HOME BOUND

Well, here we are. Day 42. But who's counting? At around day 5, when most were scouring store shelves for toilet paper and hand sanitizer, I was wondering what on earth I was going to eat that wouldn't make me gain the dreaded COVID-19 (pounds). One of my go-to's for years has been the sassy, smart, fabulous Ina Garten (if you don't follow her on instagram, GET ON IT. She gives daily Covid recipes on everything from Pasta to a lovely glass of Port). One of her cookbooks I love is the Barefoot Contessa at home (ironic, I know) and a fabulous recipe I grabbed (you can google it if you don't have the cookbook) is her CHICKEN CHILI. Now, let's not state the obvious here...if you're stuck at home with someone, more than likely you don't want to eat chili for the obvious reasons. But, listen, this one does NOT have beans and can last several days (unlike the bloating and gas from regular chili). So, here is what you'll need to make one of the best soups I've made in year..and stay sane (and healthy) for a few days:
INA GARTEN'S CHICKEN CHILI
Two red peppers, two yellow peppers (diced)
olive oil
Two yellow onions (diced)
4 cloves of garlic (minced)
2 28oz cans of tomatoes
chili powder
ground cumin
dried red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
chicken breasts (TIP: most recipes that call for chicken I love to buy the rotisserie chickens already made at the grocery store and strip away the meat in small strips...then make chicken stock with the carcas...read bottom of blog for that TIP)
THEN DO THIS...
Cook onions in oil over medium low heat for 10-15 minutes
Add garlic and cook for one more minute
Add bell peppers, chili powder, cumin and cook for one minute
Crush tomatoes (if not already) or use immersion blender. Add to pot with basil and bring to a boil.
Shred chicken and add to pot.
Reduce heat from boil and let simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally
Add salt and pepper to taste, continue simmering for another 30 minutes.
HOMEMADE CHICKEN STOCK:
After I shred the chicken away from the rotisserie as mentioned above, I place the remaining carcass in a large pot and cover with water. Add onions chopped (no need to be dainty here, just toss in), carrots, celery, salt and pepper. I then let this come to a boil and lower to simmer for at least 4-6 hours. Strain and place stock in smaller containers. Once they've cooled I like to put a piece of tape on each with the date so I know when it was made, place in freezer and save for a rainy, snowy or quarantine day.