It's somewhere between a thick soup and a stew, which makes it all the more scoopable and lovely to eat after a long day! The benefit of this recipe, aside from the yum factor, is that it uses only five main ingredients. The most challenging part, though it's more of a fiddly thing, is measuring the spices. However, everything still goes into the pot in under ten minutes, and after that, you aren't required to do anything more than occasional stirring until you eat. Talk about easy, yummy, minimal effort--I'm all about it.
Use the toppings you love; I typically have shredded cheddar-jack cheese, sour cream, chopped cilantro, and broken corn chips on hand.
Notes: Neutral oil is organic Canola.
MEXI-CHICKEN CHILI STEW WITH PUMPKIN
Ingredients: 1 tbsp. neutral oil, one small chopped onion, one lb. ground chicken, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper, 28 ounces crushed tomatoes, one 14-ounce can of chili beans in chili sauce, 1 cup pumpkin puree, 2 tbsp. chili powder, 1 tsp. paprika, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. onion powder, 1 tsp. ground oregano, 1/2 tsp. ground cumin.
Serves 4, well.
1. Heat oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat until glossy. Add the onion and a pinch of sea salt and pepper and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add in the chicken, salt, and pepper, and continue until the chicken is just cooked.
2. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, can of chili beans, and pumpkin, stirring to combine. Stir in all the spices; chili powder, garlic and onion powders, paprika, oregano, and cumin.
3. Bring stew to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and taste for seasoning. (see tips below for adding heat or other spices, etc.)
4. Turn down to low and continue cooking while occasionally stirring for another 10 minutes or so. Serve with toppings on the side.
TIPS
To add heat: stir in 1/2-1 tsp. of ground cayenne pepper or add chopped jalapeno.
To add an autumn "flair," stir in 1 tsp. of cinnamon.
To reduce tomato acidity, stir in 1/2 tsp. of baking soda and a pinch of sugar.