michael-in-phoenix
Well-known member
...for posting the link to the Chef2Chef website. I tried this recipe from their newsletter. One major change I made was to use Chicken Chipotle sausages from Trader Joe's instead of the chorizo the recipe calls for. I'm sure this would be good with chorizo, but I have never found a ready-made chorizo that I like, and most of them are so salty and fatty that I don't even try anymore!
This recipe only gets better the longer it sits in the fridge. I like this A LOT, and plan to keep some on hand most of the time. It fits my diet, and I'm sure it freezes well. My tweaks are at the bottom.
Chicken Chili and Barley Casserole
This flavorful dish, which bridges the gap between chicken chili and a baked casserole, is a hit with all family members. It is a great dish for those evenings when everyone is coming and going at different times. Just leave the slow cooker setting on warm and the fixings for salad.
Makes 8 servings
Equipment:
Large (minimum 5 quart) slow cooker
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon/15 ml cumin seeds, toasted (see tips below)
1 tablespoon/15 ml olive oil
2 fresh chorizo sausages, casings removed and crumbled (about 4 ounce/125 g total)
2 onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon/5 ml dried oregano leaves, crumbled
1 teaspoon/5 ml cracked black peppercorns
1 can (28 ounce/796 ml) tomatoes, including juice, coarsely chopped
2 cups/500 ml chicken stock
1 cup/250 ml whole (hulled) or pot barley, rinsed
1 can (14 to 19 ounce/398 to 540 ml) white beans, drained and rinsed (see note below)
1 pound/500 g boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces
2 red bell peppers, diced
2 teaspoons/10 ml chili powder, dissolved in 1 tablespoon/15 ml lime juice (see tips below)
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced, optional (see tips below)
1 to 2 avocados, diced (see tips below)
2 tablespoons/25 ml freshly squeezed lime juice
salt, optional
finely chopped red onion and cilantro
Preparation:
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add sausage and onions and cook, stirring, until onions are softened and no hint of pink remains in sausage, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, peppercorns and toasted cumin and cook, stirring, for 1 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice and bring to a boil. Transfer to slow cooker stoneware.
Add chicken stock, barley, beans and chicken and stir well. Cover and cook on Low for 6 hours or on High for 3 hours, until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a fork and barley is tender. Stir in bell peppers, chili powder solution and jalapeño pepper, if using. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, until peppers are tender.
Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine avocados, lime juice and salt to taste, if using. To serve, ladle casserole onto plates, top with avocado mixture and garnish with onion and cilantro.
Make ahead:
This dish can be partially prepared before it is cooked. Complete Step 1. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for up to 2 days. When you are ready to cook, continue with Steps 2 and 3.
Tips:
To toast cumin seeds, place seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring, until fragrant and seeds just begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Immediately transfer to a mortar or a spice grinder and grind.
Although they tend to be high in fat, used in moderation, sausages are an easy way to add flavor to any dish. The problem is, many contain unwanted additives. It’s worth seeking out a source that sells additive-free sausages made from naturally raised meat or, failing that, to explore making your own.
Just about any chili powder works well in this recipe: ancho, New Mexico or a prepared blend.
Chorizo is usually quite spicy so add the jalapeño only if you are a heat seeker.
I have included a range in the quantity of avocados because they vary so much in size. Use two if yours are extremely small. One if it is large.
Note:
If you are watching your intake of sodium make your own chicken stock with no added salt and use 1 cup/250 ml cooked dried white beans instead of the canned.
Source: The Healthy Slow Cooker
**************
MY NOTES:
I used 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cumin. I already had a small batch of toasted and ground cumin that was fresh, so I didn't have to toast and grind as the recipe says.
I used Chicken Chipotle sausages instead of chorizo. They were fully cooked, so I removed the casings and pulsed them in my food processor until it looked like coarse ground hamburger. I added the sausage after the onions had already cooked for a couple of minutes, then proceeded with the recipe.
I ended up using more like 4 cups of chicken stock, adding the extra two cups towards the end of cooking. It seemed a bit dry.
I used an EXCELLENT chile powder from Santa Cruz Chile & Spice Company. They are a venerable, family-owned company that turns out some wonderful ground chile products. I have provided a link for you all to check out the stuff. I used more like a rounded tablespoon instead of the two teaspoons the recipe calls for.
I did add the optional minced seeded jalapeno.
