White Chili

This first try at White Chili turned out very well indeed. I've been eating it over regular burrito fillings as a sauce, in a tortilla for breakfast, and in "Rathskeller" fashion, in a bowl with cheese, chopped tomato and raw onion. Of course it's incredibly easy and lends itself to experimentation, and proves to be a cheap and easy hot meal. It doesn't take the same amount time or prep as the traditional red chili, which I've always preferred to eat the next day after the flavor developed.

As per the norm, I failed to really pay much attention to measurement. What follows is an estimate of what went in the pot. The important thing is to get the spices right. In the future I plan to experiment with different spice blends, varieties of beans, etc.

2 T olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 red bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 t ground cumin
1 t oregano
1/2 t Penzey's Chili 9000
1/2 Penzey's ancho chili powder
1/2 t corriander
1 can cannellini beans, liquid included
3 c low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 cooked chicken breast, shredded
1 4 oz small can green chilis

Heat oil in heavy pot. Add onion and pepper; stir occasionally until tender. Add all other ingredients and simmer until the chili has reached the desired consistency. This makes maybe six cups of chili - I rarely make a full recipe on a pilot run.

Dark or smoky varieties of chili powders tend to overwhelm or muddy the taste of the dish and in the future I plan to omit the ancho chili powder. Fresh cilantro as a garnish would add a nice edge to the chili. I could have eaten this with several times more green chilis either in the dish or as a garnish, or with diced jalapenos. I'll be experimenting with various chili powders.

3.14 Second run: not as good as the first.

I omitted the ancho chili powder, the Chili 9000 blend and the fresh red bell pepper, and added an additional can beans. This time around I used Roman beans and pinto beans, which turned the chili a nasty pinkish-brown color. I added a 1/2 t more oregano, a teaspoon of hot chili powder and and 1/4 teaspoon of smoked paprika. Whew, too much smoke! I'm trying to avoid being dependent on a commercial spice mix, so I guess I'll keep experimenting. Also, the additional can of beans may have changed the taste from the spicy-chicken-stew-with-green-chilis one that I prefer to a muddy concoction that relies too heavily on spices for flavor. More experimentation to come.