White Lightning Chicken Chili

I found this “white lighting chicken chili” mix at the local QFC (a supermarket in WA) and thought it’d make a fun base to start a yummy a two-day chili from. It was nom, so very nom.

Ingredients

• 1 pkg chicken chili mix (see below for details on what’s in it)
• 4 1/2 cups water
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth (homemade is awesome, but unnecessary)
• 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken (I used just over 1 lb boneless skinless breast, see prep below)
• 1 4oz can of chopped green chilies
• 3-4 tablespoons of Old Bay seasoning
• 2-3 tablespoons thyme
• 1/4 cup pepperjack cheese, grated

Soup Packet contents and spices:
White beans, pinto beans, carrots, onions, parsley, sea salt, garlic, celery seed, turmeric.

Prep:
Mix Old Bay seasoning and Thyme. Coat chicken lightly in the mixture.

Cook!:

1. Heat skillet over med-high heat. Test heat by using the Lidenfrost effect or until a droplet of water skitters across the surface of the pan.
2. NOTE: Sear the chicken breast. This takes between 15-60 seconds per side (depends on the size of the chicken). When done, there should be a 2mm layer on each side.
3. Set aside for a few. Quickly wash the skillet and return to heat. Return chicken to skillet and cook slowly on med-low until done (slightly browned on the outside, not pink on the inside).
4. Cut chicken into approx 1″ cubes.
5. Combine bean mixture and water in a 6 qt. pot/soup kettle/crock pot.
6. Bring to boil, then cover, reduce heat and allow to simmer for 1 hr.
7. Add chicken, spice packet and veggie packet and green chilies. (If you’re making this from scratch – cook onions, carrots, and garlic until tender and golden brown prior to this step.)
8. Return to boil, then cover, reduce heat and allow to simmer for another 2+ hrs. (NOTE: Recipe calls for only 30 min, but at this time, it was more soup-like than chili-like, hence the additional time.)



Serve:
Ladle into a bowl and garnish with some of the grated pepperjack cheese.

Serves 2-4.

* For a bit of a kick, add one chipotle chili when you add the chicken and other spices.

Black Bean Soup with Chipotle Chiles

I’m bummed that I never did get a good photo of this in it’s final served form. No matter, here goes! Original recipe found on Epicurious.

Ingredients

• olive oil
• 2 medium sized red onions, chopped
• 1 medium sized red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium sized green bell pepper, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 16-oz package dried black beans
• 2-3 chipotle chiles from a can – available in the Latin American section of many supermarkets in a spicy tomato sauce called adobo
• 9 cups chicken broth (homemade if possible)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (juice from one medium lime)
• plain nonfat yogurt
• chopped seeded vine tomatoes
• chopped fresh cilantro

Prep:
Chop the onions and bell peppers. Mince the garlic. Rinse the beans and remove any bad or shriveled ones.

You will need to chop the tomatoes and cilantro, but they are not needed for several hours.

Cook!:

1. Heat a few teaspoons of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat (no need to be exact, just enough to coat the bottom of the skillet).
2. Add onions and bell peppers until brown.
3. Add garlic and cumin; stir until well mixed in. approx 1 min.
4. Transfer mixture to a 6 qt. slow cooker (I used a 6 qt. pot on the stove, but a crock pot will do just as well).
5. Add beans and chipotles, (I chopped up 3 peppers and added some of the spicy tomato sauce from the can as well – it was pretty spicy, your milage may vary. The original recipe calls for 1 tsp chipotle.)
6. Add 7 cups chicken broth. (I added 1 cup at a time, stirring and letting each mixture come to a boil before adding the next cup. The original recipe says add all at once)
7. Cook on high until beans are tender. (Recipe says 6 hrs, but I left it on for about 3…)
8. Transfer beans mixture to a blender; puree until smooth. (Recipe calls for 2 cups, I pureed the majority of the bean and veggie matter. If you do this, beware of spillage if there’s too much liquid in the blender.)
9. Return puree to the cooker/pot.
10. Add remaining 2 cups of chicken broth to the pot. Cook on medium-low for another 1-1.5 hr.
11. Stir in lime juice. Salt and pepper to taste. (Recipe calls for 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. I used a pinch of salt and a a few twists of a the pepper grinder, but like the chiles, your milage may vary.)

Serve:

Ladle soup into bowls. Spoon a bit of yogurt into each bowl. Sprinkle with tomatoes and cilantro. Voila!

Serves 6-8.