Chicken Chili With Hominy

I love chili so much. It is one of my favorite things to eat during the cold weather season.
This recipe introduced me to a new ingredient I had not cooked with before, Hominy. In its ground up form hominy is much like cornmeal or polenta and is used to make grits, a porridge-like  breakfast delicacy common in the Southern parts of the US. I used whole canned hominy for this chili. It looks like big kernels of puffed up corn, chewy with a very unique flavor. I though it tasted like little pieces of tamales (which is another dish hominy is used in.). It was a great addition to an otherwise fairly basic recipe with all the common chili ingredients and flavors. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces.
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper flakes
1 tablespoon (2-3 cloves) minced fresh garlic
2 cups chicken stock
1 heaping tablespoon chili powder (Use more or less to your liking.)
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes, undrained and broken up
1 can (29 ounces) pureed tomatoes
2 cans (15 ounces each) drained black beans
1 can (15 ounces) hominy, drained
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
Cheddar cheese and sour cream for topping

Preparation:

Warm olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Saute chicken until just cooked through. Add onions and reduce heat a little. Cook 3-4 minutes, or until onions are soft. Add pepper flakes, garlic, chicken stock, chili powder, whole and pureed tomatoes, black beans and hominy. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add chopped cilantro and lime juice just before serving. Adjust seasoning to taste. Top with cheese and sour cream. Serve with tortilla chips.

Serves 8
  

This recipe is inspired by the chili they make at one of my favorite restaurants here in my neighborhood, Cafe Latte.

You may also like:

Chicken Chili Bianco

Chicken Tortilla Soup