Update/Recipe Tuesday, vol. 2

Well, let's have the update before the recipe.

I humbly submit that teenagers should not be allowed to drive. Yes, dear readers, my husband and I got in a car accident, caused by some dumbass teenagers fucking around on Saturday night. In our new car, a 2006 Chrysler 300C. That we've only had for a month. Yeah.

We were in the left lane heading northbound on a fairly busy street Saturday night, while taking a drive after a tasty dinner of Mexican food. Three cars of teenage boys were screwing around, as they are known to do on this particular street on the weekends.

Cars A and B pulled in front of us from the right lane, so my husband backed off the gas to add buffer space. The third car took advantage and squeezed in in front of us. All three cars then slammed on their brakes. A and B were unscathed and took off in the left turn lane.

We called the cops, and it took them 20 minutes to show up. My husband told the officer in no uncertain terms that this was NOT our fault. The teenage dipshit we hit claimed he'd been in the left lane for 30 seconds before we hit him. Uh, hello, no. It was pull in front of us, screech to a stop (I heard his tires), and WHAM, SHIT! That quickly. My husband urgently said my name so that I just barely looked up from the radio when we hit.

Anyway, police report is filed, claim is made against his insurance, haven't heard from the adjustor yet, and I have a lovely greenish bruise on my right shoulder from my seatbelt. I happened to be leaning forward to change the radio station when we crashed, so the slack in the belt locked up with me forward, and then when I whipped back into the seat and forward again, it hurted my baby shoulder. :(

As soon as the wreck happened, I felt my blood begin to boil. It was all I could do to stay in the car, and not get out screaming in the street at the stupid ass teenager, "YOU STUPID ASSHOLE, WE'VE ONLY HAD THIS CAR FOR A MONTH! DON'T YOU IDIOTS WATCH WHAT YOU'RE DOING???" I was literally shaking from the adrenaline, freezing my butt off and sweating at the same time.

What made me even more furious was sitting there waiting for the cops. As my husband and I waited, we watched the intersection in front of us have several near-misses, again, stupid ass kids almost hitting people, driving too fast, changing lanes like they're the only ones on the road.

I know for a fact that I did not drive this way when I was 16/17. I couldn't! My parents would've killed me, and I had paid for my own car.

Ok, rant time over. Count back from five. Deep cleansing breaths.

For the second installment of Recipe Tuesday, my very own version of Chicken Chili.


Chicken Chili

Serves 6-8

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs.)
Garlic salt and fresh black pepper
Olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
2-4 cups chicken stock or broth, as desired
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes with green chilis, with juice
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans or Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed (I prefer black beans; the white ones can be mushy)
2 tsp. oregano
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
3-4 cloves garlic, minced (I scoff at recipes that call for one clove of garlic)
1 tsp. Chipotle Tabasco sauce, or more to taste*
2 tsp. chili powder**
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
Sour cream and cilantro, optional garnish

Cube the chicken breasts, season with garlic salt and pepper, and saute in olive oil in a large stock pot. (If you are so inclined, you may also grill whole breasts instead and chop them up. This creates a crust on the chicken, and the chicken won't be as tender.)

When the chicken begins to brown, add chopped onion and celery and cook until they begin to soften. Add oregano, Worcestershire, garlic, Tabasco, chili powder, and cumin. Stir well to distribute spices.

Add the undrained Ro-Tel and drained corn. Add between 2 and 4 cups of stock, depending on how watery you like it. More stock, more of a soup texture. My husband prefers less stock, because all he wants is the "guts."

Bring the chili to a simmer and let it go, uncovered, for about 20 minutes.

About 10 minutes before serving, add the drained, rinsed beans and heat through.

Serve with a healthy dollop of sour cream on top and a sprinkling of chopped cilantro leaves. Like most chilis, this is also great the second day.

* Chipotle Tabasco is made from smoked jalapeños, and has a smoky, barbeque-y, almost tomato-ey flavor. If you prefer straight heat, use the hot sauce of your choice.

** I use a combination of store bought chili powder and home-ground dried ancho chiles. Anchos are mild in flavor, and can be found in the Latin food section of large grocery stores.

Enjoy.