Easy Chicken Chili Time
Or in other words- this is the Football Season May Officially Be Over (I’m from Massachusetts, so. TOM BRADY #12 #GOAT 4Evah) but Chili Season is Definitely Not Over post.
And I confess that even after watching every episode of Friday Night Lights, football retains a certain mystery to yours truly. A few things I know. Tight ends tighten. Running backs are amazing athletes. Quarterbacks have eagle eyes, poise under pressure, great arms (and other fine qualities). And special teams kickers pray to the football gods when called in for a tie breaker with 6 seconds to spare in the final quarter.
Do I sound like I know what I am talking about? I don’t. At least, not in depth. I just overheard some manly sporty banter over gluten-free tuna melts. To which I smiled politely. Listened intently. And reached for a pickle.
Back fields in motion. Quarterback sneak. The Snap. The Blitz. I love the lingo. It’s a language alluringly foreign to me. Like, say, algebra. Or for some, postmodern abstract neo-expressionism. Visual chaos executed in angles and arcs and bursts of focus, drive and energy.
Thing is, I get the practiced dance of propulsion. Designing motion from multiple points of view. I get it. In my bones. This is my territory. You’re talkin’ my language. Value verses tone. Light bumping up against dark. Sharp contrast dissolving into blur. And I appreciate the power of practice, focus, and intention. Negative space divided by a perfect spiral.
Though it’s not all yin yang, a wrestle of opposites.
As in football- and life- painting is a locus of expression, sometimes true and authentic, and sometimes disappointingly off the mark. Like a short field goal. Or an incomplete pass. We try. We sometimes miss. But what matters is- we make the effort. And that is all we can do. We kick the ball. We brush wet paint. We string words into a lyric. We stitch a quilt. We photograph a child’s curiosity.
We make chili.
And sometimes?
We get a winner.
And if not?
Tomorrow is another day.
Karina
xox
How to make fabulous chili?
A gorgeous red onion.
Juicy limes.
Real garlic.
Fresh parsley and cilantro.
Sweet potato.
And oven-roasted chicken.
This bright and beautiful chili is fresh and light- serve with my Gluten-Free Skillet Cornbread with Green Chiles.
Gluten-Free Chicken Chili Recipe with White Beans, Sweet Potato and Lime
Ingredients:
4 bone-in free-range organic chicken breasts
Drizzle of olive oil
Sea salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, peeled, diced
2-4 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1 large or 2 smaller sweet potatoes, peeled, diced
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon GF chili powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Hot red pepper flakes, season to taste
3/4 cup chopped roasted green chiles or tomatillo salsa verde
2 15-oz cans organic cannellini or Great Northern white beans, rinsed, drained
2 cups light organic chicken broth
Squeeze of fresh lime juice
For serving:
Fresh chopped parsley
Fresh chopped cilantro
Fresh lime slices
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Rinse the chicken breasts and pat dry. Remove the skin, if you like (we do). Place meaty side up in a baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper. Sprinkle with dried herbs, if you like (we used thyme and oregano).
Turn the chicken over, bone side up, drizzle again, and season.
Roast the chicken bone side up for roughly 30 to 35 minutes until done and no longer pink inside (check with a meat thermometer for an internal temp of 165º to 170º).
Tip: Roasting bone-in, with the rib side up, will give you moist, tender, juicy chicken.
In the meantime, start your pot of chili.
Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add the red onion and stir for a minute. Add the garlic and sweet potatoes. Add ginger, cumin, oregano and hot pepper flakes. Stir to coat. Add in the roasted green chiles, white beans and chicken broth. Cover and bring to a light simmer.
When the chicken is done, let it cool off slightly, until it is cool enough to handle. Cut the meat off the rib bones, or tear off pieces by hand. Add the chicken pieces to the pot and stir gently to warm through.
Squeeze in some fresh lime juice to brighten flavors. Stir gently. Taste test for seasoning adjustments. Does it need more heat? More salt? If it has thickened too much, add a touch of broth to thin.
Serve with lime wedges and a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley and cilantro.
Serves 6.
Recipe Source: glutenfreegoddessrecipes.com All images & content are copyright protected, all rights reserved. Please do not use our images or content without prior permission. Thank you.
More gluten-free chili + soup recipes from fellow food bloggers:
Andrea Meyers cooks up Roasted Tomatillo Soup with Chicken
Jeanette’s Healthy Living simmers up Cuban Black Bean Soup
