Chicken and Chickpea Chili

It was 5 o'clock (again!) and time to make dinner... since it has been so cold outside, I was wanting something to warm me up.  We had soup last night (butternut squash with potatoes and apples, yum!) so that was out.  As I am standing in my pantry, staring at my inventory, I decide to do something with the canned chicken I keep on hand.  I also always have a large inventory of diced tomatoes for making pasta sauce... so, canned chicken and diced tomatoes.  But we had mexican for lunch, so I don't want to do something along those lines.  What about chili?  So I start perusing my Weight Watchers cookbooks and come upon a recipe that I can adapt to use the ingredients I happen to have on hand - Chicken and Chickpea Chili.  Tasty and hearty - and low in points!  I served it over brown rice (the points value below does not include the rice).

Chicken and Chickpea Chili
4 teaspoons canola oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped
2 large cans of chicken (Kirkland brand from Costco)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
3 - 14.5oz cans diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Heat the oil in a large nonstick Dutch oven or saucepan.  Saute the bell peppers and onion until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the chicken, breaking apart with a spoon.  Sprinkle with the flour, chili powder, cumin, cocoa powder and cayenne; cook, stirring briskly and constantly, 1 minute.  Stir in the tomatoes and vinegar; bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until thick, 30-40 minutes.  Stir in the chickpeas; simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Servings: 7 (two large ladlefuls)
Points Plus per serving: 5