(chili doesn’t get better’n this!)

Ingredients for Soup:

3 lb. chicken
1 lemon
2 c. hot water, salt & pepper
2 qts. Water
1 lb. bag Great Northern beans
2 T oil
1 large onion, diced
1 Tbsp. diced garlic
½ Tbsp. powdered cumin
½ Tbsp. dried leaf Oregano
1 Tbsp. white Worcestershire sauce
1 16 oz. bottle green salsa*
7-10 drops red Tabasco sauce
3 Tbsp. quick grits & 1 c. water
2 c. chicken broth
1 ½ Tbsp. rice vinegar

Red sauce accompaniment:

2 ½ lbs. fresh, ripe tomatoes
1 small onion, diced
1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
3-4 drops red Tabasco sauce
10-15 drops green Tabasco sauce
Salt & Pepper

Bake the chicken early. Place in appropriate baking dish and squeeze ½ lemon over it. Put the lemon shell in the cavity. Put giblets (except liver) into the baking dish with the chicken and surround it with 2 cups of hot water. Roast at 350 degrees for 1 ½ to 2 hours, till done. Remove and cool. Reserve cooking water. Discard the giblets.

Wash and pick over the beans. Put in 4-5 qt. pot and bring to boil in 2 qts. salted water. Cook till just done (about 1 ½ hours), then drain and reserve beans in the cooking pot. Discard the bean water.

While cooking the beans,

• In a large frying pan sweat onions in 2 T oil till soft. Do not brown! Add garlic & spices (except Tabasco) and turn up heat for 2 min. Then add green salsa and heat thru. Set aside and add the Tabasco.
• Bring 1 c. water to boil and add grits. Cook for 5 min and set aside. Don’t drain.
• Remove chicken meat and discard skin and bones. Chop meat coarsely
• Prepare red sauce by peeling and seeding tomatoes. Chop them coarsely. Add chopped onions and cilantro, Tabasco, salt and pepper to taste. (Dried cilantro WILL NOT do!)

* Valley of Mexico fire roasted green salsa is sold in most stores and comes both hot and mild. If you can’t find green salsa, use 1 lb can of tomatillas, or 20 fresh ones (paper skins removed) chopped and sautéed quickly to soften. Recently I have seen bottled tomatillas at Publix