Recipe: Slow Cooker Red Chicken Chili

Last week, I shared a recipe for slow cooker mole, a traditional Mexican dish with a sweet-savory flavor. I find that sweetness makes it a perfect recipe for Halloween. When I enjoy a meal with a little sweetness to it, all the candy treats are less tempting!


Here's a different take on a sweet-savory meal. Mole is usually served in a bowl over rice, but I prefer it in a corn tortilla, like a taco. I go with this recipe when I want a sweet-savory dish that's just right for serving in a bowl.

Slow Cooker Red Chicken Chili

 Ingredients:
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaf
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced
2 (14-ounce) cans white beans, drained
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken cooked turkey meat, coarsely chopped

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on HIGH for 3-5 hours, or on LOW for 6-8 hours.


When chicken is cooked through, shred chicken using two forks, and stir to combine well.


Cook's Notes: I call for chicken because I always have it in the freezer, but this recipe is even better if you replace the chicken with cooked turkey. Turkey, with its more intense flavor than chicken, is a perfect foil for the flavors in this dish. It's an excellent post-Thanksgiving recipe!

Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Mole

Mole is one of my favorite Mexican dishes. Given my sweet tooth, that's not surprising: Mole incorporates cocoa powder and sugar. That also makes mole the perfect recipe for Halloween -- a little chocolate in my dinner makes it easier to steer clear of all the candy and treats! I use the slow cooker to prepare mole, which makes this a terrific recipe if you're hosting a party or headed out to celebrate the evening.

My husband was reluctant to try my take on mole because his mother and aunts prepared mole that was more sweet than spicy. Mole is typically a high-fat dish, too. I've eliminated nearly all of the fat, and struck a balance between sweet, spicy, and savory flavors, so my husband and I can both enjoy mole. !Buen provecho!

Slow Cooker Chicken Mole

Ingredients:

1 (1 1/2 ounce) package dried pasilla, mulato, or ancho chiles
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon sugar (or sugar substitute)
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins

Directions:

Remove stems from chiles, if necessary. Combine chiles and tomato sauce in blender, and puree until chiles are well-integrated into sauce.

Pour sauce into slow cooker. Add cornmeal, cocoa powder, sugar, garlic, cinnamon, coriander, and cloves, and stir to combine. Place chicken on top of sauce. Cook on LOW setting 4-6 hours, or until chicken is cooked through.

Do Your Flavor Preferences Predict Your Personality?

We've been working hard all summer here, haven't we? We've tackled all sorts of topics related to weight management, from healthy eating and physical activity while on vacation, to managing anxiety and cravings, to the pros and cons of juicing. We've been busy in the kitchen, too, preparing Spicy Cinnamon-Chipotle Chicken and Mediterranean Potato Salad.


So today, we're going to take a little break, and have some fun! I recently read an intriguing article on NCA's Website that suggests flavor choices and personality are linked.  According to the article, this is because personality and flavor preference are located in the same region of the brain.


For example, researchers found that about half of the participants they surveyed who reported a preference for bitter flavors considered themselves optimists. About 30% of people who preferred sour foods stated they were impulsive. People who prefer chocolate said they tended to be sensitive, while vanilla lovers reported they were extraverts.


These results held true for me: I have a strong preference for sour, bitter, and chocolate, and I'm definitely an impulsive optimist with a sensitive side. So, how about you? What flavors do you prefer? Do you agree with the study's observations with regard to the connections between flavor preferences and personality? Let us know! :)