Low-Fat White Chicken Chili

With Cilantro and a Splash of Lime

Silence.

Ryan Gosling, in Drive

So, B and I finally watched Drive last night. I'm not really sure why I said 'finally'. We haven't been dying to see it or anything, but apparently we were the last people, like ever, to see it. Do I buy that? Not really. But one of B's friends said so, anyway. So we watched it, and I have a theory. 

Ryan Gosling looks great in a leather jacket. Ryan Gosling plays the part of the mysterious, brooding, bad guy/good guy astonishingly well - but apparently that's ruined if he speaks. I suspect they shot the movie, thought: Damn, Ryan Gosling is cool. Carey Mulligan is pretty. We got Bryan Cranston. Hells yes. 

Then realized: Uh oh.This movie is only thirty five minutes long - what can we do to get it up to normal, movie-time length?

I know! Said another guy. Let's have Ryan Gosling stare at people. 

And thus Drive was born. It was, however, badly named in my opinion. It would have been more aptly named had they dubbed it Stare - because that's what people do. For the first half of the movie we had nary a clue as to what the heck was going on. We're not daft, we could speculate, but the fact that Ryan Gosling never said a damn thing sort of slowed down the plot a bit. And Carey Mulligan did nothing but play with her hair and stare at Ryan Gosling, all the while being socially awkward and a little bit of a tramp. 

Now, I can appreciate artsy movies. I acknowledge that the filming was interesting, the music was hauntingly 1980's film noir, and most of the acting was pretty good. Well, really good actually. They got some of my favourite actors on board for this flick. However, that does not excuse the fact that the only character I felt any sympathy or connection towards was Bryan Cranston. And I don't even remember his character's name - he is just Bryan Cranston, and I like him. 

Carey Mulligan, while cute in a girl-next-door sort of way (and not a bad actor at that), did nothing to captivate or intrigue us. By the end of the movie we'd nearly forgotten about her and really couldn't care less what happened to her after all that. I liked Ryan Gosling too, but I could never really tell if he was a psycho or just a roll-with-the-punches type of guy. Either way, lots of blood happened. 

Like, a lot. And stamping people's heads in? Yeah, that was a bit much. For me, at least. 

Well, a bit much in that context - because I do love me a gory Quentin Tarantino flick - not to mention that the whole money/heist/pawn shop thing was poorly explained and seemed made up on the spot. I kept waiting for the twist, or that aha! moment when I realized why the criminal jailbird father had been shot. I expected some kind of elaborate conspiracy or for Carey Mulligan to know something, just to prove that she had some sort of purpose in the plot. Other than being girl-next-door eye candy and a total doormat (and sucker for criminal bad boys to boot). 

But alas, no such twist was found. B and I did have a good laugh though, when we wondered for a solid thirty seconds at the end if Ryan Gosling was dead or just being normal and alive. There was a close up shot of his face after he was brutally stabbed in the gut, where he doesn't move a muscle or even twitch an eyelid for about half a minute. We honestly couldn't tell if we were supposed to think he was dead and that was the twist, or if that was just Ryan being Ryan. Then he blinked and drove away, all hunky dory. I guess he bled out later? 

We have no freaking idea. 

Anyway, weird movie. Not what it was cracked up to be. Maybe worth a watch, but prepare to be confused and perhaps a bit bored. And for all those Ryan Gosling fans out there - sorry, he is fully clothed the entire movie, although you do get an inexplicable scene with topless girls in some sort of brothel/strip club because it's Hollywood and it's a movie, and of course you do. But yeah, no Ryan. Better luck next time. 

Stare aside, I am still doing the diet. Four days now and going strong! Well... sort of. The cravings started to set in yesterday. It was cold out and I was tired, I really wanted something creamy and cheesy. I have really been trying to eat lots of fresh veggies instead, but carrot sticks and raw broccoli really are no substitute for a hearty cream of mushroom soup. Or cheesy pasta. Yum. 

Instead, I decided to utilize some ground chicken that we had and make a lower fat version of a white chicken chili. I swapped out the butter for some olive oil, swapped the full fat sour cream for the low fat variety, and cut way back on the cheese. I did not eliminate it completely, unfortunately, but I think the 1/4 cup for a huge batch of chili is really not so much. I can live with that. Especially since the rest of the dish is pretty low-cal friendly. With the chicken, beans, spinach, and mushrooms you pretty much have your fiber, protein, and vitamins in the bag. 

Easy, filling, low(ish) fat, and a great week night meal for summer or winter. 

You will need...

2 tbs olive oil
1 bulb of garlic, peeled and minced
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 jalapeños, diced
350g lean ground chicken breast
6 large mushrooms, sliced
2 cans white beans, drained (such as cannelini, navy, white kidney, etc.)
1 can corn niblets, drained
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp oregano
1 cup raw spinach or baby kale, roughly chopped
6 cups low fat, low sodium chicken broth
1 tbs white flour or corn starch
1 small handful fresh cilantro, torn into pieces (plus extra for topping)
2 tbs low fat sour cream or low fat greek yogurt (plus extra for topping)
2 limes, juiced (plus extra for topping)
1/4 cup shredded aged white cheddar cheese (plus extra for topping)

In a large pan or pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, jalapeños, and mushrooms and sauté until onions are slightly translucent. Add the ground chicken and break apart with a wooden spoon. 

Add all spices/herbs except for the fresh cilantro. Stir well and continue to fry until chicken is cooked all the way through. Add the flour/corn starch and stir until chicken is fully coated. Turn heat up to high. 

Add the chicken broth slowly, stirring well as you do so to ensure the flour doesn't clump. Once all the broth has been added, dump in the beans, spinach/kale, and corn niblets. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Stir often, and allow to boil for about ten to fifteen minutes or until broth starts to thicken and reduce. 

Reduce heat. Add lime juice, low fat sour cream/yogurt, cilantro, and cheddar cheese. Bring to a simmering boil and remove from heat. 

Serve hot with more sour cream/yogurt, a squirt of lime, minced green onions, and extra cheddar cheese, if desired. Great with Que Pasa tortilla chips or garlic toast. 

And there you have it. Surprisingly low in fat, and the perfect accompaniment to a lime margarita or  light summer lager. Creamy, filling, "B approved", and you'll never miss the calories!