Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita Soup

As Fall is in full swing, we’ve been enjoying the ease and simplicity of a slow cooker soup once a week. Usually on one of those nights when dinner prep time is non-existent. I love this soup recipe which is inspired by The Fresh Market! Top it with avocado, fresh cilantro and tortilla strips and you’ve got yourself a warm spicy soup with a little crunch on top.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• ½ jalapeño, finely chopped (or more if you like it spicy)
• 8 c. Pacific Foods Organic Bone Broth Chicken
• 2 cups  salsa
• 2 ½ tsp. kosher salt
• 2 tsp. Mexican chili powder
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• ½ tsp. paprika
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• 1 c. green bell pepper, diced
• 1 c. white onion, diced
• 1 can low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
• Juice of 1 medium lime

Topping Options:

• Fresh cilantro
• Sliced avocado
• Sliced jalapeño
• Tortilla strips
• Sour cream
• Fresh lime wedges

Directions

Thinly slice chicken breast and set aside. Slice jalapeno. Add Organic Bone Broth Chicken, salsa, spices, sliced jalapeno, peppers and onions, and sliced chicken to slow cooker. Cover and set to LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours. Add the beans 1/2 way through the cooking time. Finish with fresh squeezed lime juice. Adjust salt if necessary. Serve topped with fresh cilantro or lime, sliced avocado, sour cream, or tortilla strips. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Thai Chicken

A few weeks ago, I tried this recipe from fellow RDN Jennifer Hunt and it has become my new favorite slow cooker chicken recipe! Mix up the sauce and let it slow cook all day.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 2 tsp sriracha chili sauce
• ¼ cup creamy almond butter or peanut butter
• ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbsp honey
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• ½ tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS

• Basil chopped
• Slivered or sliced nuts such as almonds, cashews or peanuts

Instructions

1. Place chicken breasts in the slow cooker (cut in half if desired). In a small pot, combine all other ingredients on medium heat and allow to warm through until the almond butter combines with the rest of the ingredients. Pour sauce over chicken and turn slow cooker to low.

2. Cook for 6-8 hours. Shred chicken at end of cooking, if desired.

Recipe Notes

• The sauce can also be made by microwaving all ingredients in a medium glass bowl for 15-30 seconds or until almond butter melts and incorporates thoroughly.
• This recipe has a bit of spice which makes it taste amazing!  You can reduce the spice by using less sriracha and/or black pepper.

Lower Sodium Options

The sodium comes from the soy sauce, chicken broth, sriracha and possibly nut butter, depending on the brand you use.  To lower total sodium, use No Added Salt Chicken Broth (like Kitchen Basics brand) and choose a nut butter with no added salt (like Trader Joe’s No Salt Almond Butter).

Serving Ideas

• Over zucchini noodles
• With stir-fried vegetables like broccoli, edamame, pea pods, carrots, bell peppers and/or onions
• Atop brown rice, quinoa or other whole grain
• Over whole grain noodles

More Sous Vide Style Cooking

I’ve been trying out the Sous Vide technique with new meats the past few weeks. I’ve tried chicken, salmon and tri tip. There is such a difference in taste, it’s amazing! Feels like I’m making restaurant quality meals with such little effort. The risk of overcooking virtually goes away as you simply sear the Sous Vide cooked meat on the BBQ for a minute per side. I highly recommend it!

This was a cajun chicken meal I had for lunch the other day. By 8:30am the frozen chicken had made it’s way into the water bath and by 11:30am it’s ready to be seasoned and quickly seared.

Grilled chicken seasoned with Trader Joe’s 21 Season Salute.

The first time I tried salmon it was a little too flakey to transfer to the BBQ to finish it off. But, there’s an app for that! The Anova app includes a guide to help you determine the temperature of the water bath depending on how you like the end product to be. I’ve resorted to using the broiler for salmon to prevent it front accidentally breaking and sliding through the grill grates.  I like my salmon pretty basic, this one is sprinkled with Italian seasoning before broiling and topped with a veggie hash (zucchini, mushroom and olive). I like including olives or artichoke hearts to give it a little zing.

 

 

Build Up Your Pasta

I saw this on Foodinsights.org and thought it was a clever way to build your pasta into a well-rounded nutrient dense meal.

I had the above for dinner the other night: Brown rice quinoa pasta with ground turkey, zucchini and mushrooms, Trader Joe’s pasta sauce and garlic 🙂 It was delish!