Chili Chasing Chili Recipes

It’s not expected to get above freezing for about a week. We need something to warm up with, so I gathered my Chili Recipe collection to share with you.

Colorado White Chili
A healthy, mouth-watering meal sure to bring raves; a great alternative to traditional chili from Don’t Panic Dinner’s in the Freezer by my friends Suzie Martinez, Vanda Howell, and Bonnie Garcia

1 Tbsp cooking oil
1 medium onion (1/2 cup), chopped
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1-4.5 oz. can diced green chilis (mild or hot)
1 Tbsp cumin (powder or seed)
2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1-15.5 oz. can great northern beans (don’t drain)
1-15.5 oz. can sweet corn (or frozen)
2 cups cooked chicken
5 cups chicken broth

Serving day ingredients
shredded Monterey Jack cheese
sour cream
tortilla chips
Cooking day instructions:
In a large pan or Dutch Oven, combine oil, onion, garlic, and green chilis. Saute until tender, but do not brown. Stir in spices, beans, corn, chopped chicken, and chicken broth. Cook and stir until heated through. Adjust seasonings to taste. Cool chili completely. Freeze, using freezer bag method.
Serving day instructions
Thaw completely. Simmer until heated through. Serve in bowls with cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips. For extra “kick”, garnish with jalapeno slices.
(yields 6-8 servings)

From Don’t Panic – Dinner’s In The Freezer
by Martinez, Howell, Garcia used by permission Fleming H. Revell, a division of Baker House Books,
Copyright 2005

Chili Chasing Chili
This is my thirty year old, reliable Chili Recipe

1 pound ground turkey or beef
1 – 16 0z can whole tomatoes, chopped
1 – pkg dry onion soup mix
1 1/2 Tbsp Chili powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
2 – 15 oz cans kidney beans, drained (save reserved liquid)
or 2 cups dry kidney beans, soaked and cooked
1 cup finely sliced celery
1/2 cup diced green pepper, optional
1 TB olive oil

Saute pepper and celery in oil until limp. Set aside. Brown meat in skillet, drain grease. Combine all ingredients into stockpot and simmer for 15-30 minutes. We serve the chili over brown rice or with corn bread.

Garnishes:
grated cheddar cheese
sour cream
cilantro

MAMA KIM’S AWARD-WINNING WHITE & GREEN CHILI
My friend Kim won the contest she entered this Chili recipe into.  I haven’t tasted it yet, but I know it is a winner!  Give it a try.

CHICKEN CHILI CORN CHOWDER
6-8 servings

This soup is a great variation to chili, very elegant, and delicious! Serve with hot “good earth” rolls.

3-4 Cups cooked, diced chicken (1 1/2 lbs. boneless)*
1/2 C. finely chopped onion
3 TB flour, whole grain preferred
2 TB olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 C. chicken broth ( I use Frontier chicken broth powder and water to equal 2 C)
2 C. hot water
1 tsp. cumin, ground
2 C. half and half
2 C. Monterey Jack
1- 16 oz can creamstyle corn
1 – 4 oz can green chili, chopped
1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce – (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion, and garlic in olive oil until transluscent in a stock pot. Stir in flour over low heat and slowly stir in chicken broth, and water. Heat until thickened slightly. Add cumin, half and half, creamstyle corn, green chilis, and hot pepper sauce (opt) to the soup base and simmer together for 15-60 minutes. Add chopped chicken, stir in shredded cheese until melted, adjust seasonings to taste. (Don’t boil the soup once the cheese is added or it will become stringy.) To serve: garnish with chopped medium tomato and 1/2 C. fresh minced cilantro.

*A quick way to cook up 1 1/2 lbs. of boneless chicken breasts is to pressure cook them in a Duromatic Pressure Cooker for 8 minutes at the 2nd red ring and allow the pressure to come down naturally. While soup base is simmering, For more information about recipes and products contact marilyn@urbanhomemaker.com or call at 1-800-552-7323. cook and dice the chicken.

Silver Palate Chili For a Crowd
When choosing chopped meat for chili, you’ll find that beef chuck adds great flavor. And you never can have too many spices. Look for dark-red kidney beans. Lemon juice brightens all the tastes! I found this recipe in Parade Magazine a couple years ago around Super Bowl Time.
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound yellow onions, coarsely chopped
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings
4 pounds beef chuck, ground
1 can (12 ounces) tomato paste
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/3 cup ground cumin
1/2 cup chili powder
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 1/2 tablespoons salt, or to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
3 cans (28 ounces each) Italian plum tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 cans (16 ounces each) dark-red kidney beans, drained
2 cans (5 1/2 ounces each) pitted black olives, drained, optional

1. Heat the olive oil in a very large pot. Add the onions and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 15 minutes. Add the sausage meat and ground chuck; cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the meats are well browned. Spoon off any excess fat and discard.
2. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, cumin, chili powder, mustard, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes, wine, lemon juice, dill, parsley and kidney beans. Stir well and simmer, uncovered, for another 15 minutes.
3. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add olives; simmer for 5 minutes more to heat through. Serve immediately.

Serves 20.
Vegetarian Chili

This Vegetarian Chili recipe is adapted from the Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook. Even if you are not a vegetarian, I think you will really enjoy this yummy chili. Don’t be afraid of the ingredient list, it goes together easily.

1 medium-size eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tbsp coarse salt or regular salt
3/4 cup (or as needed) best-quality olive oil
2 medium-size yellow onions, cut into dices
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 large green bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 35 oz can Italian plum tomatoes
1-1/2 lbs fresh ripe Roma tomatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried basil
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 cup canned dark red kidney beans, drained
1 cup canned chick-peas (garbanzos) drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill, or 2 Tbsp dried
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
cooked brown rice
shredded cheddar cheese

Place the eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with the salt. Let stand for 1 hour. Pat dry with paper towels. Heat 1/2 cup of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the eggplant and saute until almost tender, adding a bit more oil if necessary. Remove the eggplant to a casserole or Dutch oven.
Heat the remaining 1/4 cup (60 ml) oil in the same skillet over low heat. Add the onions, garlic and green peppers and saute just until softened, about 10 minutes. Add onions to the casserole with any oil.

Place the casserole over low heat and add the canned tomatoes with their liquid, fresh tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, oregano, basil, pepper, salt, fennel, and parsley. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes. Stir in the kidney beans, chick-peas, dill and lemon juice and cook for another 15 minutes. The eggplant peel should be tender. Stir well and taste and adjust seasonings. Serve immediately with brown rice and lots of shredded cheddar cheese.

This recipe is adapted from the Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook which says, “This vegetable chili is just as lush and spicy as those with lots of beef and pork.”