Yellow Mango Salsa

Happy Cinco de Mayo! It is 68 degrees and sunny, and I am counting down to my 5-mile evening walk with Chloe. Walking season is officially underway, and I am trying to get in at least 20 miles a week. I decided a long time ago that I love exercising, but walking will always win as my favorite. My ultimate dream is to be the 90-year-old woman in a head-to-toe matching warmup suit walking all around the neighborhood pumping one-pound hand weights. I figure it is never to early to start reaching for your dreams, and I think I am on my way in more ways than one!

Speaking of reaching my dreams, the Kickstarter campaign for my upcoming cookbook Bowls of Love has been insanely successful! The campaign is only on day 4 of 28, and it crossed the 75% funding line today! The whole experience has been incredible, and I cannot thank my backers enough! 

Now, I am off to tend to the guacamole!   

Yellow Mango Salsa: Serves 4-6, Prep time: 10 min, Cook time: N/A

Ingredients:

- 1lb. mini yellow tomatoes (or any other variety of tomatoes), diced

- 2 yellow ataulfo mangoes (or 1 large regular mango), peeled & diced

- 2 small orange bell peppers, diced

- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint

- 1 lime

- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

- 1/2 tsp. salt

- 1/8 tsp. pepper

Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients in a bowl

2. Stir well to combine, and then refrigerate for a few hours (if possible) - the longer it sits, the better the flavors taste!

3. Serve on top of your favorite Paleo tacos or as a fresh side dish all Spring and Summer!

Fiesta Chicken Bowl

I have spent the last couple of days with a heavy heart thinking about the tragedy that happened in Boston on Monday. I flew to Minneapolis around noon on Monday and landed just after 3pm. I had dozens of texts and messages when I landed, and I quickly learned what happened. I am beyond thankful that everyone I know was OK, but I can't stop thinking about all those who were heavily affected both physically and mentally. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved, and I can only hope that nothing like this will ever happen again.

Amidst all of the tragedy, it has been inspirational watching the city come together even from afar. I have mixed emotions for my travel home on Friday with only 4 more days in Boston before I move. In my last few days, I plan on seeing as many friends as possible, feeding people delicious food cooked from my heart, and soaking up all of the positive experiences and energy that Boston gave me throughout the two-year roller coaster. As you reflect on the events from this week, all I can say is to grab your loved ones, make a beautiful meal, and appreciate the little things in life because life and love are as precious as anything.

Fiesta Chicken Bowl: Serves 2, Prep time: 5 min, Cook time: 15 min

Ingredients:- 1 Tbsp. olive oil or coconut oil
- 1 medium sweet onion, sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 cup sweet bell peppers, chopped
- 8 oz. poached chicken, chopped or shredded
- Fine sea salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 avocado, sliced

Instructions:
1. Heat oil over medium heat
2. Add onions and garlic and cook until lightly browned, turning often (about 10 minutes)
3. Add peppers and chicken (chicken should be pre-cooked) and cook for another 5 minuntes
4. Add salt and pepper to taste, and then top with avocado slices

  

  

Mexican Chicken Crockpot Soup

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I LOVE PaleOMG. Juli Bauer writes the blog, and while she doesn't know it yet, we know someone in common. She also doesn't know that Colorado is tied for my favorite state (neck and neck with California!). I am reallyyy hoping that I can make it to the PaleoFX Symposium in March so I can meet the amazing paleo presenters (including Juli), see what all the great vendors have to offer, meet some awesome new paleo friends, and explore Austin since I've never been. 

After catching up on my PaleOMG reading this morning after returning from some travel, I got inspired to create a slightly tweaked crockpot version of Juli's Chicken Tortilla Soup. It turned out to be a perfect dinner for the nasty weather. Granted it was so spicy that I sweat profusely the entire time while eating, but I am certain it was worth it. Luckily my shower was planned for after dinner, so no harm done there. I will make sure to eat the leftovers in my standard blow-drying outfit (light-weight robe with ice packs in all of the pockets to keep my body temperature down - and no, this is not a joke). I can promise this soup will keep you nice and toasty during the first snow of the season. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

- 1 sweet onion, chopped
- 1/2 giant shallot (or 1 normal shallot)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced

- 2 lbs chicken breast (fresh or frozen)

- 2 teaspoons cumin

- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (use less if you don't own a blow-drying outfit...)

