When the weather outside is frightful, what could be more delightful than a steaming hot bowl of chili?
Born and raised in Texas, my go-to recipe includes ground beef, spices, tons of tomatoes, ranch style beans and dry red wine to help you forget about the cold. But my brother David's family is crazy about white chili with chicken, tomatoes and garbanzo beans.
Although he normally uses a mix, we've been hoping to make it from scratch. And this pick from The Complete Best of Bridge Cookbooks, Volume 3 (Robert Rose Inc., October 2013, $29.95) steps you through how to do just that.
Bob and I absolutely adore this spicy concoction. Easy to make, it's packed with white meat, chilli-licious spices and oodles of veggies. I'm talkin' onion, carrots, celery, tomatoes, corn, kidney beans, garbanzo beans and bell pepper. Whew!
Carrots in chili? I know it sounds weird but trust me they're yummy in this hearty stew.
There's also lime juice, which perks up the flavor here like it does in our favorite guacamole. (I think it's even better with fresh lime juice and then you can use the peel to freshen your garbage disposal!) And you'll need a little sugar and three tablespoons tomato paste. That's less than half a small can but you can save what you don't use by putting tablespoon-sized portions on wax paper and freezing them.
It takes about two- and one-half hours to make this cold-weather treat but most of that is hands-off simmering on the stove. The recipe makes eight generous portions so Bob and I had enough left over to create three freezer meals for two. Later, I let the crockpot do the work and after two hours warming on HIGH, the chicken just got tastier!
Spicy Tex-Mex flavor, simple preparation, loads of vegetables,and tastes even better after freezing and reheating? I'd call that a keeper.
Make it a meal with salad and crusty rolls.
Skin and bone chicken. Cut into bite-sized pieces. In a Dutch oven, brown chicken in oil. Add onions and garlic and sauté until onions are soft. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, salt and pepper.
Cook and stir for 3 minutes. Add carrots, celery, tomatoes, tomato paste, lime juice and sugar to chicken mixture. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 1 hour. Add corn, kidney and garbanzo beans, and green pepper. Simmer 30 minutes more.
Author: The Best of Bridge Ladies
Other Works: The Best of Bridge began in 1975 when eight women bridge partners decided to write their first cookbook. Now, they have nearly 4 million books in print and have become one of the top brands in Canadian publishing.
Publisher: Robert Rose; spiral edition
Penned: October 2013
What's Inside: All 350 recipes from two popular The Best of Bridge Cookbooks published in the 90s: Aces and That's Trump. Designed to achieve gourmet results easily, these ideas cover everything from brunch and lunch staples (main dishes, muffins and quick breads) to "baddie but goodie" desserts (think Cranberry Squares, Pecan Holiday Cake and Cheddar Apple Tart.)
Time Out: 408 pages
Available: $29.95 at Amazon and most book retailers
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