Chili Blanco

Jessica's Creamy White Chili

This recipe was given to me by my old high school friend from Europe, Jessica Elza Yucel...and it totally rocks! I have made white chili before, but I really like this one. The combo of cumin, chillies and sour cream really made for an excellent flavor base. I tweaked it a tiny bit...it's hard for me not to tweak recipes :) However, the recipe I will print here is the one she gave me and I will simply write what I did differently at the bottom*. A thought came to me while cooking this today...I wonder how it would taste if I substituted the cream in the recipe for coconut milk? Hmmmm. I think it would be just as good yet adding a subtle background flavor and aroma. If you try it before me...let me know what you thought about it!

You will need:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cans (15-1/2 ounces each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken broth
2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream

*2 crushed garlic cloves

1 tbsp. worcestershire sauce

a sprinkle of paprika for presentation

white cheddar cheese for topping

Directions:

1 In a large saucepan saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink.

2 Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil.

3 Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

4 Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and cream. Serve immediately. Yield: 7 servings.

(Hint: For best results, do not use reduced fat sour cream or cream)