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!

  

Paleo Taco Tuesday

It's Tuesday, so you should be eating tacos! Growing up, I absolutely hated Mexican food, and I moaned and groaned when my mom said we would be heading to our local Mexican restaurant Senor Panchos. The only thing I was willing to eat was a plain chicken and cheese quesadilla with no salsa, veggies, or guacamole. I have clearly seen the light since then, and now my family misses the days when they had one less person to fight over the guacamole with!

Tacos are a perfect paleo meal that can be scaled down for one or doubled/tripled for a big group. The more the merrier, so grab some friends and enjoy some post-election Tuesday tacos! If you are feeling really dangerous, you can serve with raw veggies + guac and some refreshing NorCal margaritas (tequila, lime juice, and soda/sparkling water). 

P.S. ¡Ahora adoro comer la comida mexicana, y disfruto de hablar en español también! ¡Puedas escribir un comentario en español en el pie de página si quieras! ¡Viva el Paleo!

Ingredients:
- 1lb. grass-fed ground beef
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 Tbsp. garlic, chopped
- 16oz. mushrooms, chopped
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 2 avocados
- 1 lime
- 1 tomato
- Salt, pepper, garlic powder, & cilantro
- Lettuce (boston/bibb cups or romaine sleeves)

Instructions:
1. Cook ground beef with onions and garlic over medium heat (7-10 minutes). While it cooks, add salt, pepper, garlic powder, cilantro, and any other herbs/spices (I am a wimp when it comes to spicy food!)
2. When meat is cooked to your preference, add mushrooms and peppers, and cook for another 3-5 minutes
3. Squeeze a lime over the mixture and mix thoroughly
4. Serve taco mixture in lettuce cups, and top with avocado or guacamole

Great Friends & Great Meat

Vegetarians beware! No time for a recipe tonight, but I had to share this beautiful picture with all of my paleo followers. 

Breaking news! Two of my most wonderful friends Sarah and Mark are getting married next year. We all went to college together, and I worked at my first job with Sarah and now my current job with Mark. I am visiting them for a fun-filled weekend of shopping for wedding and bridesmaids dresses with Sarah's mom and sister. After a fantastic day of shopping and manicures, we met up with Mark and went out for a great dinner at Les Halles in NYC. Mark asked if anyone would share the romantic prime rib for two, and I couldn't resist. I had half a prime rib and some perfectly grilled vegetables. I awkwardly asked the waiter if we could bring the bone home with us, and luckily he wrapped it up in a giant shopping bag. We got home, staged our paleo photo shoot, and finished off the meat for dessert.

A perfect end to a perfect day for me... now it's your turn to go find a good friend to gnaw on a bone with! Enjoy ;)

Breakfast for Dinner

Everybody loves breakfast, and after a busy week when your leftovers run out, it can be the the perfect paleo dinner. While I have experimented with many breakfast recipes like paleo pancakes and muffins, tonight's post highlights three quick and easy egg dishes that can be made with a moment's notice. A short and sweet post, but hopefully helpful when you run out of food and ideas! This is just another reason to buy an extra dozen of farm fresh eggs from your local farmers market each week. Enjoy!

Scrambled SOWA Eggs with Bacon & Herbed Tomatoes

Ingredients:

- 2 eggs

- No-sugar-added bacon (I used fresh bacon from Westminster Meats)

- 1 tomato

- Mixed herbs (basil, oregano, etc.)

- Salt & pepper

Instructions:
1. Cook bacon in pan or on a griddle
2. Scramble eggs with salt & pepper
3. Slice fresh tomato and top with herbs of choice

Fried Eggs w/ Sauteed Asparagus & Mashed Sweet Potato

Ingredients:

- 2 eggs

- 1 small sweet potato, baked & mashed

- 1/2 cup asparagus, chopped

- Olive oil

- Cinnamon, salt, pepper, & garlic powder

Instructions:
1. Sautee asparagus in olive oil with salt, pepper, and garlic powder
2. Head up sweet potato (can microwave, bake, or boil it if it isn't pre-prepared), and top with cinnamon
3. When asparagus is done, remove from pan and fry two eggs in the leftover oil & 
spices

Simple Omelet Topped w/ Broccoli & Portobello Mushrooms

Ingredients:

- 3 eggs or 1/2 cup egg whites

- 1 small head of broccoli, chopped

- 1/2 portobello mushroom cap, chopped

- 1 Tbsp. olive oil

- Salt, pepper, & garlic powder

Instructions:
1. Heat olive oil in omelet pan
2. Cook veggies in the oil with salt, pepper, and garlic powder
3. When veggies are cooked to your liking, remove them from the pan
4. Pour eggs (or whites) into the pan, and cook slowly over medium-low heat. Note: you will be tempted to flip! DON'T DO IT! Mal and I learned this the hard way from years of ruining omelets. Be patient, and when the bottom is fully set, flip the omelet, top with veggies, and serve.

Sweet Potato & Spinach Egg Casserole

 When I first started paleo, I decided the easiest way to get going was to trade in my go-to oatmeal every morning for an easy egg dish. There are plenty of egg-less paleo breakfast options, but since I was comfortable with eggs, I decided to experiment with baked frittatas/casseroles. I had only eaten egg whites for years, so the pictures here are strictly with egg whites. Now that I have learned to love my farm fresh yolks, I would recommend making these with the real deal to get all of the vitamins, nutrients, and protein in the yolks.

