Felix's Chicken, White Bean Chili with Pumpkin

Felix, that crazy reincarnate. We don't know where he comes up with these stories or recipes for that matter but this is what he told us when he last graced our establishment. I'll keep it short. After getting tossed around by the Oaksters into the watermelon field (see Felix's Watermelon Salad). I met a lovely spice vendor named Alessandra in the Casbah near Sherwood Forest. We bonded immediately. Drank wine, talked about food it seemed forever. Then she challenged me. Not one to be shy in the kitchen-I emancipated the pantry and stove (made quite a mess I did). The results were-she professed her love and wanted to marry me immediately. Felix was nice enough to share this with us right before he left town.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 half teaspoon salt
1 half teaspoon black pepper
1 eighth teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound organic boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups peeled and cubed pumpkin, buttercup squash or acorn squash
30 ounces chicken broth
1 can cannellini beans or white navy beans rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 half teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons lime juice
Garnishes: sour cream, sliced jalapeños, chopped fresh cilantro Preparation

1. Mix the first 5 ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Mix the spices in a small bowl also.
3. Combine chicken and 1 tablespoon spice blend in a medium bowl, flip to coat. Set aside remaining spice blend.
4. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat; add the chicken and cook, stirring often until no longer pink. Set aside.
5. Add the onion, bell pepper and the jalapeño to soup pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, 5 minutes or so. Stir in garlic and the remaining spice blend. Stirring constantly, approx 1 minute.
6. Add the pumpkin or squash and the next 5 ingredients to the pot. Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer while covered, 25 minutes or until pumpkin/squash is tender. Return chicken to pot; simmer until heated through. Remove from heat, and stir in limejuice. Garnish, if desired. Can refrigerate for up to 3 days.

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