Chicken Chili

A few weekends ago 'Chefski and I finally made it out to Ben's Chili Bowl, which inspired me to try and make my own spicy, meaty dish. At the time I felt a little bit of red meat guilt (have you ever had a chili-covered beef burger with a chili-drenched hot dog and a side of chili cheese fries? Yeah... 'Chefski and I did, and we felt it), so I went with chicken to lighten it up a bit. Next time I'll try ground turkey for a nice compromise, along with some extra cayenne so make it just right :)

Chicken Chili 

Adapted from Ina Garten's recipe on Foodtv.com

Ingredients

1/2 lb red beans (if using dry, be sure to cook these according to the instructions ahead of time)

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 chicken breasts, still on the bone

1/2 yellow bell pepper 

1/2 of a 28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon dried pepper flakes, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Rub a little olive oil onto your chicken and lay on an aluminum foil-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper -- be generous!

3. Roast the chicken for 30-40 minutes, until cooked through. While this is cookin', work on the rest of your chili.

4. In a medium pot, heat a bit of olive oil. Saute your onions for 5-10 minutes on medium-low heat until translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for an extra minute. 

5. Add the spices, and the bell pepper and cook for another minutes.

6. Add the tomatoes and crush a bit with a large spoon (I like chunky chili -- if you prefer a smoother texture, just pop the tomatoes into the blender before adding).

7. Bring the mix to a boil and then simmer until the chicken is done (about 30 minutes).

8. When the chicken is cooked, set aside to cool for a few minutes (so the juice doesn't drip right out!), then pull it off the bone and chop into 3/4-inch chunks. 

9. Add to the chicken to the chili and simmer for another 20 minutes so the chicken absorbs the chili's flavors.
10. Eat out of a bowl or in a tortilla.