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Chicken Chili

chicken chili labeled

 

Chicken Chili
Serves 8
Phase 2 Omni Drops Program
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Ingredients
  1. 1 large can diced tomatoes (undrained) - look for organic with no added sugar or
  2. preservatives and low sodium (Can also use fresh tomatoes you stew yourself)
  3. 1/2 onion finely chopped
  4. 3-4 stalks celery, finely chopped (can use leaves if desired)
  5. 1 small can tomato paste - look for organic and no added sugar or preservatives
  6. (All the veggies together should add up to less than 2 pounds because the tomatoes
  7. are cooked)
  8. 2 lb ground cooked & drained chicken (phase 2) or turkey (phases 3&4) or even beef
  9. (2 pounds is the pre-cooked weight)
  10. 1/3 cup tex-mex spice - look for no added sugar, carbs, or preservatives
  11. Chili powder to taste
  12. 1 tsp garlic powder
  13. 1 tsp chili flakes
  14. 1 tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
  1. Cook in slow-cooker, stirring occasionally on low for 6- 8 hours.
  2. Cool and then divide into 8 equal portions (approximately 7 ounces each).
  3. or
  4. Throw all ingredients into a pot and cook on the stove for 30 minutes.
Notes
  1. This freezes really well. Make ahead of time and use as a quick dinner or bring to work for your lunch.
My Eating Clean Journey http://www.myeatingcleanjourney.com/

 

Chicken Creole Gumbo #Phase3 #OmniDrops

Oh my goodness, this was so tasty and we’re looking forward to making it again when we hit phase 3 and have the ability to add in more vegetables.  Feel free to substitute the chicken for shrimp to make Shrimp Creole Gumbo.

chicken gumbo

 

Chicken Creole Gumbo
Phase 2 for Omni Drops Program. Can also use Shrimp instead of Chicken.
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Ingredients
  1. 4oz shrimp or 4oz ground chicken
  2. Dash of onion powder
  3. Dash of garlic powder
  4. 1 tablespoon minced onion
  5. 1 clove of garlic crushed and minced
  6. Cayenne pepper to taste
  7. 2 cups vegetable broth (or substitute 1 cup water for 1 cup broth)
  8. Tomatoes chopped
  9. 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  10. 2 tablespoons green or white onion
  11. 2 cloves of garlic crushed and minced
  12. 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  13. Dash of Worcestershire sauce
  14. Cayenne pepper to taste
  15. Salt and pepper to taste
  16. Liquid smoke hickory smoke flavoring to taste
Instructions
  1. Mix the Dash of onion powder, Dash of garlic powder,1 tablespoon minced onion,1 clove of garlic crushed and minced, and the Cayenne pepper with the ground chicken. Cook the chicken in a pot; until cooked through. Add onions and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
  2. Add tomato paste, tomatoes, and broth. Mix well. Add the remaining spices and vinegar. Simmer for 20-30 minutes. Serve hot and garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
  1. Phase 3 modifications: Add additional mixed protein ingredients like crab, chicken, and sausage. Add additional vegetables such as okra, celery, and bell pepper. Enjoy with a dollop of sour cream.
My Eating Clean Journey http://www.myeatingcleanjourney.com/

Mexican Chicken Soup

This week has been all about the soup.  I went on a soup binge and started making it every night for supper.  I’m playing a little catch-up on my blog tonight, so I’ll be posting all three soup recipes.  My fans over at Instagram, are asking – and so they will receive the recipes.  ðŸ™‚

mexican chicken soup

 

Mexican Chicken Soup
Serves 4
Phase 2 Recipe for Omni Drops Program
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Cook Time
30 min
Cook Time
30 min
Ingredients
  1. 6 cups chicken broth
  2. 1 sm onion, chopped (about 4oz total)
  3. 2 cloves garlic -- minced
  4. 2 tsp cumin
  5. 2T chili powder
  6. 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped (about 4oz)
  7. 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (optional, this isn't an approved food item but many use it with no problems)
  8. 4oz celery, diced
  9. 1 lb Chicken breasts, diced
Instructions
  1. Sautee the garlic and onion on a large pot until softened (about 3 minutes)
  2. Add remaining ingredients. Mix.
  3. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until chicken is completely done and no longer pink.
  4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
My Eating Clean Journey http://www.myeatingcleanjourney.com/

 

 

Cinnamon Curry Chicken Soup and 108 Sticks of Butter

Here in Vermont we are getting pounded with another snow storm.  I knew that I needed to make a soup to help warm my husband up after he was finished plowing and shoveling the driveway.  He looked like a snowman walking in the house – covered from head to toe with snow.

