Chicken Taco Soup

This is definitely one of my favorite fall/winter foods to make. It comes together pretty quickly and is also great to throw together in the crockpot and let go. Sometimes I’ll thrown in a can of black beans (drained), too, if I have them handy and I also like to add a “dollop of Daisy” (sour cream 😉 or greek yogurt).

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 quart reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/4 pounds plum tomatoes, diced
1 4.5-ounce can green chilies
2 cups frozen corn
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced (optional)
Lime wedges for serving (optional)

Directions
1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chili powder, oregano, and cumin; cook 1 minute more.
2. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, chilies and salt. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the chicken; simmer 10 minutes more. Stir in the cilantro.
3. Ladle into individual bowls and serve garnished with the avocado slices and the lime wedges.

Serves 6

Nutrition facts per serving: 233 calories, 20g protein, 21g carbohydrate, 8g fat (1.4g saturated), 5g fiber

Originally published in FITNESS magazine, January 2010.

Giving it a Go – Meatless Mondays

I’m pretty sure I’ve done Meatless Monday before. Matter of fact, most of my week days tend to meat free. I’m not a vegetarian, it’s just that most of the time I would rather eat salads, veggies, fruits and legumes (beans). I’ve considered going vegetarian, but I know it would be a commitment that, for me, would fail. Probably not right away, though. I can go without meat for awhile. But eventually, the immense craving for a delicious cheeseburger or beer brat would invade my brain and never leave until satisfied. And I’m perfectly ok with that. Truth be told, very rarely do I even eat red meat. I would say that 80% of the year I’m a pescatarian (someone who’s diet allows seafood but not any other animal meat). I suppose I’m kind of a mutt when it comes to labeling what I am ‘diet-wise’. I’ll be sure to post some Tilapia recipes soon for any fellow fish lovers like myself, but until then…

Back to Meatless Monday!

I had several garden fresh veggies begging to be used.

Sweet Potato, Walla Walla Onion (the SWEETEST onions you could ever give your taste buds the pleasure of discovering), Sweet Corn and Kale to be specific. With some other essential ingredients that I always have on hand this recipe was destined to be made (and the fact that it all comes together in one big stock pot makes dishes a breeze – great for Mondays)! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

adapted from http://www.milkfreemom.com

Quinoa and Sweet Potato Chili

1 Tbsp. Grape seed oil (or olive oil)

1-2 Onions, chopped (I use 2 because I love onions but be sure to adjust per your preference)

1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 can tomato paste

32 oz. chicken or vegetable stock

1 Tbsp. Chili powder

1 Tbsp. Cumin

1 tsp. Oregano

1/2 cup Kale leaves, finely chopped (about 1-2 leaves depending on size of leaf)

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into bite size pieces

1 cup white quinoa (dry, not cooked)

1 1/2 cups corn (frozen or cut off the cob)

salt and pepper to taste

Optional to Garnish with:

Greek yogurt (or sour cream)

Avocado slices

Directions for Deliciousness:

Heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium low heat. Add the onions and bell pepper, cook until slightly tender (make sure they’re not mushy, they’ve got quite a bit more cooking to go through). Add the garlic, and cook for another minute or two. Then add the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, and oregano and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Then add the beans, stock, potatoes, kale and corn and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the quinoa. Continue cooking for about 15-20 minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally, until quinoa and potatoes are cooked and the chili has thickened. The quinoa should have expanded and thickened the chili by the time it’s done. It should not be crunchy, so be sure to check.  Add a bit of water if the chili becomes too thick for your liking. Top with avocado and Greek yogurt or sour cream if desired.