Annie, get yer gun! The summer rains haven't given up the ghost here in the British Midlands and the Met Office has already issued flood warnings. Typical! We're moving out of our house this weekend, would you expect anything less? Since we're going to be real busy this week, I thought a giant pot of chilli was the answer to quick and easy meals for the week eaten from the floor while leaning against a stack of cardboard boxes.
My sister famously won the Firemen's Chilli Cook-off last 4th of July in Eagle River, Alaska. I don't mean to name drop or anything, but I've got some serious ties to renowned chilli makers and ain't it your lucky day, sugar, because I'm passing this little ditty on to you. This is the low fat version using one of the best wedding gifts we received, the mighty slowcooker.
It's not just the slow cooker that makes this recipe quick & easy, most of the ingredients come from cans. Just watch your step when the cat comes running when he hears the sweet sweet sound of the can opener.Rootin Tootin Two Step Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Chilli
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
4 cans black beans
2 cans chopped tomatoes
2 cans kernel corn
one onion, coarsely chopped
3 tsp of minced garlic from a jar
2 green peppers, chopped
2 red peppers, chopped
jalepeno peppers seeded and finely chopped to taste
4 tbsp chipotle chilli powder, divided
2 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp ground corriander
2 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
crushed red pepper to taste
serves 2 for several days!
1. Dress appropriately for the job at hand. That means dust off those cowboy boots you spent a fortune on on your last trip to Tucson and hardly ever wear, and don't forget the requisite hat. Turn the kitchen radio to the country station or something else appropriately twangy. I chose Ryan Adams' Heartbreaker, but I leave that decision up to you.
2. Set aside the chicken breasts for now. Dust off the slow cooker and begin opening the tins of beans, corn, tomatoes - tenderly shoving the fur shark at your feet aside - and adding them to the cooker. Chop the onion, pepper and garlic and add to the mix. Add the rest of the ingredients, excluding about 2 tbsp of chipotle chilli powder - you'll need that later.
3. Lay chicken breasts on top of the chilli mixture and dust with the remaining chipotle chilli powder. The chicken in the picture came from a pack of 'mini filets' fished from the depths of chest freezer. Are they selling these in the US? Mini filets? (You pronounce the 't' so it rhymes with skillet. Silly Brits)4. Set the timer on you slow cooker for at least 6 hours and go down to your local quilt shop and dream.
A note about adding chilli peppers to the slow cooker. Fresh chillies or those from a jar seem to mellow in the slow cooker, where dried chillies seem to gather strength and amplify their heat. My poor husband has been the guinea pig in this experiment, and I've watched the steam pour out his ears when I thought I was being nice and tried using dried chillies thinking they wouldn't be so hot for his delicate palate. Bless.
5. Just before serving pull the chicken out and shred it in a separate bowl. (Didn't I say there'd be two steps? I wasn't just talking about the dancing you'll do when you discover how tasty this recipe is...) I find it pulls apart really easily using a couple of forks pulled in opposite directions. This is why this recipe is best prepared in the slow cooker, the chicken just becomes so much more tender and juicy than if it was simply boiled in a pot for an hour or two.
6. Mix the chicken back into the chilli and this would be a good place to add some shredded monterrey jack cheese if your gall bladder can handle it and you really hanker for a rich bowl of chilli. I left out the cheese on mine, but topped my bowl with sliced avocado and low fat creme fraische (or sour cream) and devoured it with tortilla chips. Yum.
No comments:
Post a Comment