I didn't bother with the garnish. Not really needed I think, but I'm sure it would taste fine and look nice, especially for company.
Enjoy!
Michael
http://www.santacruzchili.com/home.html
This recipe only gets better the longer it sits in the fridge. I like this A LOT, and plan to keep some on hand most of the time. It fits my diet, and I'm sure it freezes well. My tweaks are at the bottom.
Chicken Chili and Barley Casserole
This flavorful dish, which bridges the gap between chicken chili and a baked casserole, is a hit with all family members. It is a great dish for those evenings when everyone is coming and going at different times. Just leave the slow cooker setting on warm and the fixings for salad.
Makes 8 servings
Equipment:
Large (minimum 5 quart) slow cooker
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon/15 ml cumin seeds, toasted (see tips below)
1 tablespoon/15 ml olive oil
2 fresh chorizo sausages, casings removed and crumbled (about 4 ounce/125 g total)
2 onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon/5 ml dried oregano leaves, crumbled
1 teaspoon/5 ml cracked black peppercorns
1 can (28 ounce/796 ml) tomatoes, including juice, coarsely chopped
2 cups/500 ml chicken stock
1 cup/250 ml whole (hulled) or pot barley, rinsed
1 can (14 to 19 ounce/398 to 540 ml) white beans, drained and rinsed (see note below)
1 pound/500 g boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces
2 red bell peppers, diced
2 teaspoons/10 ml chili powder, dissolved in 1 tablespoon/15 ml lime juice (see tips below)
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced, optional (see tips below)
1 to 2 avocados, diced (see tips below)
2 tablespoons/25 ml freshly squeezed lime juice
salt, optional
finely chopped red onion and cilantro
Preparation:
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add sausage and onions and cook, stirring, until onions are softened and no hint of pink remains in sausage, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, peppercorns and toasted cumin and cook, stirring, for 1 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice and bring to a boil. Transfer to slow cooker stoneware.
Add chicken stock, barley, beans and chicken and stir well. Cover and cook on Low for 6 hours or on High for 3 hours, until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a fork and barley is tender. Stir in bell peppers, chili powder solution and jalapeño pepper, if using. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, until peppers are tender.
Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine avocados, lime juice and salt to taste, if using. To serve, ladle casserole onto plates, top with avocado mixture and garnish with onion and cilantro.
Make ahead:
This dish can be partially prepared before it is cooked. Complete Step 1. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for up to 2 days. When you are ready to cook, continue with Steps 2 and 3.
Tips:
To toast cumin seeds, place seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring, until fragrant and seeds just begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Immediately transfer to a mortar or a spice grinder and grind.
Although they tend to be high in fat, used in moderation, sausages are an easy way to add flavor to any dish. The problem is, many contain unwanted additives. It’s worth seeking out a source that sells additive-free sausages made from naturally raised meat or, failing that, to explore making your own.
Just about any chili powder works well in this recipe: ancho, New Mexico or a prepared blend.
Chorizo is usually quite spicy so add the jalapeño only if you are a heat seeker.
I have included a range in the quantity of avocados because they vary so much in size. Use two if yours are extremely small. One if it is large.
Note:
If you are watching your intake of sodium make your own chicken stock with no added salt and use 1 cup/250 ml cooked dried white beans instead of the canned.
Source: The Healthy Slow Cooker
**************
MY NOTES:
I used 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cumin. I already had a small batch of toasted and ground cumin that was fresh, so I didn't have to toast and grind as the recipe says.
I used Chicken Chipotle sausages instead of chorizo. They were fully cooked, so I removed the casings and pulsed them in my food processor until it looked like coarse ground hamburger. I added the sausage after the onions had already cooked for a couple of minutes, then proceeded with the recipe.
I ended up using more like 4 cups of chicken stock, adding the extra two cups towards the end of cooking. It seemed a bit dry.
I used an EXCELLENT chile powder from Santa Cruz Chile & Spice Company. They are a venerable, family-owned company that turns out some wonderful ground chile products. I have provided a link for you all to check out the stuff. I used more like a rounded tablespoon instead of the two teaspoons the recipe calls for.
I did add the optional minced seeded jalapeno.
I didn't bother with the garnish. Not really needed I think, but I'm sure it would taste fine and look nice, especially for company.
Enjoy!
Michael
http://www.santacruzchili.com/home.html
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