Chicken and White Bean Chili

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Brush chicken breasts with olive oil and season with salt and pepper (or see note for a time-saver). Put chicken on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Let it cool then shred meat with your fingers. Set aside.

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell pepper, garlic, spices, and a large pinch of salt. Cook until vegetables are softened, stirring here and there, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes. Bring mixture to a boil then turn the heat on low and cook for 1/2 hour. Add beans, chicken and water and simmer for another 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, as needed, and serve with toppings of choice.

Time-saver: Use three cups cooked rotisserie chicken or simply chop rather than shred the cooked chicken breasts.

Recipe adapted from Gwyneth Paltrow’s book, “It’s All Good”.

Our family used to frequent a Mexican restaurant that was to die for. Without fail I ordered the Pollo Ajillo, chicken with garlic and tomato sauce. I remember thinking that we needed to figure out how to recreate it at home. And we never did. The flavor was too unique, too original. I recently went to my sister’s house and she had created a near replica of the Pollo Ajillo of my childhood. She shared this recipe with me and I have since adapted it a bit.