Thursday, May 8, 2008

Three-Pepper Chicken Chili

It's been four days since my last post, and I've been trying to post something all week. I've had a busy week though. I am not a person who normally leads a hectic life, but the last few days have left me with no time left over for blogging. I've had deadlines at work and things that needed to be taken care of at home, and everything has to be settled before I leave town this weekend (I'll be spending a long weekend wine-tasting in Shenandoah Valley--yay!). So I won't be posting over the weekend, either. And yet, with all my stressful franticness of the past week, would you believe that, through it all, I kept thinking, I need to write a blog post before I leave for the weekend!

It sounds so silly, but I guess I realized that this little web-space of mine has become part of my daily (or semi-daily) existence, and I hate to leave it neglected. And I hate the thought of people checking my page (I know there are a couple of you out there who do!) and seeing the same tired content for a week straight. So finally—finally—I'm setting some time aside to post.

Last night I came home late from work and got started making some chili. I actually wasn't even hungry--I was too exhausted to have much of an appetite--but it was on the schedule (yes, I keep a meal schedule) and I'd already defrosted the chicken, so I got to cooking. I made Ina's Chicken Chili, which has been on my list forever, patiently waiting its turn, and finally came up in the queue. The Recipe Girl recently made this dish and it turned out fabulously. She served hers up with some chips for scooping—a very delicious idea. I served mine over rice with cornbread on the side.

I don’t know if anyone else has ever eaten their chili over rice, but it's pretty common in my family and sometimes that's what I'll be in the mood for. It's very tasty and pretty budget-friendly, too, as it lets you take a pot of chili and stretch it even further.

I changed the recipe very little, but I did add a seeded, minced jalapeno, hence the “three-pepper” part of the title. I’d like to write out the whole modified version for you, but I have bags to pack and dinner to cook, so I’m going to have to be quick. I sautéed boneless skinless breasts instead of roasting bone-in chicken, just to save time, and I cut out some of the liquid from the canned tomatoes to make the chili a bit chunkier. While the chili was simmering I baked the corn muffins and made the rice. I sautéed a shallot in a bit of butter in a pan before adding the rice and chicken stock (instead of water). When everything was finished I added some rice to a bowl, ladled the chili over the stop, sprinkled it with shredded cheddar and sliced scallions, and tucked a corn muffin along the side. Very filling, very warming. You can get the detailed recipe here.

OK, I’m off. Have a great weekend everyone!

15 comments:

Neen said...

chili over rice; that's a new one for me. Thanks for the recommendation for Veramar... I feel so embarrassed; I didn't realize you were from the area! That being the case, I'm sure you've already been to our favorite dining experience in the Shenandoah valley: the Joshua Wilton House in Harrisonburg. If not, I highly recommend. Have a fabulous weekend, and I look forward to reading a post or so about it next week!

test it comm said...

That pepper chili with cornbread on the side looks good!

Leah said...

I LOVE chili over rice!!

I really like Ina's chicken chili recipe, I've made it a couple of times; your variation looks great too. Nice pepper picture! Have a great weekend away!

Nina Timm said...

I am one of those people who check your blog regularly. You will also see that I try and post everyday for the same reason. I have to constantly be aware of not getting too addicted.

That is most probably the most beautiful picture I have seen of a pepper in a long time.

Neen said...

No way!! Hah-- what are the odds? We also have reservations for Joshua Wilton this weekend, on Saturday and Sunday night!!! That's too funny, especially considering that the place has only 5 rooms! You are absolutely going love Joshua Wilton House. The rooms are so cute, the staff are exceptionally gracious (and the sommelier so skilled! Check out Do's post from 5/2/08 about him), and the food is fantastic. We discovered it last autumn on a romantic wine-tasting weekend/trip to Polyface Farm, and liked it so much that we had dinner there two nights in a row. How fun that you'll be there too! Maybe we'll bump into each other over Sunday morning breakfast (don't be tempted to skip their breakfasts; they're the equivalent of a 3 course, chef-prepared creation), and you guys can tell us all about your wine-tasting adventures from Saturday! :) Oh, how fun.

Anonymous said...

This looks SOOO good! Peppers are seriously my favorite food of all time. this is a winner in my book!

Gretchen Noelle said...

Sounds tasty! I would have never eaten chili with rice before living in Peru, but now hardly a day goes by without rice!

PG said...

I find it amusing that despite not being very hungry, you still stick to your schedule and make a pretty extensive meal. That's some devotion to being organized.

The chicken chili looks good - I haven't experimented with chili but this looks good. I think I recall seeing Recipe Girl's post and thought, at the time, I should really try chili with chicken. This is a 2nd reinforcement....maybe it's a sign.

Must admit - I'm kind of jealous of your weekend adventures. My weekend adventure includes going into work to write...that and learning how to decorate a cake. Maybe if I get in the car now, I might make it to Virginia in time for a wine tasting tomorrow ;)

Anonymous said...

I hope you saved some for me because I'm coming over!

Chef Erik said...

Cornbread looks nice and moist. I will have to try this, but with tofu.

Lore said...

We like to have our chili over rice too. Those cornbreads look really good and yes it would be great if I could stick to my schedule, but unfortunately that doesn't happen very often.
Have fun this weekend :)

Elle said...

I love chili--ALL kinds of chili. And it's gotta be cornbread on the side. Looks delicious!

Have a great weekend!

Fitness Foodie said...

That sounds like a great dish - I love chili. Love the picture.

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Deborah said...

I totally know how you feel. I should be getting my work done before a trip this weekend, but I'm needing my blog fix!!

This chili looks amazing!