I have made so many varieties of this recipe (will post more in the upcoming days), and they are all perfect to make Sunday evening or Monday morning so you have a healthy, protein-filled breakfast all week long.

Ingredients:
- 1 carton egg whites or 10-12 eggs, beaten
- 2 small-medium sweet potatoes, chopped
- 2 cups+ spinach
- 1 large sweet onion, sliced & chopped
- 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
- Salt, pepper, & garlic powder

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Heat coconut oil over medium heat
3. Add onions and cook down for about 7-10 minutes until soft
4. Add sweet potatoes, salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and cook another 10 min
5. When sweet potatoes are soft, add spinach and cook another 1-3 minutes until spinach wilts softly
6. Grease pan with coconut oil, and add veggie mixture
7. Pour egg whites (or beaten eggs) on top of the mixture, and bake for 30 minutes or until set

  

  

Applesauce & Pumpkin Crock Pot Chicken

Hurricane Sandy has been causing quite the stir today. My office is closed again tomorrow, and the power outages are up over a million. The pouring rain has finally made it up to Boston, and the wind is howling like crazy between the apartment buildings on my street. I still haven't bought bottled water, batteries, or any other emergency supplies, so fingers crossed that it doesn't get too bad here!

While I worked from home (and checked weather.com every five minutes) today, I created a new crock pot recipe with some leftovers in my fridge. I think I officially have the first applesauce + pumpkin crock pot chicken recipe (paleo or otherwise) on the web.  This is one of those recipes that reminds me how flavorful the simplest ingredients can be. There is absolutely no sweetener of any kind in this recipe, and it is sweet as can be. The combination of the apples, pumpkin, cinnamon, and garlic give it such a great flavor. I am thinking of making some fall-inspired lettuce wrap tacos with the leftovers if I can make it to the store this week when the rain finally stops. Stay tuned!

Ingredients:
- 3-4 lbs. chicken (I used boneless, skinless chicken breast + rib meat)
- 1 cup leftover applesauce (recipe can be found here)
- 1 cup leftover pumpkin (used canned organic pumpkin from Trader Joes)
- Salt, pepper, garlic powder, & cinnamon
- 1 cup apple juice (from the applesauce)
- 1 Tbsp. chopped garlic

Instructions:
1. Put the applesauce and pumpkin on the bottom of the crock pot and mix to blend the two
2. Rinse the chicken, and lay it on top of the applesauce/pumpkin mixture
3. Generously season the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cinnamon
4. Flip the chicken with tongs and season the other side 
5. Mix the chopped garlic into the apple juice, and pour on top of the chicken (note - this apple juice is the thick/cinnamon-y liquid that was excess when I made the applesauce. You could always just use an extra cup of applesauce if you don't have the liquid reserved.)
6. Cook on low for 6 hours
7. Take the chicken out of the crock pot, shred the meat, and put it back in the crock pot with all of the juicy goodness
8. Enjoy a scoop of this with a dollop of applesauce - the perfect hurricane meal!

  

Sweet, Sweet Potato Pie

Are you ready for Hurricane Sandy? Apparently my office is closed tomorrow, and it is debatable if/how that affects me given that I work from home in another state. Regardless, I have my mini flashlight, some great smelling candles, and leftover sweet potato pie from tonight's paleo potluck, so I should be in good shape. 

The potluck was great, and we had quite a nice fall feast. I am looking forward to hosting more events and getting some cooking classes in the works. I think the applesauce, sweet potato pies, and the goodie bags were all a success. Great company as always!

In other exciting news, I upped my crossfit membership to 3x a week. Hopefully Sandy doesn't keep me away this week!

This recipe is straight from Paleo Comfort Foods, a fantastic cookbook my mom got me. I tweaked it a bit (removed the nutmeg and cut the honey in half), and it was wonderful. I highly recommend making one (or two) of these for Thanksgiving to switch out the standard pumpkin pie. Enjoy!

Nutty Crust

Ingredients:
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- 1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Combine almond flour, pecans and salt in a bowl
3. In a separate bowl, combine the coconut oil, honey, and vanilla
4. Add the wet ingredients into the dry until completely combined
5. Press the dough into a pie dish
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the crust is golden brown
7. Remove from the oven and put on a baking rack to cool. Make sure the crust cools completely before filling it

Sweet Potato Pie

Ingredients:

- 2 cups sweet potatoes, peel, boiled, & mashed

- 1 Tbsp. coconut butter

- 2 eggs

- 1 tsp. cinnamon

- 1 tsp. baking soda

- 1 tsp. baking powder

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 2/3 cup coconut milk

- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

- 2 Tbsp. honey 

Instructions:

1. Prepare crust as outlined above

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

3. Mix sweet potatoes and coconut butter with electric mixer or in food processor

4. Add in eggs and mix until fluffy

5. In a separate bowl, combine cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt

6. Add dry mixture to sweet potatoes along with coconut milk and apple cider vinegar

7. Mix well and then add honey

8. Pour mixture into pie crust

9. Bake for 10 minutes, then lower the oven to 325 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes