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White Chicken Chili
White Chicken Chili
This is a recipe I haven’t made in a very long time until my girlfriend was craving a white chicken chili. Many chili purists will say that this isn’t real chili; there’s no beans in chili; and chili isn’t white. Well, all I have to say is kiss my ass. This type of chili is quite tasty and is great if you have a sensitivity to the acidity of a tomato-based chili. The secret to thickening the chili is to purée one of the cans of white beans; either being great northern or cannellini. There’s really no wrong way to make this. Other ingredients that you can add to this chili include corn, serrano or poblano peppers, bacon, tortilla chips, sour cream; just to name a few.
Equipment
- food processor
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small white onion diced
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 cup mild green chilies diced
- 3 jalapeños seeded and diced
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs diced
- 1 tbsp Mexican oregano
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 3 tsp salt
- 2 tsp white pepper
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 3 cans white beans great northern or cannellini beans
- 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
Toppings
- shredded cheese monterrey jack or cheddar
- avocado diced
- green onion finely chopped
- cilantro finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat up the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion and cumin seeds for 5 minutes. Add in the garlic, chilies, and jalapeños. Sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add in the chicken. Season with oregano, smoked paprika, salt, and white pepper. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Pour in the chicken stock. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Whisk in the cream cheese. Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
- While the chili is simmering, purée one can of the white beans in a food processor.
- Add in the puréed beans, the other 2 cans of drained beans, and the cilantro. Cook for 5 more minutes.
Top the chili with shredded cheese, avocado, green onion, and chopped cilantro.
The Best Zucchini Bread
The Best Zucchini Bread
I have made this zucchini bread countless times for the last 20 years and it’s one of my favorites. It’s pretty straightforward to make. The most important step that can’t be overlooked is to squeeze out all of the excess liquid from the zucchini. If you don’t, your zucchini bread won’t cook properly. Want carrot bread instead? Replace the zucchini with 1 1/2 cups of grated carrots and increase the flour to 1 1/2 cups.
Equipment
- grater
- paper towel
- 9×5” loaf pan
- nonstick spray
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups zucchini grated
- 1 1/2 cups ground walnuts or pecans
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda, and cinnamon in a bowl.
- In another bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt.
- Mix in the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Squeeze out all of the water from the zucchini in a paper towel.
- Stir in the zucchini and walnuts to the batter.
- Using nonstick spray, grease a 9×5” loaf pan. Pour in the batter.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 50 minutes. Let cool on a rack.
Pork and Root Vegetable Stew
Pork and Root Vegetable Stew
It’s stew season! I created this recipe in the craving of a stew with root vegetables such as rutabagas, turnips, sweet potatoes, amongst others. You can make this stew with whatever protein you’re craving; whether it be pork, beef, chicken, or turkey. Make sure to use whatever bones of the protein that you’re desiring for the stock.
Equipment
- 2 stock pots
Ingredients
Pork Stock
- 5 lbs pork bones neck, rib, and shoulder bones
- 1 gallon water
- 1 medium white onion diced
- 3 medium carrots diced
- 3 ribs celery diced
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 3 bay leaves
Pork and Root Vegetable Stew
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lbs pork shoulder cubed
- 1/2 medium white onion finely chopped
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 sweet potato peeled and diced
- 1 rutabaga peeled and diced
- 1 turnip peeled and diced
- 3 parsnips diced
- 3 carrots diced
- 3 medium yellow potatoes diced
- 1/2 cup parsley chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup cold water
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
Instructions
- Add all of the pork stock ingredients in a pot of boiling water. Simmer over low heat for 2 hours.
- Strain the stock in a colander. Set aside.
- In another pot, brown the pork shoulder over medium high heat for 10 minutes.
- Add in the onion and garlic. Brown for 5 minutes.
- Poor in the pork stock. Simmer for 1 hour over medium low heat.
- Stir in all of the vegetables. Continue simmering over medium low heat for another hour.
- Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley.
- Make a slurry out of cold water and cornstarch. Whisk in to the stew until the gravy thickens. Turn off the heat.
