Southwestern Chicken Chili
/Southwestern Chicken Chili
Kirby loves food. Kirby loves the spicy foods Doug gives him. I love Kirby so I decided something with a tasty little kick would be just what he was craving. Something with a Southwestern flavor, something Bobby Flay would approve!
Ingredients:
- 2 cups chicken, shredded
- 1 cup barley
- 1 can black beans
- 3 tsp garlic*
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- Parsley
Preparation Instructions:
1. Place chicken (I purchased halved chicken leg quarters at 4 lbs for $4.14) in stockpot and fill with enough water to cover.
2. Simmer on medium-low heat until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Remove chicken and let cool.
3. Debone using your fingers to shred the meat to make sure you remove every bone fragment.
4. Cook the barley in the chicken stock following the package directions.
5. I used canned black beans so I added them with the barley because Kirby likes them really mushy. If using dried beans you may want to prepare them according to the package directions and then add them to the cooked barley.
6. Add chicken back to the pot.
7. Add the seasonings and stir until thoroughly mixed.
Since I have started cooking Kirby’s meals I purchased 1 pint freezer containers which I spoon the mixture in, label, and freeze.
*I have started adding garlic to all of Kirby’s food since it is supposed to help fend off fleas. Although many reputable sites claim garlic is safe for dogs in small amounts you can omit this ingredient if you prefer.
Chili peppers were out of the question so the cayenne pepper gives this a little kick Kirby likes very much.
You can use brown rice in place of the barley. I think it’s a nice healthy change adding to the variety of foods Kirby eats.
