Spicy Shenanigans Chili

Of course one of the first things I think of when I wake up is what I'm going to eat for the day.  Yes, no joke here.  Today, I thought about what I'd be making for dinner since I've been spending a bit of non-existent money eating out.  Given that the weather has cooled off (YES!), I thought my famous chili would rock for dinner.  And it is famous because well, it is not for the faint of heart.  My fingers are still burning from all the pepper chopping :-(  I think I really do need to invest in some latex gloves!

However, it is not famous just because of that.  This is not an empty chili.  I mean that a lot of chilis that you order at restaurants are watery and filled with a bunch of nothing.  Mine is packed with flavor, gusto, love, humor (because it's a sick joke to go that spicy), yummy proteins, and even veggies because I just cannot help myself.  I always feel the need to add in vegetables wherever I can.  Yes, I was that person as a child--the one who loved her veggies :-)

Hester's Famous Chili

 

Spices

• Cumin
• Salt and pepper
• Garlic powder
• Paprika (regular and smoked)
• Ancho chili powder
• Chili powder
• Mexican chili powder 
• Cayenne pepper

Proteins

• 2 chicken breasts, sliced into 1/2 to 1-inch thin chunks.
• 2 lbs ground turkey meat
• 1 package of chorizo de puerco
• 1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Vegetables

• 1 onion, diced
• 6 jalapeno peppers, diced
• 2 Anaheim peppers, diced
• 2 red bell peppers, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 chipotles from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce, finely diced
• 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• green onions, diced

Miscellaneous

• Two bottles of your favorite beer.  I've used Heineken before.  I think I'm partial to Newcastle, though, because I use that a lot.  Whatever floats your boat!  Or perhaps your mug or glass ;-)
• 1 cup of water
• Queso fresco (or you can use a sharp cheddar if you'd like... or both!)
• Sour cream
• Flour tortillas cut up into strips
• 1 lime

*First off, DO NOT BE AFRAID!  This is not a hard recipe to follow.  It might look like a lot of words but you'll do just fine :-)

1. Add all the spices to the ground turkey and mix it up.  Then, cook it in the pot with some olive oil.  Break it up into pieces with your stirring utensil and cook until fully cooked.  Then, remove, and set aside.

2. Add a little more olive oil into the pot and add in all the diced peppers and onion along with a sprinkling of all the spices, as much as you'd like.  I'd recommend adding in at least two teaspoons of each.  Go easy on the salt, though.  MAKE SURE TO TAKE ALL THE SEEDS AND VEINS OUT OF THE PEPPERS BEFORE DICING!  I'm not trying to kill you, you know.  You wonder where the "shenanigans" comes in?  You have fun with pepper juice spraying up into your eyes while dicing :-)

3. Cook down the vegetables and then add in the chorizo from the package.  It will seem to melt into it; you'll know what I mean.  Then, add the garlic and finely diced chipotles.  Cook for about five minutes.

4. Add in the all the beer, can of tomatoes, water, and both beans.  Add the turkey back in.  Stir everything together.  Bring to a boil then bring down to a simmer and reduce.  Let it simmer for about 20 minutes, occasionally stirring.

5. After about 20 minutes, stir in the chicken pieces and some green onions.  Let this cook for about 10-15 minutes more.  Season as you need to.

6. While the chili is in the final stage of cooking, take the tortilla strips and place them on a foiled baking sheet.  Squeeze lime juice over them as well as a light sprinkling of salt.  Mix it together and throw it into a 375F oven for about 10 minutes, or until they are a bit on the crunchier side.  Do not let them burn!

To plate, serve up a bowl of the chili with a sprinkling of fresh green onions, a dollop of sour cream, some queso fresco, and the tortilla strips.  The cream and queso fresco add in a lovely tartness that cuts through the spiciness a little bit, which is good!  The beans add a lovely bit of softness to a robust chili that will definitely wake you up!  There is so much flavor in this chili that it is not funny at all.  This dish is incredibly tasty and I'm proud to share it with you.  It's lovely for a breezy evening like tonight, for a crisp fall day, or a cold winter night :-)