Why Not! White Chili

I'll probably post about the Thanksgiving Feast at DCF tomorrow, once I have some pics loaded.  Because we were feeding a huge group, we had two turkeys and a ham.  My 22lb bird was the second to be eaten after the first disappeared completely within the first 45 minutes.  This means that I got to bring home any leftover bits.  It looked well-devoured, but there's a lot of meat in a bird that size.  Five days later, I have been eating nothing but turkey and still have a bowl full left.

We are in the midst of a freak cold snap here in Ireland, so anything that warms the body is appealing.  So for some variety (and warmth!), I decided a white chili would be ideal.  Afterall, it's turning white outside.  Why not inside too!

 

Since this chili is made with turkey and uses a white sauce instead of a beef/tomato combo,  I didn't need to have such a robust bean as the kidney bean.  I chose butter beans which would suit the milder flavors.  You could use any white bean really.  Just because it's white chili doesn't mean it ALL has to be white, so why not also have a tin of mixed beans for color and flavor?  The red pepper is also a bit sweeter than green, so I chose this to complement the poultry.  I also don't know if many folk put mushrooms in their chili, but I love them in almost anything, so why not put them in too!

I started by sweating the onions, garlic, chili and mushrooms in a tsp of oil in the bottom of my soup pan.  I'm all about one-pot wonders.  

Then I made a roux.  I added a TBSP of each butter and flour right into the mix with the sweated veg and slowly added small bits of milk stirring vigorously as I did.  You'll see the sauce begin to thicken straight away.  I'm sure most folk would use turkey stock instead of milk to thicken, but I haven't yet made my stock.  So milk worked fine and still got thick.   I also added salt and a good bit of cumin.

Next I added the turkey, the tins of beans, and a tin of sweet corn.  This is where you would add more stock slowly while stirring to bring more liquid into the large amount of ingredients.  As I said before, I haven't made stock yet, so I just used some of the homemade gravy leftover from the turkey and then water.  Why not.  It worked fine.  I added more cumin, chili, salt and pepper as needed and let it simmer away for a while.

 

Topped off with some white cheddar (because I like my cheese without artificial colors) and sour cream, the only thing it is missing is some fresh cilantro and avocado.  I'm out of the cilantro and my avocado isn't ripe yet, but I'm hungry so I'm going ahead and eating.  Why not!

It may look meek and mild, but don't be fooled.  This chili can pack some heat which is just perfect for this white weather.  And it used up some of those leftovers!  Yipee tai yai yo!

A Good Day

These days I find myself exhausted constantly because of some health problems with which I have been dealing.  So when my morning meeting was canceled and I knew that the day would go at a slower pace, I'll admit I was a little relieved.   I was able to get a good amount done before heading to Harbour Mill House for our Tea and Coffee Drop-in.  I caught this bit of sky on my way there.

 

Here is another view from the quay on which Harbour Mill House sits.

It's beautiful isn't it!  Of course only in Ireland can you have this sunny day with only a few clouds, and still be rained on while standing in a freezing wind!  After running a few errands, I returned home to my kitchen filled with the tempting smells of the morning's labours.  

I had sweated some onions, carrots, celery and a parsnip in a bit of olive oil with salt and garlic.

  I always make sure to use the leafy bits of celery as well as they seem to add a lot of flavor and also look pretty floating in broth.  Of course I had to use some fresh sage from my summer container garden.

Then came the remains of the roasted chicken I had made for company on Sunday.  Irish chickens are amazing, so juicy and full of flavor.   It doesn't look so amazing with most of it gone, but any soup lover knows the potential of such a thing.

Topped off with water and some seasoning and it remained simmering until I left.  Now at home I sit in silence.  It was a calm day, but productive and not rushed.  I am tired, but not broken.  I am thankful.  I am breathing.

I am happy to be in this moment...

in my warm home with this bowl of soup

under this evening sky.

This moment is linked with others at

Choup!

Well the rain has finally settled in and Ireland is feeling, well... more Irish.  I had some dried chickpeas so I decided to make one of my all-time favorite soups to warm myself up.  It's another easy one-pot wonder that I first tasted at Lorita's house shortly a couple of years ago.   I don't know if we even make it the same way, since I was in such a rush to try it at home that I forgot to get a recipe or even a name.  So this is my take on it.  I call it Choup because frankly it's easier than saying Chickpea Chorizo Chili Soup, besides it's more fun.  Doesn't it just beg for the exclamation point!  Choup!

It's not the greatest shot, but I was already eating when I remembered to snap this.  I didn't want it to get cold trying for the perfect pic!  Can you blame me?

Try it for yourself:

Soak dried chickpeas overnight, drain and rinse.  You can use canned chickpeas if you want to skip the soaking, just be sure to drain and rinse.

In a large soup pot put about 1-2 TBSP olive oil and turn to medium heat.
          1      Onion, thinly sliced
          3-4   Carrots, diced
          1      Potato, large diced   OR   1/2  Turnip (aka Rutabaga or Swede) diced
                  Garlic
                  Salt
Cook together until onions are sweated.  Then add:
          about 2/3 C  Chorizo, diced 
                  or however much you want really - I probably used just over a half cup
          about 3 C or 2 tins Chickpeas, well drained and rinsed
Stir together and cook for just a few minutes.  Then add:
          1 Tin of diced tomatoes 
                  I cheated with some halved cherry tomatoes and 2TBSP tomato paste 
          Water - have it come up a couple inches higher than just covering 
          Cayenne Chili Pepper (optional)
          Salt & Pepper  to taste
Cover and cook until chickpeas are tender.

This is the perfect soup because it is warm, hearty, and full of flavor despite being so simple.  The carrots and tomatoes bring a lot of sweetness, the chili brings some heat, while the chorizo adds a saltiness and fills the soup with its smoked paprika flavor.  The chickpeas also make it really filling.

Go on, try it.  Don't forget to tell me what you think!

Peppy Fulfills His Purpose

I love autumn.  It is by far my favorite season.  I love the cool crispness in the air, the earthy tones of gold everywhere and the smell of fireplaces in the evening when the sun sets much earlier than just a month or two before.