White Chicken Chili (No Beans!!!)

Dear Lissy,
Now that crisp fall weather has arrived, it's time to pull out all of my soup and stew recipes.  White Chicken Chili with chunks of tender chicken and chewy hominy is flavorful, but not hot thanks to ancho chile powder.  The selling point for me?  NO BEANS!

White Chicken Chili

Adapted from Woman's World Guilt-free Gourmet

Serves 6

12 oz. chicken breast, cut into small chunks

Salt & Pepper

1 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

1 green poblano pepper, seeded and deveined, diced fine

A plain yellow or orange bell pepper can be substituted

1 large onion, chopped 

1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp. ancho chile powder

1 Tbsp. Hungarian sweet paprika

1 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. dried marjoram or oregano

1 (14 oz) can chicken broth

2 cups milk

2 (15 oz) cans hominy, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Lime wedges, optional

Corn Tortillas or Masa Harina, optional

First, a disclaimer:  This chili is a deep terracotta brown when finished.  "White" refers to the chicken and lack of tomatoes.

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Heat Dutch oven or deep saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add 1/2 of oil.  When oil shimmers, drop in chicken.  Allow to lightly brown, and stir.  When all sides are golden, remove chicken from pan and hold warm.  Do not completely cook chicken or it will be tough.
2. Add remaining oil to pan.  Saute pepper and onion unil soft; season with salt and pepper.  Add chiles, garlic, ancho, cumin, and marjoram (oregano) and heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. 
3. Add broth and milk.  Bring to a simmer.  Add hominy and chicken, reducing immediately to low temperature.  Cover and keep just barely at a simmer until chicken is cooked.
4. At this point the soup/chili is done.  For a thicker consistency, stir in a masa harina a little at a time or cut corn tortillas into thin strips and add to mixture.  We usually leave the chili with a soup consistency broth and break tortilla chips into it before eating.
5. To serve:  Ladle into bowl, top with a sprinkle of fresh parsley or cilantro, and place a lime wedge on the edge of the bowl.  White chili is also yummy with grated cheese, but that ups the calorie and fat counts substantially.

Mom's notes:  

• I almost never used canned broth or hominy in this dish, but rather made my own to cut the cost of the dish. 
• Recipe doubles well.
• We never served this to company because the spices made our noses run all through supper.
• This dish tastes wonderful if you have a head cold.
• Shredded rotisserie chicken works well for this dish.

Lovin' you,

Mom