Eggplant & Chicken Three Bean Chili
Topped with garlic & herb toasted pita croutons,
spicy roasted chickpeas & Lemon infused Ricotta yogurt sauce.
Ingredients:
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large eggplant peeled and small diced
1 small red onion (diced)
1 small yellow onion (diced)
¼ cup Mediterranean chili spice mix (recipe below)
1 pound ground chicken
3 cloves of garlic minced
¼ cup tomato paste
2 ½ cups chicken broth
½ cup dark red kidney beans (cooked)
½ cup pinto beans (cooked)
½ cup black beans (cooked)
1 cup chickpeas (cooked)
1 cup diced pita bread
1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ cup Greek yogurt
¼ cup Ricotta cheese
Mediterranean chili spice mix:
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon sea salt
½ tablespoon black pepper
½ tablespoon chili powder
½ tablespoon brown sugar
½ tablespoon flour
½ tablespoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon ground rosemary
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Directions:
Place above spices in a small bowl and whisk together until well combined.
Chili directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F
Place 2 tablespoon oil into the bottom of a large deep skillet and place on medium high heat. Add eggplant and onions, sprinkle with ½ tablespoon chili spice mix and cook stirring occasionally for 3 to 5 minutes or until eggplant starts to brown. Add chicken, and 2/3 of the minced garlic, sprinkle with another ½ tablespoon chili spice mix and cook stirring often another 3 to 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and starts to brown. Add tomato paste and 2 tablespoons of the spice mixture, cook stirring often for another 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes or until the sauce has almost thickened. Add the beans and reduce heat to simmer and cook covered another 5 minutes.
While chili cooks place the chickpeas and pita bread on a sheet pan, drizzle with a 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of spice mixture. (toss to fully coat with spice mixture) Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until pita is golden brown and slightly crispy.
Place remaining minced garlic, cilantro, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, yogurt, cheese, ½ tablespoon of olive oil and ½ tablespoon of spice mixture into a small bowl and whisk together until well combined.
To plate: ladle chili into bowls, top with a generous amount of chick peas and pita, spoon over a heaping tablespoon of Ricotta sauce and serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings
Prep time 15 minutes
Cook time 25 minutes
