Crock-Pot Chicken Chili

So I have been standing in front of my pantry and couldn't decide what to cook for dinner. I have a lot of canned goods I wanna get rid off. I'm not really a fan of canned goods, I like to cook ingredients that are either fresh or frozen fresh. But my canned goods have been in the pantry for so long that I have to either cook them or get rid of them.  Too many canned kidney beans, pinto beans etc etc.  And I thought , hmmm, might as well make chili.  I haven't tried cooking chili before. I like it but then I never tried experimenting on it.  I recently had the turkey chili of Panera Bread and it was so good!!!.  But when I looked at my freezer, I don't have ground turkey, or ground chicken. But I have whole chicken. So why not use it right? It's still chicken anyway!!

And since I have to go somewhere and couldn't stay for hours for chili to simmer, I decided to cook it in my Crock-Pot. So how did my experiment go? Awesome!!! I think it was good! Sophie even had it for lunch and dinner until the next day.  I topped it over a pasta ( I used rigatoni, although penne or mostaciolli also pairs nicely with chili). So that was our last night's dinner ... and today's lunch.. and I'm sure chili is for dinner tonight..

Chili, is a stew that mainly consists of chili peppers, ground beef, tomatoes and and beans. It is also called chili con carne, which means chili peppers with meat. Some seasonings like cumen or paprika is used for added flavor. It is the official dish of Texas. Several versions have been done in the dish. Vegetarian chili uses vegetable meat or tofu. White chili doesn't have tomatoes, and uses turkey meat. Chili verde, or green chili uses tomatillos and roaster green chili peppers.

Below is the recipe for my Crock-Pot dinner.  But hey,.for those of you who doesn't have slow cooker, no problem, you can cook on stove top.

Ingredients

1        whole   chicken ( or 2 lbs ground turkey/chicken)
3        pcs        carrots, peeled and cut into small squares
3        stalks    celery, chopped
3        cans      beans (kidney beans, pinto beans or navy beans)
3        pcs        bayleaves
1        pc          medium onion, chopped
3        cloves  garlic, chopped
2        cans      tomato sauce
3        tsp         ground pepper
2        tsp         salt
1        tbsp       cayenne pepper
2        tsp          dried oregano leaves
1        cup         water
1        lb            cooked pasta (rigatoni, penne or mostaciolli)

Procedure

1. In your Crock-Pot, arrange the carrots, celery and onion and garlic.
2. Place the whole chicken on top.
3. Add the salt, pepper, bay leaves and dried oregano.
4. Add the water.
5. Simmer for 4-6 hours on high.
6. When the chicken is cooked, transfer to a big bowl and pull the meat from the bone. Shred the meat and transfer back to the pot.
7. Add the canned beans, tomato sauce and cayenne pepper.
8. Simmer for another 2 -3 hours on high.
9. Serve over rice or cooked pasta.

Stir Fry Tofu and Brocolli

There is nothing faster to cook than stir fry. In 10-15 minutes you will have a decent meal. It is fast and easy to make. I would cook stir fry most of the time, especially if I'm in a hurry and only have less than an hour to cook.

I have tofu and brocolli in the fridge. And thought of cooking stir fry tofu and brocolli. It only takes less than 20minutes to make. I always get the firm tofu, it is good for frying (the silky ones are good for soup).

Tofu, also called bean curd, is chinese in origin. It is made of coagulated soy milk. It has a distinct taste and is often used in chinese cuisine. It is like soymilk "cheese". In the Philippines, fresh soft tofu is mixed with sugar syrup and sago for breakfast. We call it 'taho'. Oh how I miss taho.  There is nothing like it. So yummy. In the morning, I can't wait for the taho salesman to shout "Tahoooooo!". It is one of the food I miss back home. The firm tofu is usally included in a dish. Most vegetarian would substitute tofu for meat.  Some vegetarian restaurant would use tofu to imitate meat dishes, so vegetarians will not miss the taste of the dish.

I'm not a vegetarian anymore ( I eat chicken and fish), but once in a while it would be nice to be vegetarian for a day or two...or more.. and stir fry tofu and brocolli can be an alternative dish to beef and brocolli or chicken and brocolli. Below is the recipe for my stir fry tofu and brocolli..

Ingredients

1    pack     Firm tofu, fried and cut into squares
1    lb          brocolli
1/2 cup       oyster sauce
1/2 cup       soy sauce
1/2 cup       cornstarch
1     pc         small onion, chopped
1     tbsp      ginger, chopped
1     tsp        ground pepper
2     tbsp      vegetable oil
2     tbsp      toasted sesame seeds

Procedure

1.  Mix soy sauce, cornstarch and oyster sauce. Set aside.
2.  In a sauce pan, sauté onion and ginger in vegetable oil.
3.  Add tofu and brocolli, stir fry for 5 minutes.
4. Add the sauce that was set aside. Sprinkle the pepper and toasted sesame seeds.
5. Stir fry for another 3-5 minutes, or until brocolli is cooked.
6. Serve with rice.