Green Chicken Chili

Football season has once again reared its ugly head. Yeah, I'm a Ravens fan, and while I do enjoy a rousing match of good (Ravens) vs evil (everyone else), I usually find myself getting stressed out on game days. There's always a lot to do on Sunday--and I don't mean resting--and I need to get everything accomplished before the game eats up a good three-hour chunk of the afternoon. Dinner is the big bugbear. We like to eat early, especially on weekends when we don't ordinarily have lunch. If the game starts at 1, it's usually not over until 4, and then I have to throw something together fast--after I walk the dog (that part is not optional, so don't even suggest changing it). For this reason, I prefer to make something I can throw in a pot either before the game, or that will come together fairly quickly if I have to cook after the game is over.

This green chicken chili fits the bill in both cases. Because it uses pre-cooked chicken (I use the leftovers from a rotisserie chicken purchased earlier in the week) and canned beans, the only real cooking involves softening the veg and cooking it long enough to get the flavors to develop. I can also cook it during the game, letting it simmer over very low heat so it can develop even more flavor. Heck, I guess you can even make it in a crock pot, although I've never used one so wouldn't know for sure.

This is good with cornbread, of course, but we like to crumble in handsful of tortilla chips, too.

Green Chicken Chili

1/2 large onion, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
Oil
Salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and diced
2 4-ounce cans chopped green chiles
Cilantro
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons lime juice
3 cups diced cooked chicken
2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Agave syrup or honey
Sour cream and cilantro for garnish

In a large pot, sweat the onion and peppers in a tablespoon or so of oil and a pinch of salt. Once the veg are softened, add the garlic and cook for a minute or so, stirring regularly. Add the tomatillos, green chiles, and a good handful of chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems. Cover the pot and let the tomatillos break down a bit, 10-15 minutes, stirring once in a while. Add the seasonings, stock, and lime juice. Cook, uncovered, 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken and beans. Cook another 15 minutes, then taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper, and enough of the agave or honey to balance the tartness of the tomatillos and lime. If you want more cumin and coriander in there, then add it now. (As a rule, it's not a bad idea to add spices multiple times during cooking.)

Ladle into bowls. Garnish with dollops of sour cream and a bit of cilantro. Serve with cornbread or tortilla chips.



Posted on Minxeats.com.

Tava Ghee

Several years ago, the Minx and I were wandering through an Indian market looking for exotic things to cook with. The lady behind the counter asked if there was anything in particular we were looking for. We replied, "no," but she started naming some Indian products we might be interested in. "Some ghee, perhaps?" The Minx's eyes lit up and she gratefully allowed the woman to lead her to the aisle with the ghee in it. After we left, I asked, "What is ghee?" She said, "It's like clarified butter." I thought she was going to say something more interesting considering how excited she got about it. It wasn't until later that I realized how versatile the product can be. 

Traditional clarified butter involves removing the liquid from butter through simmering and also separating the fat from the milk solids. Ghee retains the milk solids that are caramelized in the simmering process. Therefore, ghee has a nutty flavor and aroma. You can also flavor ghee for different cooking applications. Ghee is a staple of Indian cooking, but it can be used in virtually any cuisine as a replacement for butter or oil.

Recently, we received some samples of a new ghee product. Tava Ghee is an organic, gourmet, flavored spreadable butter that comes from 100% grassfed cows. Created by founder Raquel Tavares Gunsagar in her kitchen, she quickly turned her product into a highly successful business. Tava Ghee has since moved from Raquel’s home to a factory kitchen in downtown Los Angeles.

Along with the original ghee, there's also vanilla ghee, green chili ghee, and Himalayan pine salt ghee. We used the vanilla ghee in place of some of the butter in a chocolate cake to enhance the vanilla flavor. I even ate it on crackers. The vanilla flavor is subtle but pleasant, and there's no sugar added, so don't expect it to be sweet. I also used the green chili ghee for some shallow frying of my hand-cut French fries. I only seasoned the fries with salt and garlic powder, but the chili flavor from the ghee added a spicy element.

Tava Ghee is steadily popping up in specialty grocery stores across the country, but if it isn't sold in a market near you, you can order it directly from their web site.

* Any products in this post that are mentioned by name may have been provided to Minxeats by the manufacturer. However, all opinions belong to Minxeats. Amazon links earn me $! Please buy!



Posted on Minxeats.com.

Chili Verde

Football season is here, which means a goodly portion of my Sundays are spent in front of the tube, simultaneously laughing and crying with the Baltimore Ravens. Ordinarily, I'm doing mise en place and cooking parts of dinner at different times of the day, but on these football Sundays, I have to get stuff started before kickoff. This usually means stew or chili is on the menu.

I've made and posted several variations on typical beef chilis, so I thought it was high time to try something different. Like a green chili. I made a really scrummy one with ground chicken and canned chiles not too long ago, but I was taking a day off from blogging and didn't bother recording the recipe. This time, I took notes.

Green chilis are tangier than red ones, and a bit lighter, so they are perfect for nippy-but-not-exactly-cold October weather. I roasted the vegetables first, then pureed them in a blender to make a thick green sauce. After a couple hours of simmering, the pork was meltingly tender and the dish was nothing short of perfection. Perfection for a day spent watching both football and baseball playoffs, that is.

Chili Verde

1 lb tomatillos, husked and quartered
Olive oil
2 poblano peppers, quartered, stems and seeds removed
2 jalapenos, cut in half, seeded or not, depending on how hot you want the end result to be
1 red onion, peeled and quartered
1 bunch scallions, trimmed
2.5 lbs pork shoulder, cut into smallish cubes
4 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper
Masa harina
Sour cream
Pepitas
Tortilla chips

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Place the tomatillos on a rimmed baking pan lined with foil. Drizzle with some olive oil and toss to coat. Place peppers, onion, and scallions on a separate foil lined baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Put both pans in the oven and roast for 15 minutes. Remove tomatillos and scallions. Roast remaining vegetables, stirring once or twice, an additional 20 minutes.

Allow vegetables to cool, then put everything in a blender. Puree the vegetables and set aside.

Brown the meat cubes in a couple of batches. I didn't use any oil, but you may want to if your pork isn't as fatty as mine/you find it sticking. Once the meat is browned, stir in the garlic and cumin, then turn the heat up and add the vegetable puree and stock. Bring to a boil, then lower heat so the mixture is barely simmering.

Cook for the length of a football game, 2.5 - 3 hours. After an hour or so, add the cilantro.

If the broth seems too runny at the end of the cooking time, mix a tablespoon or two of masa harina with enough water to make a slurry the texture of pancake batter. Turn up the heat to get the chili boiling and drizzle in as much or as little of the slurry as you want, to get the texture you like.

Season aggressively with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Serve in bowls with sour cream, pepitas, more cilantro, and tortilla chips.

Makes 4-8 servings.



Posted on Minxeats.com.