Chili Rojo de Pollo

Want to take the ice out of winter? Try this easy crock-pot delight. Here's a recipe for a cumin spiced chili, inspired by folks at my awesome church:

6 chicken thighs or breasts, boned, skinned, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, mashed or finely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, diced and seeded
2 cans of diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano leaf
1 teaspoon chili powder
Dash of sea salt
¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
Dash of Tabasco sauce (optional)
2 cans great northern or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
I can corn, drained or 2 cups frozen corn
2 Tablespoons of chopped cilantro.

In a skillet sauté the chicken, garlic, onions, and bell peppers in the heated olive oil, until onions are clear, no more than 10 minutes. Transfer the cooked items to the crock-pot, and add the remaining items (may add the fresh cilantro in the last half hour of cooking). Stir, cover, and cook on LOW 4 to 6 hours. Serve over rice or with cornbread. Serves 4 to 6 persons.

What gets a chili to dance to mariachi music? Some like it hot with red peppers, yet I think the guitars strum when one tosses cumin into the pot. The cumin scent dazzles your nostrils, which gets the taste buds salivating in your mouth. Can you hear the trumpet fanfare?

Moreover, God packed nutritional benefits into the Cumin Seed. Cumin is a terrific source of iron, so good for the hemoglobin and for energy. Cumin also sparks pancreatic enzymes that lead to better digestion. It may also have detoxifying anti-cancer properties. To read more about the research on benefits and nutritional analysis of cumin, go to World’s Healthiest Foods.