Chicken Chili

Buried deep, waiting on Polar Vortex Episode II, I CRAVE COMFORT FOOD! But I'm also on my first full 24-Day Challenge post-baby. Must eat clean and I sure as heck don't need to fall back into making cornbread, using cheese, or lathering sour cream on my comfort food. So the Pinterest perusing began as I looked over white chicken chili recipes. For the most part, they all had some things in common, so I took those ideas and ran with what was in my kitchen. The biggest flavor factors for this are definitely the combination of chili powder, cumin and jalapeño. And please don't leave out the jalapeño! I can't deal with a ton of heat so I only used one, but at least use a half. It just helps warm it up just a touch! I'm not calling this "white" since I had veggies and kidney beans, but dang this is good chili!

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Chicken Chili

2 chicken breasts

1 1/4 c. Dried bean/lentil/veggie mix

1 can pinto beans

1 c. peppers, diced (any or all colors)

1/2 red onion, diced 

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 c. Extra water (add as it cooks)

1 c. corn

1 jalapeño, diced (more or less to taste)

2 tbsp. chili powder

1 tbsp. cumin

1-2 tbsp. oregano

2-6 cloves of garlic, diced

For chicken:

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

Throw everything but the chicken and bottom 3 spices in the pot, stir together. Take bottom 3 spices and rub on chicken. Place chicken just in the water and let cook for 2-3 hours before stirring the pot. 

Cook in the crockpot on high for 4-6 hours.

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I'm in love! Better than ground turkey chili by far and lots of flavor so I didn't need toppers for it. New favorite stew by far. And it was THICK. So add more water if you need to! Why was I wasting my time trying to perfect turkey chili when this was waiting for me???

Also note: I used my no-msg chicken stock starter and 3 cups of water for the broth. But low-sodium broth should be just as flavorful!

Challenge-Friendly: YES. Full of protein. Pair with a side salad or extra veggies for more natural fiber.

Jerk Salmon and Garlic Spinach

O.M.G. So, I had my one experiment with jerk seasoning awhile ago and I haven't revisited the "jerk" realm until now. WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG??? Am I really that crazy to put off finding an awesome flavor?? Yes. Yes, I was.

Enter Pinterest - because face it, us recipe whores find everything on Pinterest. Google recipes? Are you insane? Go look on Pinterest like a good girl, now! Pinch of Yum's Caribbean Jerk Salmon Bowl with Mango Salsa caught my eye. (http://pinchofyum.com/caribbean-jerk-salmon-bowl-with-mango-salsa)

I had every intention of making this as a bowl ... And then in my rush I forgot. For me that's not a big deal because I'm the classic "mix it all together and eat it" girl, anyways. My friends dread going to a Mexican restaurant with me because I'm prone to cutting and mashing my burritos into their equivalent of visual "baby poop." LOL I'm off topic ...

THIS WAS AMAZING. And amazingly, no garlic for once. Yes, you heard me right. It didn't need it. It was fabulous on salmon, but I think any white meat or fish would hold up to the flavor. And next time, I plan on marinating for a few hours because the flavor of the leftovers today was even more insanely awesome from sitting.

Wait there was garlic! The spinach had garlic, DOH. The spinach is super fast side that's still full of flavor and a green for your plate.

As for the mango salsa I added to mine, I will post that recipe at some point. It's super simple!

Please remember that all the measurements are general. If you get more less of something, it won't kill the flavor. Just try to keep everything fairly equal and you'll be fine!

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Jerk Salmon

2-4 Servings of Salmon Filet

1 tbsp. EVOO

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. hot madras curry powder (or regular curry powder)

1 tsp. all spice

1 tsp. cinnamon

Dash of sea salt

Mix the dry spices together, then add the oil. Mix well and pour over the salmon filets. Rub all over to coat them well. Let marinade or cook right away in a hot pan. 3-5 minutes each side. Serve!

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Garlic Spinach

4 handfuls fresh Baby Spinach

2-4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp. EVOO

Heat the oil in a pan. Mince in garlic and cook about 30 seconds. Add Spinach and cook until wilted. Serve.

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I added Seeds of Change Quinoa and Brown Rice for my grain (super fast, not too processed ... But fast was the key term here: http://seedsofchangefoods.com/our_foods/product.aspx?c=rth&p=285) and my homemade mango salsa. DELICIOUS!!

Challenge-Friendly: YES. This was dinner on Day 1 of my Cleanse this time.