Chicken and White Bean Chili

Really good stuff, and as far as healthy chili recipes go, this doesn't really need any substitutions or improvement. Both Joe and I are die-hard chili fans; we were extremely reluctant to try a chicken chili. This exceeded our expectations!!  I think I now prefer chicken chili instead of ground beef chili.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/3 cups chopped onion

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

6 garlic cloves, chopped

2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast, pounded thin and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 15- to 16-ounce cans white beans, drained, juices reserved

1 15 to 16-ounce can red kidney beans, draine

2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes in juice

Fresh grated cheese

Directions:

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic; sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add chicken; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until chicken is no longer pink outside, about 5 minutes. Mix in chili powder, tomato paste, cumin, and oregano. Add beans, 1 cup reserved bean juices, and canned tomatoes. Simmer until chicken is cooked through and chili is thickened, about 25 minutes. If chili is too thick, add more bean juices by tablespoonfuls to thin. Season chili to taste with salt and pepper.  Top with fresh grated cheese.