Vegetarian White Chili with Roasted Poblano Peppers

Can you make a wild guess of what could be the scariest thing that can happen to you right now? We experienced it recently -- it's not flu or ebola virus or zombie apocalypse!!!!!!! It is losing your internet, tv and phone service for an entire DAY. WHAT??? Yes, it happened to us yesterday and everything went haywire at home. You would think the adults will be the ones most affected, but it was the 7 year old who declared a state of emergency and wanted to leave the house. His dad who was (supposed to be) working from home was more calm than the kid who gets about 1 hour (if that) of computer time every day and he looked soooo lost without it. Let me tell you, we got a lot done in this 24 hours: the whole basement looks clean now and I finally got a chance to look through all the new cookbooks I recently got free from the very friendly librarian. 

Thankfully we are back in action with all the devices up and running and fully connected. I was worried I won't get this White Chili post in time for the upcoming Super bowl XXXXIX sunday. But here it is for those of you looking to make something different for the party this weekend. 

This Chili uses white beans instead of the more traditional red or black beans, hence the name White Chili :-) This recipe is from Vegetarian Times magazine and has roasted poblano peppers that add nice smokey flavor and depth to the dish.

The dish begins with Rajas, which are nothing but roasted poblanos that are cooked with onions and oregano. Rajas are often served as a side dish or as a condiment for soups and stews, but they are also delicious over tostadas or nachos. To make the chili, beans are simmered along with rajas and spices, so there you have it -- a hearty & flavorful chili in under 1 hour.

Ingredients: Serves 2~3

White Beans (like Cannellini or Navy beans) - 2cups cooked (about 1cup dry beans, soaked overnight and cooked till tender or use rinsed and drained canned beans)
Rajas - recipe follows
Low sodium Vegetable broth - 1cup
Dried Oregano - 1tsp
Ground Cumin - ½tsp
Fresh or frozen Corn kernels - ½cup
Lime juice - 2tsp
Cilantro - ¼cup, plus more for garnish
Salt & Pepper - to taste

To Serve:
Brown Rice
Sour Cream
Lime wedges
Green Onions
Grated Cheese

Method:

• Combine the beans, Rajas, broth, oregano and cumin in a medium saucepan and simmer over medium heat.
• Cook 12~15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in corn, cilantro and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 more minutes.
• Serve hot with the toppings and sides.

Rajas:

Ingredients:

Poblano Chilies - 4 medium

Onion - 1 medium, thinly sliced

Garlic - 2 cloves, thinly sliced

Dried Oregano - ½tsp

Salt & Pepper - to taste

Method:

• Preheat the broiler to 'High'. Place the poblanos on a foil lined baking sheet and broil for 10~12 minutes, turning them around in between, until they are evenly charred on all sides. Leave the door a little ajar to keep an eye on the broiling. Chilies go from charred to burnt in no time.
• Place the broiled poblanos in a bowl, cover and set aside for 10~15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel and slice them into ¼" strips. Set aside.
• Heat 2tsp olive oil in a skillet, add onions and garlic and cook on medium heat until the onions are golden brown, about 6~8 minutes.
• Add oregano, poblano strips, salt and pepper; cook for 3~4 minutes. 

Linking this to Valli's 'Cooking from Cookbook Challenge: January -- Week 5'.