Eat Great: Chili Blanco

-
For a while I have been trying to eat healthier, not in a diet sense just eating better, eating Well. Mostly that means cooking with fresher, local, organic ingredients (even growing my own) without really worries about taking food out like no meat, no carbs, etc. If anything it has been more a 'anything in moderation' type where I have limited them instead - less red meat, less carbs, less sugar, etc. Only recently did I go to what could be considered a diet but I consider more of a lifestyle change - but that is its own post. Since I like cooking and that means modifying or creating recipes, and I still like man-friendly food, I will start to post my creations here for others to use or inspire them to make their own creations. The first entry is a healthier version of a very man-friendly food: chili.


It is a take on a type you probably have seen - white chicken chili. Poultry is seen as healthier than red meat (unless you get free-range beef), but that is not necessarily true - instead the replacement is more for the flavor profile than difference in health. This is just about making a white versus red chili. You can pick if you prefer chicken or turkey, heck you could even skip the meat altogether. To make the white sauce I use coconut milk for its many benefits mainly being high in omega fatty acids (3, 6 & 9) instead of chicken broth or even canned cream of (pick your choice) soup depending on the recipe. Garbanzo beans, also known as chickpeas, are included with white beans for additional nutrition from protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals including Vitamin K. It may sound like we are getting close to a curry, but trust me, the coconut milk in the end is barely noticeable and the garbanzos are like any other legume (bean). OK, I'll be honest it does have a sort of a fusion taste to it, a little more exotic than standard Southwest/Tex-Mex  - but it already is white versus tomato-based chili anyway.

Chili Blanco

2 tbs olive oil
1/2 medium white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, minced
2 celery sticks, chopped

1 lb ground poultry (chicken or turkey)
1 tbsp cumin

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 13.5 oz can coconut milk
1 15oz can white beans
1 15 oz can garbanzos/chickpeas
1 cup frozen corn

  • Heat Oil in large pot
  • Sautee onion, garlic, jalapeño and celery until onion translucent - about 5 minutes
  • Add meat (if used) with cumin and cilantro and cook through
  • Add coconut milk and bring to simmer
  • Add beans (white and garbanzo) and corn
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Simmer at least ten to fifteen minutes - the longer the better

To Top or not to Top

The chili is done and ready to serve. The question is whether to add toppings or not. Even with regular chili there are different preferences usually from the choices of cheese, sour cream, and raw onions among others.  You could add avocado for flavor and health benefits with similar healthy fats to the coconut milk used. It's really up to you.

It's my recipe so what did I top it with? I added Mexican shredded cheese, fresh chopped cilantro for some brightness of flavor, and the aforementioned avocado diced up.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

No Festivals That Cancel Aren't Taking Away Your Freedom

-
Image
A photo of the street festival I organize.  We saw them all last year, and they are cropping up again this year. Festivals small and large cancelling. A common reaction, at least in social media announcement post comments is something like this: "Why don't you just have the festivals? If people want to go, they will go." Is it that simple? Just hold the festival and let however many people are comfortable going show up? Of course it's not. But people with this reaction won't even take a minute to ponder the consequences, and not from a public health standpoint but to the festival itself. They have no idea what it takes to put one on and what is involved and what you can lose if you even have only 75%, let alone 50% or less attendance. Or if they even have the capability to put it on still.  Let's take a quick, very quick, look at what goes into making this decision.
Read more

Starship Analogy: Acceptance By A Skeptical Introvert

-
Image
Yesterday I attended a sold out concert in an amphitheater. While I generally enjoyed myself, the experience made me not only accept that I am an introvert, but it inspired what I think is an analogy that may help non-introverts, aka extroverts, understand what its like to be introverted. Or should I say capital I Introverted? I call it the Starship Analogy, based on how deflector shields are typically described in science fiction.  I'll explain it a bit later. First, let's talk about the whole Introvert thing.
Read more

Whataboutism and the attack on the Capitol

-
Image
cr. AP J. Scott Applewhite In the realm of politics in America, in a two party system that easily lends itself to us vs. them reactions, cries of hypocrisy are common. I find myself using the term probably too often. Yes, often there are cases where each side can show the other side does the same thing. But, l et's be clear, there is no false equivalency whataboutism that can compare yesterday to the protests of 2020. The events of January 6th were a planned (and further incited) attack on THE Capitol of the nation, the representatives inside, and the process of the official, final selection of the next administration. The response by law enforcement to the event, once which again was an attack on the People's House - the seat of our national government - was far from equitable to other protests.
Read more