've learned a cardinal rule. The rule is LET CHILI SIT. I thought the chili was awesome when it was done simmering, and then I tried it again a few hours later. By this time the ingredients melded together even more, and the flavors intensified. Next time I make this chili (aka this week), I am going to make it a day ahead of time, resist the urge to eat 5 bowls of it, let the flavors intensify, and then proceed to eat 5 bowls the next day.
Thanks for reading this post! I will make sure to keep cooking throughout the summer and share my kitchen adventures with you. If you try any of the recipes featured on this blog let me know how they turn out.
See ya next time!
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