Tonight we had Cinnamon Curry Chicken Soup with a side salad with homemade Honey Mustard Dressing.  Both hit the spot.

 
Cinnamon Curry Chicken Soup 
4oz chicken – cubed
diced onion (allowed amount)
2 c broth
3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 t curry powder
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t pumpkin pie spice
salt/black pepper to taste
Combine everything in one pot and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
 
I was also thinking today about my journey with Omnitrition and their Omni-Drops and was 
thinking about how much 27 pounds really is.  I remember when I was attending a Weight Watchers 
meeting years ago, she used to compare people’s weight loss to sticks of butter.  So off I went 
to find a graphic of butter to use – and I found one that was exactly 27 pounds.  How perfect is that?
So….I’ve lost 108 sticks of butter over the last 33 days.  Amazing.
 
 

 

Eating Clean and Feeling Great – A Week of Dinners

If you’ve been reading my blog, then you know I started a new diet at the beginning of January, on the 2nd to be exact.  I am feeling great.  The thought that my body hasn’t had sugar, oil or processed food is wonderful.  It’s the journey I have been longing for and it’s even effecting the scale.  I’ve lost a total of 17.8 pounds.

One thing that I’ve noticed over my 30 years of trying to lose weight, is how much attention we give to the number that’s on the scale.  If it’s not moving downwards then we get discouraged and give up.  I’ve been a victim of that.  I once exercised for 5 months straight, 5 times a week for one hour and didn’t see any difference in the number on the scale.  I decided it wasn’t worth the effort and gave up.  When the scale isn’t budging, it’s important to look at the other positive things that are happening within you.  For me, although the scale is going down, I do celebrate my “non-scale” victories.  For example, I have so much more energy then I had before I started eating clean.  Also, last weekend my sister and I went to visit my parents in upstate New York.  They live near a casino and we had plans of going to bingo a few times during our stay.  We stayed on plan the whole time, no cheating from the two of us.  We met my parents at bingo and my mom packed us each a salad with grilled chicken.  We both packed some “approved” foods from our eating plan so we were prepared.  I brought in my homemade Honey Mustard Dressing and BBQ Sauce to put on our salads.  For dinner we went to the restaurant and asked what vegetables they had as a side, none of them were what we could eat.  My sister asked if they had access to any asparagus and the waitress replied that the neighboring restaurant had some.  She ran next door and picked us up two side orders to go with the 8oz sirloin steak that we split.  Unfortunately the asparagus wasn’t very much but my sister had packed a cucumber with her and I had packed my food scale.  We weighed out the asparagus and supplemented with the cucumber.  It felt so good to be successful by being prepared.

So, two tips for today:  Celebrate the Non-Scale Victories and Be Prepared.

Here’s what I ate this week:

 
Chicken Curry
 
4oz chicken sliced thinly (easy to do if it’s semi-frozen)
2oz onion, big slices
2oz celery, bite size pieces
curry powder, to your liking
chicken broth
 
In a medium sized pan, add in your onions and celery and saute with a splash of chicken broth for about 2 minutes.  Toss your chicken pieces in the curry powder and add them to the pan.  Add additional chicken broth to help cook the vegetables and keep the chicken from sticking to the pan.  Cook until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked throughout, about 10 minutes.
 
Curried Beef and Spinach
 
4oz ground beef
4oz spinach
curry powder
 
Cook the hamburg in a pot with a splash of beef broth.  Cook until cooked through.  Add 1/2 cup of additional beef broth and add in the spinach and curry powder (to taste).  Cook for about 2-3 minutes or until the spinach is wilted.
 
Curried Chicken and Cabbage 
(see a theme going here this week)
 
4oz chicken
4oz cabbage
curry powder
 
Cook chicken in a pot with a splash of water or chicken broth.  When no longer pink, add in your cabbage and a little more broth to help cook the cabbage down.  Toss in the curry powder and mix well.  Add sea salt and pepper and serve.
 
Here’s the meal we got from the restaurant at the casino.  We took it to go so we could eat it during our bingo session.
 
