Chili Cook-Off: Week 4

I apologize for the delay!

To finish out the chili cook-off series, here is the recipe from the final week of January. This one surprised me once I looked it over closely and I realized that there are no tomato products!


INGREDIENTS
*2 tablespoons EVOO
*2 cups cubed cooked chicken
*2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) white beans, drained and rinsed
(I like to use one can of Navy Beans and one can of Great Northern Beans
*1 cup chicken broth
*1 can (4 1/2 ounces) chopped green chiles
*1/4-1/2 of a small onion, diced
*1 teaspoon ground cumin
*1/2 teaspoon oregano
*1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
*1 can of corn, drained (or 1/2-1 10 oz. bag of frozen corn)

DIRECTIONS

1. Pour EVOO in large soup pot, heat and then add chicken. Cook chicken until browned.

2. Place remaining ingredients in soup; mix well. Bring to boil on medium-high heat.

2. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered 15 to 20 minutes until heated through.



Modifications:
This one was very straightforward and no modifications were made. Shocking, I know!


Cost:
chicken = $2.50
navy beans = $0.79
great northern beans = $0.89
chicken broth = $0.58
chopped green chilis = $0.99
corn (frozen, partial bag) = $0.75

Olive oil, spices, and onion are on hand.

Total $6.50
6 servings
$1.08 per serving

Verdict:
Even though I don't even like tomatoes, I missed them in this chili. In fact, it almost seemed like more of a soup without the liquid inherent in a soup. However, the taste was very good and it improved over the week as I slowly ate it all for lunches. I really enjoyed the addition of the chopped green chilis and was surprised by the navy and great northern beans - I didn't think that I would like them, but they were just right.

Chili Cook-Off: Week 3

Well after last week's experience trying to fake chili powder, I had to restock the spice cabinet before making this week's chili. Not only does this chili call for chili powder; it calls for a quarter cup of chili powder. Hold on to your hats!

Ingredients

1lb ground elk or beef
1 can of tomato juice (46 oz)
1 can of tomato sauce (29 oz)
1 can of kidney beans (15 oz)
1 can of black beans (15 oz)
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup chili powder

Directions
Brown meat in a deep pot, i use my noodle pot. While the meat is browning i rinse the cans of beans. Once it is brown you can add the tomato sauce and juice and then i add the seasoning. After it is all mixed together you can add the beans. I found that the seasonings mix together easier if you add the beans last. Let it come to a boil and then put on simmer until supper. The longer it simmers the thicker the sauce will become. So it all depends on when you remember to start it. I like to simmer it for at least 1 hour. Goes good with corn bread or saltine crackers and we add cheese to it.


Modifications:
I used two cups of black beans prepared from dry beans and frozen. Due to other plans, we put this chili together and put it in the crock pot for the day. Our plans ran late and I wound up trying a cup when we got home. The next day I transferred the chili onto the stove to simmer for a while before dinner.


Cost:

grass-fed ground beef from CSA = $5.00
tomato juice = $2.12
tomato sauce = $1.25
kidney beans = $0.99
black beans = $0.50
chili powder = $1.50

Ordinarily I would not include spices, but since there is so much chili powder I think the cost becomes relevant.

I have the other spices and sugar on hand.

Total = $11.36
6 Servings
$1.89 per serving

Verdict:

I was skeptical of the amount of liquid called for in this recipe. This, coupled with the crock pot, turned out to really go rather badly. When I tried a cup the first night, it was very liquidy and tasted like only chili powder. Once this spent some time simmering on the stove the next day, however, it was fantastic. It only improved with shredded cheddar cheese on top and cornbread muffins. So, basically, if I had followed the directions I would have known it was great to begin with. This chili seems flexible enough to be good as suggested, or on hot dogs or nachos. I'll definitely try this one again, and although (surprisingly!) the chili powder didn't seem as strong on the second day I might decrease the amount next time.

Chili Cook-Off: Week 2

This week's recipe is a chicken chili. I've only had chicken chili a few times; once was more like a weird soup and the other (which was really, really good) involved a seasoning packet sort of kit thing. So, I don't really know what to expect!

