An Update and a Recipe

Tuesday, I underwent an outpatient procedure to correct a longstanding annoyance. This was my second attempt -- and may it be the charm! -- but I was still a little bit surprised by how tired I was for the next couple of days, and how much time the post-operative routine would take. Last time, I made the right call and just took the week off from blogging.

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As the resident chef of the Van Horn Estate, and knowing I'd be limited in my range of activities later in the week, I made a few meals ahead of time, including trying out a recipe I heard of through the following comment on a post at Ask a Manager on "When Office Potlucks and Catered Parties Go Wrong:"

My department used to have an annual fundraiser chili cookoff, and one year I entered my "Five Ingredient Chicken Chili" (beans, chicken, cumin, a jar of salsa verde, and chicken broth) and won first prize. There was MUCH grumbling from the folks who had spent hours or even days lovingly crafting their more traditional chilis with special chili peppers and spices and whatnot. Grumbling I heard was along the lines of "salsa verde has more than five ingredients in it", "that's not real chili", etc. Even an exec whose chili was one of the complicated ones, who was usually very kind and friendly with me, came over to sneer at my chili. But, I showed them all: I entered the same chili the following year and won again. I took pity on all of them and didn't enter again. But I still have the trophies.

Well, if it was that easy to make and won two contests, I had to try it.

It was a hit.

Everybody likes it, especially my son, the picky eater, which was quite amusing considering how repulsive it looked to me.

It's pretty easy to find variants online, but I'll toss out my own here. Note that, since everything but the (optional) cheese comes off the grocery shelf, this is one you can have on hand all the time.

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Quick Chicken Chili

Preparation Time is 30 minutes.

Ingredients

chicken stock, 48 oz.
canned chicken, 12.5 oz., 3
pinto beans, 15 oz., 4
mild salsa verde, 16 oz.
cumin, 2 tbsp
jalapeno slices, jar (optional)
shredded cheese (optional)
tortilla chips (optional)

Directions

1. Combine first five ingredients in pot.

2. Simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Serve with Mexican-type toppings and tortilla chips.

Notes

1. Cooking time is primarily due to the need to reach simmering temperature.

-- CAV