All content copyright Katrina Hall 2008 through 2025

Monday, February 23, 2009

blackout chili






Just as I was starting to make this chili last night, the house went dark. When the power didn't come back on after close to an hour, you could hear a collective groan from the region, which was hit hard in the December ice storm.
I grabbed a flashlight and went upstairs to get some more blankets, threw them on the bed as best I could in the dark, pulled on my sweatpants and a turtleneck - and went to bed.
This morning, with heat, power, and a sunnier disposition I went to work on what I was now calling Blackout Chili.
It's a colorful chili, made with red or yellow sweet peppers, chicken ( leftovers are fine, otherwise just poach a chicken breast or two and cut into chunks), red and black beans, and a nice broth fragrant with cumin and chiles, rosemary and basil. Often served with a crumble of goat cheese and parsley, you can just as easily serve plain or with scoops of Uncle Ben's - or the traditional shredded cheese and sour cream.
To make:
A large, heavy bottomed pot
4 T. olive or vegetable oil
1 onion, large dice
1 yellow or red pepper, seeded and sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
4 fat cloves garlic, pressed
1 T. or more cumin
2 t. chili powder
1. t oregano
large pinch red pepper flakes
1 t. or more basil
a few sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 large can black beans, drained
1 large can red beans, drained
2 cups diced canned tomatoes with juice
1 can chicken stock
1-2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1-2 t. Worcestershire sauce
2 T. butter ( optional)
Hot sauce ( optional)
Heat the oil in the pot.
Add the peppers , celery and onion and saute. A little scorching is fine.
Add the garlic, cumin, red pepper flakes, chili powder. Stir well.
Add the beans, chicken stock, tomatoes, oregano, basil, butter, chicken, and rosemary to the pot.
Add the Worcestershire sauce.
Add water to about two inches or so above the chili and turn heat to simmer. Cover pot and check every once in a while, making sure there's enough liquid and the chili isn't burning.
Cook for about 45 minutes.
Taste carefully before serving - it often needs salt, pepper, hot sauce, basil, and cumin.
Serve with rice or crumbled goat cheese, or the traditional cheese and sour cream.
Enjoy - and Happy almost Mardi Gras!

14 comments:

K Allrich said...

Your Blackout Chili looks beautiful. Perfect for a night without power.

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Karina! Can do without any more power outages! Happy I was this morning to find it on - and make this chili in time for lunch. Winter! ( there should be a grrrrr on the end of "winter" this year)

Terry at Blue Kitchen said...

Looks beautiful and sounds delicious! I'm particularly intrigued by the addition of rosemary. With so much else going on, I'm sure it's just a minor note, but an interesting one.

Anonymous said...

Terry - I put fresh rosemary in a lot of things, but always in any bean dishes. I keep a large plant right in the kitchen for fresh picking ( and it's flowering right now). I also often use dried or fresh dill instead of basil, since they're both sweet and fragrant.

Anonymous said...

Hi Katrina! Maybe I'll be the first to wish you HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

(I'm leaving on vacation very early tomorrow so I didn't want to miss my chance to wish you a happy day!)

Hope you have a wonderful b'day!

Martha said...

It looks great -- love chili and I'll have to try this next time I make it.

Anonymous said...

Have a fabulous vacation, Barb - I hope you're going somewhere warm:)

And thank you for remembering my birthday! My sister sent me the Les Halles cookbook and I can't wait to read it!

Anonymous said...

Martha - I'm delighted you enjoyed this twist on traditional chili - thanks!

Corrinne said...

Wow! This looks really good. I've never head of topping a Chili with goat cheese but I love the idea! I work with Chavrie fresh goat cheese and it's great to see a new and unique recipe! Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Corrinne! This came about because my sister left a large log of fresh goat cheese in the fridge, and it needed using up. I love the tangy, slightly melted texture and taste with the chili!

Maria said...

Thanks for visiting our blog! I am glad I found yours! What a great chili for a cold day!!

chua said...

It sounds very creative from your side. This is something very new to me. This recipe is really going to keep me busy in the kitchen with all its glamor. This is another must for the weekend! My kids would just hug me for this.

katrina said...

Belated thanks, Maria! I just found your comment - and, remembering back to February, sure am happy it's now Spring here. Still chili season, with cool mornings and chilly evenings, though.

katrina said...

chua, delighted you enjoyed! I have no idea if you have the ingredients in Thailand, but hope you and your kids get to try this. Many thanks for swinging by!