How many snacky, trail mixy, dried fruit and nut mixes are there?………hundreds, thousands……perhaps, I exaggerate, but there are plenty of them. The one thing they all seem to have in common……….raisins. I really do not like raisins. I am not sure why, but I just don’t.
Sorry California Raisins……..but I’m sure, you heard it through the grapevine that you are not my favorite thing. I dumped you for other dries fruits. I love, love, love dried cranberries. I will eat them on anything. I have the same feeling about dried pineapple, those sweet, chewy, nuggets……..hmmm.
Tim and I look at all those mixes at the store, but have a hard time choosing because of my raisin aversion. So, we usually don’t buy them, or if we do, I end up picking out the raisins….what a pain!
How should white chili look? Does chili have to have chili powder to make it chili? This was the question Tim and I had before we went on vacation. I say white chili should be all white, Tim says chili needs chili powder to be “real” chili. Since this was Tim’s recipe, and we had differing options on what makes a real chili, we decided that it would have chili powder with white beans and white meat…..chicken……..and Not Quite White Chili was born.
It may not be the classic white or regular chili, but it was really good. Spicy, chili taste with a lighter touch of chicken and white beans. This chili also is good for you…… low in calories and fat. We served it with a nice loaf of rustic bread for a hearty cool weather meal that is sure to please.
Normally, I would go on a bit more that this but, as much fun as our vacation was, I brought back the flu. So, as all of you enjoy this Not Quite White Chili, I will enjoy some much needed bed rest……..
P.S………look for some of my takes on those Vegas recipes we shared from our trip.
Place dry beans in a large bowl and cover with water. Let soak over night.
In a large stock pot, melt coconut oil over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook until cooked through. Add onion, red pepper and remaining ingredients cook until onion is translucent about 5 minutes. Add beans and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hour or until beans are tender. You can also place all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours.
Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, and extra cilantro if desired.
Notes
Prep time does not include soaking of the beans over night
That’s a spicy meatball…….Spicy Chia Chicken Meatball Pasta. If you have been reading our blog you know this, Tim loves spicy food, and I love to use ground chicken….in any way possible. So, how could I go wrong with these spicy meatballs, well I really couldn’t, and on top of that they are healthy!
Now, healthy does not always mean low calorie, the ingredients in this dish are nutrient dense, so please do not freak out when you see the calories at the end. In our last post, we talked about the benefits of chia seeds and how we used them in Raspberry Chia Smoothie. So, in this recipe the chia seeds, are mixed with water to make a binder for the meatballs……so no eggs needed. I will admit that the chia water mixture does not look appetizing but it worked great in the meatballs. Adding rolled oats and coconut oil added to the nutritional value. We all know the benefits of rolled oats as a grain but, I am a huge fan of coconut oil…… Studies have shown that intake of coconut oil can help our bodies mount resistance to both viruses and bacteria that can cause illness. Even more, it also can help to fight off yeast, fungus, and candida.
Coconut oil can also positively affect our hormones for thyroid and blood-sugar control. People who take coconut oil also tend to have improvements in how they handle blood sugar, since coconut can help improve insulin use within the body. Coconut oil can boost thyroid function helping to increase metabolism, energy, and endurance. It increases digestion and helps to absorb fat-soluble vitamins. Use coconut oil in cooking, as it can stand heat making it a better option. I also use it to remove makeup and as a skin moisturizer. Before anyone curls their lip, thinking I double dip, I have two jars……one for the kitchen and one for the bathroom……….. That was a long lesson.
The meatballs are baked and can be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator or freezer until you make the pasta. Keep some in the freezer, so you can whip this up at a moment’s notice. Speaking of the pasta, how easy can boiling pasta, using some of the pasta water and just a small amount of half and half for the sauce be? Even the novice cook can do this to perfection. So, all of you who say “I can’t really cook”, give it a try, the result will amaze you!
A touch of lemon zest, parmesan cheese, and parsley to garnish and you have a beautiful healthy spicy delicious meal. Spicy Chia Chicken Meatball Pasta!
12 ounces whole grain linguine, spaghetti or angel hair pasta
1/3 cup half-and-half
Juice and zest of 1 large lemon
2 tablespoons fresh basil or parsley chopped as garnish.
Instructions
n a small bowl, whisk together the chia seeds and water and let stand for about 20 minutes. (Makes 3/4 cup extra-thick chia gel.)
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
In a large bowl, combine the chia gel, ground chicken, oats, onion, 1/4 cup of the cheese, 2 tablespoons of the coconut oil, the parsley, oregano, garlic, 1 teaspoon of the salt, 1/2 teaspoon of the black pepper, and the red pepper flakes. When evenly combined, firmly form mixture into 20 meatballs (I use an ice cream scoop so they are all equal). Place on parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake in 400* oven for 20-30 minutes until meatballs are totally cooked through. Keep warm in a 175* oven while making the pasta.
Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta, reserving 3/4 cup pasta cooking water.
Bring the half-and-half, the remaining 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, and reserved pasta water to a boil over high heat in a large saucepan. Add the drained pasta and toss to combine. Add the lemon juice and toss to combine. Add the remaining 1/3 cup of cheese, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper and toss to combine.
Transfer the linguine to four large pasta bowls. Top each five of chicken meatballs, sprinkle with basil/parsley and lemon zest, and serve.
