Sunday, January 18, 2015

Chili. Chicken Chili.



It got cold here in DC, and that means its chili season.  In fact, I can’t believe I haven’t already made it this winter.  Beef stew made it into the line up once, but no chili…  I decided to follow the masses and make a chicken chili, which seems to be the cool thing to do these days.  I think I’ll always be partial to the ground beef variety that I grew up with, but if I’m going to stray from that, this is a good direction to go!

I first had this chili at a chili-tasting, of sorts, that my office held a while back.  Three people hauled in their crock-pots, each with a different kind.  I loved this from first bite.  I did make a couple changes to the recipe, but only slight ones, and it was mostly due to my grocery store not having the proper ingredients.  Here’s how it’s done:

Recipe adapted from: Chicken Chili

Ingredients

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or store-bought rotisserie chicken)
1 14.5oz can white beans, partially mashed
1 Tbsp canola or olive oil
1 medium jalapeno pepper, minced (I used 1 red jalapeno and 1 serrano chili)
2 medium poblano peppers, diced
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt & Pepper
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 ½ tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ancho chili powder (I used ¼ tsp chipotle chili powder and ¾ tsp regular chili powder)
1 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes (my addition - chili isn't chili without some tomatoes)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 limes, juiced (plus additional wedges for serving)
¼ cup cilantro leaves, chopped

Instructions
  1. Trim the chicken breast of any excess fat and poach them in chicken broth (and a couple shakes of McCormick Montreal Chicken Seasoning if you have it) until just cooked through.
  2. Drain the cooking liquid and let the chicken cool.  When cooled, shred the chicken with 2 forks.
  3. While the chicken is cooking, chop the onions, peppers and garlic and sauté until slightly soft.
  4. Add spices, stir to mix evenly and cook another minute or two longer.  Add canned tomatoes at this time, if using.
  5. Add chicken broth and lime juice and let simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
  6. Add beans and continue to let simmer for another 10 minutes or so.
  7. Add the shredded chicken and chopped cilantro and stir to combine.
  8. Let simmer about 5 minutes longer.  Serve and enjoy!
  9. Optional toppings:  sour cream, tortilla chips, shredded cheese, lime wedges, additional cilantro