If you are cooking for the big game, I humbly suggest this fabulous recipe. This week has been very hard for me to come up with recipes- so the night before, I have been asking my husband and daughter for ideas. They have come up with some great ones. The night before last my husband suggested a dish with polenta. It got me thinking of the big game and maybe I should post another chili recipe for this weekend.
I went to the market and bought some fresh chicken thighs and drumsticks. I also bought a can of beans because that is what one adds to chili- right? I love beans in chili but it kind of bothers me that both the meat and the beans have the same mushy texture. So, I decided to keep them separate. That is how I came up with this very delicious dish.
I made a sauce with three different dried chillies and cooked the chicken till the meat was falling off the bones. In the meantime, I put the relish together. I am not sure how I came up with the apple idea. I was looking for the crunch factor and since apples are in season- it was an easy choice. I also made some yummy guacamole which I served on top.
Did I mention I served the chili on polenta? Yup, and it was delicious. For the big game, I would suggest corn bread or tortilla chips. Lots of garnishes including shredded cheese, chopped onions and of course the fabulous relish and guacamole. Have fun eating, drinking and watching this Sunday!
- 1 large yellow onion, quartered
- 1 head of garlic, drizzles with olive oil and wrapped in aluminum foil
- Salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the onion and wrapped garlic on a small cookie sheet. Drizzle the onion with some olive oil and salt. Bake for about 30 minutes or till the onion is tender. Squeeze the garlic out and keep aside with onion.
- 1 large dried New Mexico Chili, deseeded
- 1 dried Ancho Chili, deseeded
- 1 dried Chipotle Chili, deseeded
- 2 cups chicken broth
Add the chilies and the broth in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered for 30 minutes.
Add the chilies and liquid into a blender. Add the roasted onion and garlic. Blend till smooth.
- 4 chicken thighs on the bone
- 4 chicken drumsticks
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- Salt
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- Salt
Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour and sprinkle with salt. Heat a saucepan with olive oil. Brown the pieces on both sides on high heat. Keep aside and add the tomato sauce and blended sauce. Bring to a boil and add the chicken pieces back into the pan. Bring to a boil. Lower to simmer and cover with lid. Cook for 45 minutes or till the chicken is falls off the bone. Take the chicken out and take the meat off with a fork, shredding it at the same time. Discard the bones and add the meat to the sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil and test for seasonings. Add salt. Cook till the chili reaches desired consistency. Serve with Spanish rice or some creamy polenta.
Pinto Bean and Apple Relish
- One can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 small Pink Lady apples, chopped
- Juice of one lemon
- 2 teaspoons agave
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon roasted cumin seeds, crushed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
Add the pinto beans and apples into a small serving bowl. Add the lemon juice, agave, olive oil, cumin seeds, salt and cilantro. Mix well and taste for seasonings. Let sit for at least an hour before serving. Serve a few tablespoons on top of the chicken chili and maybe a ladle of guacamole.
This is an ideal dish for Super bowl. Somehow, thinking of the big game- Mexican and Latin cuisines come to mind. This particular one is cooked in mixture of anaheim and poblano peppers. It also has green onions and cilantro. I cooked the mixture down with roasted cumin- which I find even yummier than regular cumin.
My weakness- are potatoes. I love then in potato chips and fries! I try to stay away from them but when I do indulge, I try to make them in a healthy way. I love make oven fries at home with very little oil. I stick with non-caloric flavors like smoked paprika, garlic powder or herbs.
Here is another yummy, healthy chicken dish. This particular one has Latin flavors. I started with marinating the chicken- I do think it is the key to amazing flavor every time. I marinated the chicken in orange juice, lime juice, agave, smoked paprika and garlic. I later made a sauce out of the left over marinade- always a good idea! To thicken the sauce, I dredged the chicken pieces in a bit of flavor before cooking. The dish came together in no time at all and it was delicious.