Week 2 recipe:

Ingredients

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2-inch cubes*
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cans diced tomatoes, with liquid
2 cans condensed chicken broth
2 cups water
1 can tomato paste
2 cans kidney/navy/chili beans (whichever you prefer), rinsed and drained

Directions

In a 5-qt. Dutch oven, cook onion and garlic in oil over medium-high heat until onion is tender. Add chicken; cook and stir constantly until browned. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 40-60 minutes.

*I have also made this with shredded chicken and it is good that way too.

Modifications:
Well, the biggest problem was that I discovered we were out of chili powder while the vegetables were cooking. Oops. Then I found that we didn't even have enough ground cumin for the recipe. Double oops. However, I looked up the ingredients in chili powder and tried to fake it by grinding some cumin seeds, some chipotle powder, a dash of oregano, a garlic blend, a little extra cayenne pepper, and hope. I also threw in a few liberal dashes of smoked chipotle Tabasco sauce.

Cost:
chicken breasts = $2.50
diced tomatoes = $0.99 (for the big can; 2 small cans as called for would have been $1.60)
chicken broth (organic) = $2.29
tomato paste = $0.50
kidney beans (canned) = $1.88

I have garlic, onion, oil, and spices on hand. Most of them anyway....

Total = $8.16
6 Servings
$1.36 per serving

Verdict:
I am not a fan of diced chicken, but the texture didn't bother me here. It was tomatoey and rather spicy, although I certainly take responsibility for that given that I made so many modifications in the absence of actual chili powder. As it was, the chili was good. It might just be the context given that my husband and I were just talking about it yesterday, but the flavor and base almost reminded me of a spicy seafood stew. He suggested that we try the same chili with pork, which I think would be great, and/or add corn. I think different beans would be best with pork in the chili too. It reminded me a bit of a tortilla soup recipe I've made that has canned red enchilada sauce as a base.

Overall, it was definitely different and very good. It's an excellent base recipe that will be a springboard for experimentation.

Chili Cook-Off: Week 1

Some online friends are having a virtual chili cook-off in which we all make the same chili dish during a particular week and at the end of January we can declare a winner. There are four recipes for four weeks, and we're in week 1. I'll post the recipe, my modifications, approximate cost and what we thought of each chili. So, here goes!

Week 1 Recipe:

Caribbean Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/4 lb ground turkey
1 tsp bottled minced garlic
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 oz) whole sweet potatoes rinsed, drained and diced
1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth/stock
1 cup mango nectar (Kerns or Goya brand)
1 packet MILD chili seasoning mix (McCormick)
1/2 tsp ground allspice
chopped fresh cilantro (optional, I never use this)

Heat oil in skillet. Add turkey and garlic, stir until brown. Add broth, beans, potatoes, tomatoes, seasoning packet, nectar, and allspice. Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer for 10 minutes. Serve into bowls, top with fresh cilantro, if desired. Makes 4 servings.

Modifications: I used fresh garlic, two cups of black beans prepared from dry beans, and two small fresh sweet potatos

Cost:
ground turkey = $2.81
black beans = $0.50
sweet potato = $1.00 @ $0.88/lb
petite diced tomatoes = $0.79
(organic) chicken broth = $1.00
mango nectar = $1.49
McCormick Mild Chili Seasoning = $1.49

Olive oil, garlic, and allspice are on hand.

Total = $9.08
4 Servings
$2.27 per serving

Verdict:
We LOVED it. I let it simmer a little longer than indicated in the recipe, maybe 20 minutes. I don't even like tomatoes and I ate them. I ate everything in my bowl and went back for more. It's got a slightly sweet flavor, but certainly not overbearingly so. My husband suggested adding a mild curry paste next time; I think it would be great with a smokier flavor like from chipotle peppers. It was very good as I made it too.

In the future, I will skip the spice packet and season it myself. I don't have any complaints, but I'll never remember to buy the packet and I have all the spices around already. The mango nectar comes in a 12oz can and the recipe only calls for 1 cup, so I will probably freeze the extra 4 oz of mango nectar to combine with the leftovers from the next time I make this for a 3rd round of chili out of two cans.

Yum. What a surprise!