Cincinnati Chili

Football post season is in full swing. Playoffs today.  One must have football food.  I was in the mood for chili and cornbread.  I typically go for my healthy turkey chili.  The family does not like it that much due to the healthy part.  It has turkey - duh - mushrooms, peppers, jalapeños,  beans.  Anyway, we are a big fan of Cincinnati chili at Hard Times Cafe.  This recipe I tried to follow, but when I got to the Food Network's version of unsweetened chocolate...I didn't have any.  Why would I have not sweet chocolate??  Anyway, I tried to counter with 1/4 a Hershey's bar, but the cider vinegar and Worcestershire sauce had too much sour.  Hence another 1/4 of the Hershey's bar.  The flavor of the chili is complex, sweet with a hint of spice.  We may have it again for Super Bowl.  Enjoy!

Adapted from:  Food Network

Ingredients

Complex, sweet with a hint of spice

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons sweet paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck

1 tablespoon Kosher salt

1 6-ounce can tomato sauce

1 cup diced tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1/2 Hershey's chocolate bar

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Freshly ground pepper

12 ounces cooked spaghett

1 19-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 pound grated cheddar cheese

Directions

1.  Heat the oil in a medium Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add chopped onions and the garlic and cook until soft, stirring, about 5 minutes. 

2.  Add the chili powder, paprika, cumin, allspice, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne and cloves. Cook, stirring, until fragrant. Add the beef and cook the mixture, stirring, until the beef is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon salt.

3.  Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, bay leaf and 1 1/2 cups water; simmer the mixture, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thicker. Add the chocolate, vinegar and Worcestershire and cook until the mixture is thickened but still soupy, about 15 more minutes.  Add the kidney beans and then simmer for 15 more minutes.  

4.  Discard the bay leaf and season the chili with the freshly ground pepper. Divide the spaghetti among bowls and top with chopped onion and cheddar. Serve with cornbread.

Spicy Chicken & White Bean Chili

Football means football food.  I have made various types of chili in the past... Cincinnati chili, Turkey chili.  I have never tired chicken chili.  This recipe appealed to me recently because it clearly uses the dark meat of a chicken.  I really do think white meat chicken might make the chili kind of dry.  The other reason this recipe appealed to me is that it didn't have to stew and cook all day to get flavor.  I was able to use my Vitamix twice while making the chili which is a win-win in my books!  I upped the chilpotles in this recipe to 3.  The heat is nice although it might make you sweat if you don't have a beer handy to wash it down!  In case you are wondering this might not be a kid-friendly meal if you kick up the heat!

Adapted from: Fine Cooking

Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado, cut in a medium dice
1 large white onion, finely diced
Juice of 2 limes, about 6 Tbs.
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 14-1/2-oz. can diced tomatoes
3 chipotles, plus 2 Tbs. adobo sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce
1-1/2 lb. boneless, skiness chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat, or 3-1/2 cups shredded
store-roasted chicken
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. chili powder
1-1/2 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 cup lager beer, such as Corona
Additional toppings: Sour cream
Serve with Cornbread

Directions:
1.  Make the topping by toss the avocado, about one-quarter of the onion, 2-1/2 Tbs. of the lime juice, and 2 Tbs. of the cilantro, salt and pepper to taste and put aside for garnishing later.
2.  In a food processor/Vitamix, combine 1 cup of the beans, the tomatoes and their juice, the chipotles,
and adobo sauce and process until smooth. Set aside.
3.  Season the chicken with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it's shimmering hot. Add the chicken (the thighs
should just fit, evenly spaced) and sear without touching until golden brown, 3 to 4
minutes. Flip and cook the other side until also golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a large plate and let rest for 10 minutes.
4.  Take the pot off the heat and set aside. When the chicken has rested, shred it by hand or chop
it coarsely.
5.  Return the pot to medium-high heat. Add the remaining onion to the pot and cook, stirring,
until the onion begins to brown and soften, about 3 minutes. Add the chili powder and cumin
and stir for 20 seconds.
6.  Add the beer and cook, scraping the dutch oven with a wooden spoon to incorporate any browned bits, until it almost completely reduces, 3 to 4 minutes.
7.  Add the remaining white beans and the puréed bean mixture and bring to a boil. Stir in the chicken
along with any accumulated juices on the bottom of the plate.
8.  Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes so the chicken finishes cooking and the flavors mix and meld. Stir in 1-1/4 cup of the cilantro and the remaining lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
9.  Ladle into large bowls and serve immediately with a generous spoonful of the avocado
mixture, a dollop of sour cream (if using), and a sprinkling of the remaining cilantro.

Serve with cornbread.