Food for Thought.

I've committed to try new things this year. Mostly because I always enjoy a good adventure, and also because of the philosophy of Carlos Salzedo who said, "There is nothing difficult, only unfamiliar." (Thank you, Alisa.)

In that spirit of things, last night I decided to recreate a delicious recipe for a winter chili dish, passed on from my roommate, Hannah. It was certainly an experience- an hour and a half spent preparing the food, and then another hour trying to wash the smell of garlic from under my fingernails, while attempting to plaster Bandaids over my cheese-grated fingers (ok, ok...perhaps a slight exaggeration). No pain, no gain, right? I think the chili turned out great. If you're in the neighborhood this week, c'mon by and try some... as I made enough of it to feed our entire building.

White Bean Chicken Chili
From the kitchen of: M. Godfrey

6 to 8 boneless chicken breasts
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 can (4.5 oz.) chopped green chilies
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 ½ tsp. dry oregano
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
3 (16 oz.) cans Great Northern beans
6 cups chicken stock or broth
3 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil or steam chicken breast until tender. Cool slightly and then tear/shred into bite sized pieces. Set aside. In large soup pot, heat olive oil. Add onions, garlic, chilies, cumin, oregano, and cayenne. Sauté 2 minutes, or until onions are tender. Add chicken stock and soup base. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Add chicken bites and then undrained beans. Heat until very hot, and then add the shredded cheese. Stir occasionally and gently until the cheese is melted.
Can serve additional shredded cheese for the top, or sour cream.

Preparation time: Approximately 1 hour

Bon Appetit!





Postscript: For those of you wondering if this is going to turn into one of those nauseatingly perfect cooking/recipe/creative food pictures blogs, have no fear: I cook far too infrequently for that to ever become a reality.