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 Rare Treat

Today's view of An Rinn from Lookout Park                                            photo by Kathleen Keegan

He spreads the snow like wool
   and scatters the frost like ashes.

Psalm 147:16 

I awoke today to a flurry filled sight, a rarity for us on this southeast coast of Ireland.  It was so beautiful, and even though it was a small amount, I was breathless for a moment.

The first thing I saw this morning, snowy rooftops.

 After taking this picture barefooted on my balcony, I was really breathless - from the cold!  While it may not compare to such extremes elsewhere, this is dramatic here and when you mix freezing temps with the wind blowing in off the sea it is FIERCE!

I immediately texted my friend Katie to see if she wanted to step out an enjoy the beauty.  We stood at the harbour on which my small town sits, took a few snaps and went for a Saturday lunch out.  We talked about things God is doing in our lives.  Then we went for a short drive to the hills and we took more pictures.  We finished our adventure back in town with mugs of hot chocolate, with plenty of marshmallows of course.

On the hill with my town and the sea behind me.

I have spoken a bit about God's provision and faithfulness in recent posts and it is a motif often repeated in the Bible as well.  God is ever showing us His nature in the nature around us, in the relationships we have formed and especially through His Word.  He is the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Mighty One.  Psalm 147 gives a whole list of things that express the greatness of God.  Let us begin this new week the way David began this Psalm.  Let us praise Him!

Praise the LORD.

   How good it is to sing praises to our God,
   how pleasant and fitting to praise him!

 Psalm 147:1

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