Chipotle Chorizo Chili (Also vegetarian option)

This is a great chili. If you are in the mood for something a little different than your regular chili, this is a good alternative, and doesn't taste too different. The smoky flavor of the chipotle chilies and the kick from the chorizo are just the right combination to a black bean chili!

Ingredients:
1 can chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
12 oz (1 package) chorizo - out of casing (you can use more or less, depending on your taste level. I just used the entire package.)
1 white onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
3 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained
1 (8 oz) can no-salt-added whole-kernal corn, drained. You could also use 1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn.
3 (14 oz) cans tomatoes, chopped (either buy whole, peeled and chop yourself, or save a step and buy chopped!) - do not drain!
juice of 1/2 lime
2 tbsp. (a little more, up to 3 tbsp. total, if you like it with a little more kick) chili powder
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1.5 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2.5 oz semi-sweet chocolate (chips or chopped bar)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

**Vegetarian option - I've heard Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo is good and it would definitely work well in place of the meat in this recipe. While the name is misleading -  the direct Spanish translation of Soy Chorizo is "I am Chorizo (pork sausage, flavored with paprika)" - my neighbors are vegetarians and they say TJ meatless chorizo is yummy. Bonus - it is definitely less fat than "real" chorizo!!!

Directions:
1. Remove three chilies from can; chop up. Use only two if you can't take any heat; use four if you like it much spicier.
2. Spray a Dutch Oven thoroughly with cooking spray. Put over medium high heat (medium if cooking over gas).
3. Add chilies, chorizo, onion, peppers and garlic. Cook for 5-10 minutes, until chorizo is starting to crumble and veggies are soft.
4. Add tomatoes, beans, corn, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, oregano and cinnamon.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover. Let simmer for at least 30 minutes, occasionally stirring. It is done after 30 minutes, but I like to let it simmer even longer. In fact, it's really better made the night before so the flavors can really blend together.

6. Once you take it off the stove, stir in the chocolate, salt and pepper. Once the chocolate is melted, it's ready to serve!

I serve topped with chopped onions and a dollop of sour cream. If you like some kick, chop up some fresh jalapeno and serve!

 

 

 

Crockpot whole chicken

This is a great alternative to buying a rotisserie chicken for a lot of reasons - you can be sure of the chicken you're getting (I was recently told that the grocery stores will sometimes put the "about to expire" chickens into the rotisserie), you can cut down on a lot of the fat, and you can season it however you may want!

It's so easy, this is how I do it

Ingredients

1 whole chicken - make sure nothing is
1/2 onion (white or yellow)
1 lemon
2-4 cloves garlic, depending on how much you like garlic!

Spices

2 tsp salt 

2  tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder

 Directions



1. Chop up onion, put on bottom of crockpot
2. Slice lemon. I sliced 3/4 thicker, and put those on the bottom of the crockpot
3. Peel garlic cloves. Place with onion and lemon.

4. Combine all spices in a bowl - or use whatever seasoning you like!



5. Clean the chicken, make sure no giblets, etc., inside.

6. Take the skin off the chicken. This really cuts down on the fat, but because of the way we are cooking it, it doesn't lose flavor or dry out!

7. Rub spices all over the chicken

8. Place the chicken in the crockpot. After this photo, I sliced the remaining lemon thinly and placed on top of chicken with a few sprigs of rosemary.

9. Put crockpot on low and walk away! You don't need to add any liquid, the chicken will cook in its own juices.

I cooked for about 6 hours. You can cook it for as long as you need. Once you take the chicken out, it will literally fall off the bone. I serve it to the family sliced up, and the rest is great for chicken salad.

Enjoy!