 
Roasted Radishes
 
4oz radishes
sea salt and pepper
braggs aminos in a spray bottle
 
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper,  place the radishes on the baking sheet and spray with the Braggs Aminos.  Dust with salt and pepper.  Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes.  Keep an eye on them and check for doneness.
Italian Grilled Chicken with Radishes and Spinach
 
 
Which one is your favorite from my menu this week?

Mexican Tortilla Soup

Mexican Tortilla Soup
Ingredients:
6oz of turkey sausage, crumbled
1 red onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
5 cups of low sodium chicken broth
2 cups frozen corn
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
3 corn tortillas
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 T lime juice
Cook the sausage in a dutch oven, until browned, about 6-8 minutes.
Add the onion, peppers and garlic.  Cook, stirring frequently until they soften.
Stir in the broth, corn and tomatoes.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat and add 1 tortilla at a time (or more if there is room).  Cook until golden brown (about 45 seconds), flip and brown the other side.
Slice the tortillas into strips.  Set aside.
Stir in the cilantro and lime juice into the soup and then top with the tortillas.

Southern Peanut Soup

Southern Peanut Soup

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
1 small Vidalia onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flour
3-4 cups hot chicken stock or broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup natural peanut butter (no sugar added)
Juice of 1/2 – 1 lime (to taste)

Directions:
1. Melt butter in saucepan over medium low heat, add onions, celery and carrots and cook for about 10 minutes, until onions become translucent.
2. Add garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
3. Whisk flour into the onion mixture, cook for 1 minute, then whisk in the hot chicken stock. Turn the heat up to medium. While stirring, cook 5 minutes until moderately thickened.
4. Whisk in the heavy cream and peanut butter, heat the soup through but do not bring to a boil.
5. Stir in the lime juice.
6. Serve with optional toppings such as chopped toasted peanuts, scallions, cilantro, cayenne or hot sauce. This soup is also delicious served chilled

Recipe provided by:
Southern Peanut Growers:

Established in 1980, Southern Peanut Growers is a non-profit trade association representing peanut farmers in Georgia, Alabama, Florida and Mississippi. The organization educates American consumers about the U.S. peanut industry and its products.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup (with lots of garlic and red onions)

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

1 large butternut squash
3 large red onions
12 cloves garlic
3 T olive oil
2 T dried rosemary
2 T dried thyme
3-4 cups vegetable broth (I only needed 3 cups – one whole carton)
2 T balsamic vinegar

  1. Poke squash with a fork in several places.  Place on a baking pan and bake for 70 minutes in a preheated 400 degree oven.  Remove from oven and let cool.
  2. Place onions in bowl and toss with the olive oil.  Place on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes.  Add garlic cloves to the baking pan and roast garlic and onions for an additional 20 minutes or when golden brown.
  3. Meanwhile, cut squash in half and remove seeds.  Scoop out squash with a spoon and place in a bowl.
  4. Using a blender or a food processor; blend the squash, onions, garlic, rosemary, thyme, vinegar and broth  in small batches (unless you have a larger blender/processor).  The large basin of my Ninja blender was able to handle all of it at once.
  5. Pour into a pot to rewarm on the stove.
  6. Serves 8 – This soup freezes very well.
If you’re following the Weight Watcher plan, one serving is 4 PointsPlus.

Hiding Carrots within your Soup

Did you know that you could hide some vegetables within your soup or pasta sauce and your kids wouldn’t know?  Juice some carrots and add it in place of your chicken, beef or vegetable broth.  You can replace it 100% or only do 50/50 (50% carrot juice and 50% broth).
Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

Lentil Soup with Kale


 Lentil Soup with Kale
Serves 4-5

Ingredients:
1 cup red lentils, well rinsed (I used green lentils)
1 bay leaf
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 small yam, cubed
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander seeds
1 tsp ground fennel seeds
2 cups finely chopped kale
2 garlic cloves, pressed or grated
2 tsp salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 cup cilantro, for garnish (not used in my recipe)

In a large pot on high, bring to a boil 6 cups purified water, lentils, bay leaf, onions, carrots, celery, yam, marjoram, cumin, and coriander and fennel seeds. Skim off any foam from the top of water. Cook partly covered for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add kale, garlic and salt and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Remove bay leaf, stir in cayenne and serve garnished with fresh cilantro.

From the cookbook – The SimplyRaw Kitchen by Natasha Kyssa