Rotisserie Chicken Chili

I've been wanting to make a white chili for a while, and some leftover rotisserie chicken provided the perfect "excuse" - and many of the additions are there because of what was in my frig at the time! I'm very happy with the result, tasty and just as full of chicken as I wanted. As always, at least with cooking as opposed to baking, feel free to change things up a bit to fit what's in your frig today. 

Ingredients: 

1 Tbs olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup yellow pepper, chopped

1 can Ortega type chopped mild chili peppers

1 can butter beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder, use more or less to taste

1/2 tsp paprika

3 cups water or chicken broth

1 Tbs chicken stock mix, if not using chicken broth

1 Tbs yellow miso

1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup corn

1 rotisserie chicken breast, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1 avocado, chopped

1/2 cup Mexican cheese shreds, or dairy free alternative

1/4 cup cilantro

Directions: 

Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot or cast-iron soup pot. Add the onion, garlic, and peppers and cook until the onions begin to turn translucent and the peppers soften. Add the chili peppers, butter beans, and spices. Taste your chili powder. Some have quite a bit of heat, while others are very mild. Use a potato masher to mash the butter beans. Add the liquids, chicken stock or water and miso. Add the cannellini beans, corn, and chicken. Heat until everything is hot. Taste, adding salt and pepper to taste, along with more chili powder if it isn't spicy enough for you. Serve in bowls, topping with avocado, cheese and cilantro. 

Serves 4 

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Mashing the butter beans midway through the cooking process will thicken the chili. White chili is usually thickened with a combination of salty chips and sour cream. The mashed beans healthy it up just a little bit!

Turkey Orzo Soup

Here's an easy to make, and easy to eat, soup that hits all the right notes. It's filling, tasty, and healthy, too. This has that Italian MOP combo, you know - mushrooms, onions, and peppers, as its base, along with turkey, then adds orzo as the grain. If you don't eat gluten, see the notes below. There are some great gluten free options available. 

Ingredients: 

1 tsp olive oil

8 oz ground turkey

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped red pepper

1/2 cup chopped mushrooms

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

3 cups low sodium chicken stock

1 can tomatoes, finely chopped

1/2 cup orzo or gluten free orzo

2 cups chopped spinach

salt and pepper to taste

fresh basil or parsley as garnish

Directions: 

Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed soup pot. Add the ground turkey and cook for several minutes until no longer pink. Add the onion, pepper, mushrooms, garlic, and spices and cook several more minutes until the onions turn translucent and the mushrooms begin to give off their liquid. Add the chicken stock and tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Add the orzo and cook until the orzo is al dente, about 5 minutes for wheat orzo and up to 14 minutes for gluten free casava orzo. Add the spinach and simmer another minute until the spinach wilts. Taste the soup, adding salt and pepper to taste. Serve, garnishing with fresh herbs. 

Serves 4

Stealthy Cooking Tip: My favorite gluten free orzo is by Jovial and is made from casava flour. It cooks up and tastes much like wheat-based orzo. However, there is one way it doesn't act like orzo containing gluten. Gluten based orzo holds up well overnight, with flavors melding beautifully. However, Jovial orzo tends to break down when it sits overnight. The flavors still meld, resulting in a deeper, more complex flavor, but the orzo breaks apart into small rice like pieces.  This makes the soup much thicker. Just add some water to make your leftovers soup like ... or enjoy it as a tasty stew!