Justin was wary of this dish, because he thought that “White Chili” just didn’t sound good. I think when I made it, he was worried that he wouldn’t like it…but when he tasted the first spoonful, he said, “Wow! This is really good!” So we changed the name a bit to make it sound more appetizing.
The original recipe in Passionate Vegetarian was quite different…I adjusted things to fit our tastes, and was really pleased with the results. It was pretty spicy, probably from the wonderful locally grown serranos we used (I left the seeds and membranes in). This dish reminded me just how much I love hominy…when I was little, the only time we had hominy was when we ate menudo…and the only time we ate menudo was at Christmas. I think I associate hominy with “special” dishes or holiday fare, but I need to get that out of my head and eat it more often!
On a non-food note, we watched Project Runway again last night…I love that show! I do get tired of the mean-ness, and find myself hoping certain people will be “out” just because of their attitudes, regardless of their design skills. It seems that so far everyone who has been eliminated showed poor execution of the design, with sloppy sewing skills. You can always tell which designers will be in the final best/worst group, because the editors focus on them throughout the show. I’d love to learn more about Michael and Robert…their designs are always gorgeous, even if they aren’t among the top three. Hopefully next week we’ll see a bit more of them, though it looks like it will be more about the huge scandal that gets a designer kicked off the show. I’m so hooked.
Poblano, Hominy and Cannelini Bean Chili
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 poblano chiles, chopped
- 2 serrano chiles, chopped
- 2 large zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 can (10 ounces) tomatoes and green chiles (Ro*tel)
- 2 cans (15 ounces) cannelini beans, undrained
- 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) vegetable broth
- 1 can (15 ounces) white hominy, drained
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3/4 cup crumbled queso fresco
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until softened. Add garlic, poblanos, serranos, zucchini, cumin, and oregano, and cook a few minutes more. Add all remaining ingredients except queso fresco and simmer 20 minutes, or until chiles and zucchini are tender. Top each serving with two tablespoons queso fresco.
Makes 6 servings.
Based on an idea from Passionate Vegetarian by Crescent Dragonwagon.
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