It's Time for Chili
/As the weather gets chilly, I start looking for recipes that warm us up from the inside out. I have two recipes for chili: a red, chili con carne version (con pollo, in our case) and a white chili that is distinctively different from the traditional. Not only is white chili different, it's particularly easy to put together and for lazy sailors like me, that's a big selling point. It's great when we're in port or when we're at sea. If I'm feeling ambitious, I bake up a batch of corn muffins as an accompaniment.
- 1 – 15 oz can corn, undrained (425g)
- 1 – 15 oz can white beans, undrained (425g)
- 1 – 6 oz can green chiles (125g)
- 1 – large onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 lb boneless chicken (500g)
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil
- ¼ c lime juice (60 ml)
- 1 tsp ground cumin (5 gr)*
- Diced jalapeño peppers to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cook onion and garlic in oil till tender.
- Cut chicken into bite-size chunks and cook with onions until done.
- Add the canned veggies, liquid and all. Stir.
- Add the balance of the ingredients.
- Stir and heat to a simmer (about 10 minutes).
- Sprinkle with grated Monterrey Jack or cheddar cheese, if desired.
- Tastes great with hot corn muffins or tortilla chips.
For the ambitious amongst us, whip up a batch of corn muffins as an accompaniment.
Easy Corn Muffins 1c white flour 1c yellow cornmeal* 3 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt 2 Tbsp white sugar 3 Tbsp cooking oil 1 large egg 1c milk
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, beat the egg lightly, then add the milk and oil. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the liquids from the small bowl. Mix just until all ingredients are combined. With muffins, it's not necessary to beat the batter like a cake mix. When all dry ingredients are moistened, it's ready for the pan.
Bake in a preheated 400F (200C) oven. For muffins, pour into a prepared muffin tin and bake for about 15 minutes. Let the batter rest and rise for about 5 minutes before popping the pan into the oven.
Notes: *Cornmeal is called polenta in many places such as New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. Don't confuse it with corn flour which is corn starch, a thickener, in the USA.
For a spicy change, add ¼ c of shredded cheddar or Monterrey Jack and/or a 1 tsp (to taste) of minced jalapeños to the batter.