Frickin' Spectacular
Slow Cook Sunday

Creatures of habit we've become. Today is Sunday, and while it's sorta a crappy day since it means I have go back to work tomorrow, however, it DOES mean it's Dutch Oven Sunday! Exciting stuff! Up on the menu this week? White Chicken chili! Surprisingly it's not something I have had much of... but as Jon and I recovered from staying up way to late the night before we had to consider what we were going to make for dinner while we were enjoying our coffee at Starbucks this morning...well closer to early afternoon, but really who's counting.

The chili recipe was inspired from Williams Sonoma, with my small twist on it.... which really is my way of saying I didn't have one of the ingredients or I made it spicier :)

Yesterday I was told for millionth time in my life, you're so domestic, and it's typically said with a hint of surprise, like I must have been the person they envisioned burning the chicken nuggets in the oven. But it's true, I am domestic, sorta like a cat, I am picky, particular, and prefer things to be perfect. Today, I decided, not only am I going to make the chili, which calls for chicken broth, I am going to make the chicken broth too.

Chicken broth is really pretty simple, but it can take some time, in fact time is what it needs. Let it simmer, cook the juices clear through the meat and all the way outta the bones.. savory loveliness awaits your kitchen.

I don't really measure things, so here are the guesstimates for making

Your very own chicken broth:

1-2 pounds of chicken cut up with skin and bones
1 yellow onion chopped
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
1/3 cup of fresh flat leaf parsley
2-3 cloves of garlic sliced
6oz of white wine (dry)
salt and pepper

Heat the burner with a dutch oven or stockpot w/lid and place chicken in the bottom of the pot and fill with water until the chicken is just slightly more than covered. Add wine, onion, garlic, and everything else and cook for one to one and half hours on med-high heat (solid simmer), Stirring occasionally... the "doneness" is really about personal preference. I say, as the expert of this blog, and more certainly the mistress of my own kitchen. When you are tired of waiting and the broth is a little foamy and yellow... it's prob done enough.

When you're done simmering, extract the chicken from the pot and set aside to let cool. Meanwhile, transfer the broth into a blender and pulse the softened onion, parsley, and garlic with broth until smooth, let it sit still for five minutes and then skim the foam (FAT) off the top of the broth, and the result? Amazing, fresh, wonderful, chicken broth; I dare to say far more
flavorful than the store bought box broth :)


Roasting, Dicing, and Chopping:

Ok, after all this, it's time to roast the chili's and start chopping, dicing, and attempting to slice a jalapeno without touching, ninja style. While the whole pot of goodness is simmering and filling our house with delicious Pavlov responses we wonder about anxiously awaiting for it to finish cooking...... the result ? Amazing as you would expect, since I am not about to blog about crap, at least not yet.



Good things come to those who wait, and while I seemingly find it difficult to find patience in many aspects of my life, food, seems to be the one time I can find the patience to learn, and see something from start to finish....It's a nice change from the normal pace of things for me.




Also, on a side note, the cold seems to have Finally come to Tucson, and I've enjoyed a fire two nights in a row now, it was a picture perfect night for chili, YUM.

Williams Sonoma -White Turkey (or Chicken) Chili

Made with chunks of cooked turkey, this hearty chili is a wonderful way to use up leftovers from the Thanksgiving feast. Fresh-baked corn bread is the perfect accompaniment

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 tsp. toasted ground cumin
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
• 1 lb. Anaheim chilies, roasted, peeled and diced,
  or 3 cans (each 7 oz.) whole fire-roasted
  Anaheim chilies, diced
• 4 to 4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth,
  warmed
• 1 lb. diced cooked turkey
• 3 cans (each 15 oz.) cannellini beans, drained
  and rinsed, or 4 1/2 cups cooked white beans,
  drained
• 2 Tbs. minced fresh oregano
• 1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• Shredded jack cheese, sour cream and lime
  wedges for serving

Directions:

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the cumin, garlic and jalapeño and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Stir in the chilies and 3 1/2 cups of the broth, then transfer to a slow cooker. Stir in the turkey, beans, oregano and cilantro.

Put the cornmeal in a small bowl and slowly whisk in 1/2 cup of the broth. Stir the cornmeal mixture into the turkey mixture. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours according to the manufacturer's instructions. Thin the chili with more broth if needed.

Ladle the chili into warmed bowls. Serve with cheese, sour cream and lime wedges. Serves 6 to 8.