- 1 teaspoon garlic powder

- salt and pepper, to taste

- juice of 2 limes
- 1 (4oz) can diced green chiles
- 1 (28oz) can fire roasted tomatoes
- 32 oz of broth (I used organic low sodium veggie broth)

- sliced avocado and chopped tomato, to garnish 

Instructions:
1. Arrange chopped onion, shallot, and red pepper on the bottom of the crockpot
2. Put raw chicken on top (mine was frozen)
3. Add cumin, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and lime on top of the chicken
4. Add green chilis, fire roasted tomatoes, and broth
5. Cook on high for 4 hours (or low 6-8)
6. Remove the chicken, shred it, and return it to the crockpot
7. Serve a bowl with sliced avocado and fresh chopped tomatoes (the extra tomatoes were a last-minute idea to help cut the spice a bit)
8. You can also add cilantro if you remember - I didn't!

  

Goodbye Soup w/ Pork Carnitas

There's no better excuse to cook a great meal than a party for a dear friend. While I'd prefer to be celebrating at a welcome-home party, I had to settle for a going-away feast. My friend/coworker/mum Ryan shipped off for Dubai last week for a 2-year assignment overseas (here we are - that's me stuffed into his armpit). 

He came to Boston for a last hurrah, and we had our friends over for some Mexican-inspired paleo eats. Ryan chose the theme, and we prepared some spiced cantaloupe, veggies & guacamole, and grass-fed beef stuffed sweet peppers for appetizers:

It is important to note that Ryan made the beautiful lettuce "flower" as the veggie centerpiece (I want to make sure I do not receive any credit for this masterpiece).  The main course was lettuce wrap tacos stuffed with crockpot pork carnitas and topped with a strawberry/pineapple/avocado salsa. The meal was wonderful, the company couldn't have been better (thanks Heather and Kenny!), and we had a great time. After a whirlwind of a week full of amazing adventures, I returned home to Boston and was hungry like usual. All I had in the house was about 5 pounds of leftover carnitas in my crockpot and about 8 large sweet peppers. I decided that I needed a little "goodbye soup" for the soul, so I created the following recipe. I ate it all week and even discovered that soup for breakfast is amazing... don't just trust me, try it!

Pork Carnitas Ingredients:
- 2 4-5lb pork loin roasts (can also use pork shoulder or butt)
- 2 large onions, sliced
- Chopped garlic (I must have used at least 10 cloves)
- 1 container of cherry tomatoes
- 2 cups of broth (I used chicken)
- 4 bay leaves
- Sea salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and any other spices you want to add!

Instructions:
1. Lay sliced onions and chopped garlic in the bottom of the crockpot
2. Put your pork on top (I did fat side up)
3. Season very generously with all seasonings
4. Add box of cherry tomatoes and broth
5. Cook on low for 10 hours
6. Shred the pork with kitchen tongs and stir so juices mix - keep warm and serve when hungry!

Ingredients for Goodbye Soup:

- 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil or other paleo fat

- 2 onions, chopped

- 5-10 cloves garlic, chopped (can you tell I love garlic?)

- 8 large sweet peppers, chopped 

- 1 large can (32 oz.?) organic roasted tomatoes with basil

- 4 cups chicken broth

- Sea salt & pepper

Instructions:

1. Heat fat in a large saucepan and add onions and garlic

2. Cook for 5-10 minutes until softened and fragrant and then add chopped peppers

3. Add sea salt and pepper and stir every couple of minutes for about 5-10 minutes until peppers begin to soften

4. Add can of roasted tomatoes and chicken broth

5. Bring pot to boil and then cover, turn to low/medium-low, and cook for 30-45 minutes

6. Take pot off heat, and after it cools slightly (~10 minutes), use immersion blender to blend the soup. If you don't have an immersion blender, you can blend this in batches in your blender or food processor.

7. Serve with a dollop of shredded pork carnitas

8. Rename Goodbye Soup to See-You-Later Soup (way better ring to it...)