Since our book A Recipe for Life by the Doctor’s Dietitian came out my clients have been asking about the process we took with creating recipes.
Successful recipes are simple and easy to prepare besides having a great taste and nutritional profile.
Over the next few months some blogs will be dedicated to the process of creating recipes that are not only healthy and tasty but easy on the wallet. I welcome your thoughts and ideas along the way.
A client came in for her appointment last week raving about the White Chicken Chili she looks forward to and savors once a year at a friend’s holiday gathering. We have 2 chili recipes in the book – a vegetarian and spicy meat chili but I was intrigued by another type of chili.
How do you come up with a white chili that is not high fat and has a good protein to carbohydrate ratio for those with insulin resistance and/or diabetes? I discussed the idea with Jeffrey that night and he researched some recipes and came up with a possible list of ingredients.
Our process is for Jeffrey to come up with an idea and I alter the ingredients based on health and nutrition. I will then put the recipe into my analysis program and tweak it based on my findings. If the recipe is an entrée it has to contain enough protein for blood glucose balance, a healthy source of reasonable amounts of carbohydrate and some fat for flavor and balance. Having fiber and keeping the sodium intake to a minimum is important as well.
This recipe has a little more carbohydrate and less protein than I would usually want, but lots of fiber and flavor. I wanted to increase the chicken and decrease the beans but as we are working on saving money and time, it is easier to measure 1 pound of beans and 1 pound of chicken than other amounts.
Our final result is a White Chicken Chili with a mild, spicy initial bite developing into a light flavorful ending. Bon appétit!
White Chicken Chili
Servings: 10 one-cup servings
Prep Time: 30 mins (not including bean soak 4 hours)
Cook Time: 90-120 mins
Ingredients:
1 pound-2 ½ cups white/pinto beans
32 ounces low sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon cumin
½ tsp chili powder
8 ounce can chopped green chilies
1 cup water
1 pound chicken breast, chopped
10 tablespoons white grass-fed cheddar cheese (topping)
Preparation:
Soak beans for a minimum of 4 hours with at least one change of the water.
Rinse and drain beans. Place beans and chicken stock in a large pot and bring to a boil.
In a large, heavy skillet sauté chopped onion in butter and oil until golden brown, about 2-4 minutes. Add in garlic and dry spices and stir for an additional 1-2 minutes. Add in green chilies and if necessary deglaze the pan with some additional water.
Add chicken to onion mixture and brown, 4-6 minutes. Add chicken/onion mixture to beans and add remaining water. Bring to boil, and reduce to simmer, covering the pot. If chili becomes too thick, continue to add small portions of water
Continue simmering for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until desired doneness.
Portion into 1 cup servings and top each with 1 tablespoon of cheese.
Per Serving
Calories 325
Protein 27 grams
Total Carbohydrates 33 grams
Total Fat 8 grams
Fiber 12 grams
Sodium 275 mg.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at 8:55PM 
One question I frequently get asked is: what are the most important foods to buy organic? Let’s face it –buying all organic and local foods can be not only pricy but inconvenient. Going to many different stores and farmer’s markets can take a huge chunk out of your week.