Substituting Chicken for Ground Beef in Chili

Dear SOS: Do you have a good chili using ground chicken? I’ve begun adapting my red meat recipes to chicken, but can’t find one for chili.

--KIM

Dear Kim: Our recipe for turkey chili can easily be adapted to use ground chicken or any other meat, for that matter. This is a good recipe to keep in mind for after-the-turkey-dinner leftovers.

CHICKEN CHILI

1 large onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 stalk celery, chopped

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can whole tomatoes

2 cups cubed cooked or uncooked chicken or turkey

2 cups chicken or turkey broth

2 tablespoons diced green chiles

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground thyme

1/2 teaspoon ground oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

Hot cooked rice

Saute onion, garlic and celery in butter in large saucepan until tender. Stir in tomatoes with liquid, chicken, broth, chiles, chili powder, cumin, thyme, oregano and salt. Cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with hot cooked rice. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Note: If using cubed cooked turkey or chicken, add just to heat through after simmering spices in broth.

Dear SOS: About a year and a half ago you printed a recipe for Oat Bran Muffins that used no (all-purpose) flour. I lost the recipe during the remodeling of our kitchen.

--JUDITH

Dear Judith: The recipe makes use of whole-wheat flour and bran, and it is a very good one.

OAT BRAN MUFFINS

2 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup molasses

2 cups oat bran

1 2/3 cups whole-wheat flour

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 cup raisins

Beat eggs lightly in bowl. Stir in oil, buttermilk, honey and molasses. Stir together bran, flour, brown sugar, baking soda and raisins in large mixing bowl. Add to egg mixture and stir just until all ingredients are blended.

Fill greased muffin pans about 3/4 full. Bake at 425 degrees 10 to 15 minutes or until wood pick inserted in center of muffins comes out clean. Remove from pan. Makes 18 to 20 muffins.

Dear SOS: My Lebanese neighbor used to make a pilaf with bulgur. Where do you get it, and how do you make the pilaf? It was wonderful.

--JACQUELINE

Dear Jacqueline: Bulgur--dried, coarsely ground wheat--is a staple of the Middle Eastern cuisine used in place of rice. In fact, the Bulgur Pilaf is made as you would rice using water or broth. Bulgur is available in several different grades at any Middle Eastern grocery store or gourmet food shop.

BULGUR PILAF

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 cups bulgur wheat

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups chicken broth or water

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

Melt butter in heavy saucepan or skillet. Add bulgur wheat and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add salt and chicken broth. Cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Stir in lemon peel. For soft pilaf, add 1/2 to 1 cup additional chicken broth, cooking until liquid is absorbed. Makes 6 servings.

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