I'm feeling a little "chili"

Not really.  I just like puns.  This Indian summer is strange, yet enjoyable.  My boys ran around barefoot today and I picked ripe cherry tomatoes from the garden.  Huh.

Cold or not, it's still the season for soups and chili.  My friend, Ann, shared this recipe with me and we tried it out over the weekend.  I am still a beginner cook who panics if there are too many ingredients in a recipe.  Normally I wouldn't even attempt something if it had a spice I don't have or haven't heard of.  Well, I gave this one a shot anyway!  It is not too difficult--even for beginners!  Plus it's yummy. :)

Ann, you're the best.  I'm going to name this chili after you.

Ann's White Chicken Chili

1 Tbsp. canola oil

1 large jalapeño, chopped and seeded

1 Anaheim pepper, chopped and seeded

1 medium onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. garlic, chopped

1 Tbsp. + ½ tsp. ground cumin

1½ tsp. ground coriander

1½ lbs. boneless chicken breasts

3 cans Bush great northern beans

1 Tbsp. lime juice

½ tsp. salt

sour cream and cilantro for garnish (optional)

• Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat.  Add peppers, onion, garlic, 1 Tbsp. cumin and 1 tsp. coriander into skillet; cover and cook, stirring occasionally for 6 minutes.
• Transfer vegetables to crock-pot.  Add chicken and beans. (If you find you prefer it a little soupier you can add chicken broth to the pot.)  Cover and cook.  High - 4 hours / Low - 6 hours
• Remove chicken from crock-pot and shred.  
• Return shredded chicken to crock-pot plus ½ tsp. each of cumin, coriander and salt.  
• Add 1 Tbsp. lime juice.
• Let it cook another 20-30 minutes to absorb more flavor and juice.

NOTE:  If you’ve never worked with peppers, I highly recommend using gloves when cutting them up.  The oils in them can cause painful burning for hours after handling them.  I always keep inexpensive disposable vinyl gloves around for things like this.  Of course I learned the hard way.  If you’re not familiar with or don’t like the heat of peppers in the chili, don’t include them.  The actual recipe called for a jalepeno and a poblano, but I have found that I like the heat and flavor of the Aneheim better.  Also I leave all the jalapeño seeds and half (to most) of the aneheim in the chili.  We like it hot.

P.S.  I wanted a full crock-pot so I added 2 extra cans of beans and more chicken.  We don't "like it hot" like Ann so I left out all the jalapeño and Anaheim seeds.  Still yummy.

~ Katrina