My favorite cuisine is Mexican. So much flavor and color. Unfortunately, a lot of Mexican dishes are unhealthy, full of cheese flour or corn tortillas, and extra sodium. So I am always in search of a tasty, healthier Mexican meal.

Also, many Mexican meals dirty a lot of dishes. Have you ever noticed that? What is great about this Chicken Tortilla Soup is that it is an easy one pot meal - either stove top or slow cooker.

This soup is also my favorite meal for taking support people after having a baby, recovering from surgery, or anytime they just need a break from cooking. It freezes well, too.

Nourish your mind,

Jen

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Serves: 6

Total time: 50 minutes stove top or 4 1/2 hours slow cooker

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-2 jalapenos, seeded and finely diced
• 6 cups of organic chicken broth
• 1 (14.5 oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup frozen corn (optional)
• Salt and pepper
• 3 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:

• Diced avocado
• Chopped cilantro
• Lime wedges
• Organic tortilla chips

DIRECTIONS

Stove top: In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened. Then add garlic and jalapeno and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Pour broth, tomatoes, beans, and corn in the pot. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, add chicken breasts and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook the chicken for 20-25 minutes or until no longer pink. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pot. Shred the chicken with two forks. Add the chicken back to the pot and stir in lime juice and cilantro. Turn off the heat and stir until just mixed. Ladle soup into bowls and top with crushed corn chips, diced avocado, more cilantro, and lime wedges, if desired.

Slow cooker: Place all soup ingredients except lime juice and fresh cilantro in a slow cooker. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours. Remove chicken and shred with 2 forks. Return chicken back to the slow cooker. Stir in lime juice and chopped cilantro. Serve with desired toppings.

Recipe adapted from Food Network.

One pan + Easy + Lots of flavor + Family likes it = Winner Dinner!

The inspiration for this recipe came from Real Simple and it was the very first one pan dish I had ever tried. I wasn’t much of the fan of the lemon flavor in their version, but I really like the idea of all-in-one. So taking the one pan concept, I experimented and came up with this recipe. My daughter frequently requests it!

Just to warn you, I usually eyeball things, so measurement amounts are close to what I use. You may find that you prefer more or less garlic or dijon or honey. So I encourage you to make it to your taste. And it is easy to adjust the quantity based the size of the  crowd you need to feed.

Enjoy!

Jen

One Pan Balsamic Chicken, Green Beans & Potatoes

Serves: 4

Total time: 60 minutes

INGREDIENTS 

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 lb fresh green beans (grab a bag, already trimmed for ya, so easy!)
• 4-5 large red potatoes (depends on the size), sliced into wedges
• ¼-⅓ cup Olive oil
• ¼-⅓ cup Balsamic vinegar
• 3-4 garlic cloves, crushed, be generous
• 2ish Tbsps Dijon mustard
• 2ish Tbsps Honey
• Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, mix oil, vinegar, garlic, dijon, honey, salt and pepper until well combined. Toss green beans in the balsamic mixture. Remove green beans with tongs or slotted spoon and place in the bottom of a 9X12 baking dish or spread on to a baking sheet. Next, toss potatoes in the balsamic mixture. Remove potatoes with tongs or slotted spoon and place around the edges of the baking dish. Last, coat each chicken breast in the balsamic mixture and place on top of the green beans. If any mixture remains, pour over the chicken. Bake 45-60 min, depending on the thickness of the breast, until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. 

Monday night has become slow cooker night at our house. My daughter has volleyball practice right during the time I would normally make dinner. Instead of giving in to the temptation to hit a drive-through on our way home, I’ve been planning ahead so we can stay on track with our healthy habits.

This is a simple recipe, like Chicken Noodle Soup, but with potatoes instead of noodles. It is also a spin-off from my Chicken Kale Soup. To get your green vegetable for this meal, have a simple salad of mixed greens with olive oil and your favorite vinegar.

Nourish your mind,

Jen

Slow Cooker Chicken, Potato, & Carrot Soup

Serves: 6

Total time: 4 1/2 hours

INGREDIENTS

• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 stalks celery, sliced
• 5 whole carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 3 chicken breasts
• 6 cups chicken broth or stock
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours. Pull out the chicken breasts, shred, and return to slow cooker. Stir to combine and serve hot. 

I am all about easy, quick recipes. And if it only involves one pot, even better!

Consider doubling this recipe and freezing the leftovers. 

Who says healthy eating can't be full of taste? 

Nourish your mind,

Jen

Easy White Chicken Chili

Serves: 6

Total time: 40 minutes stove top or 4-8 hours slow cooker

INGREDIENTS

• 6 cups of chicken broth

• 2 (15 oz) cans of white kidney beans, drained (not rinsed)

• 2 cups (16 oz) jar of salsa verde

• 2 tsp ground cumin

• 2 chicken breasts, boneless & skinless

• 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro

• 1/2 lime, juiced (optional)

• Optional toppings: diced avocado, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped green onion, crumbled tortilla chips

DIRECTIONS

For stove top:

In a large stockpot, add chicken broth, beans, salsa and cumin. Stir to combine and heat over medium-high heat until boiling. Then add the chicken breasts and let simmer for about 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the center.

Pull the chicken breasts out to shred. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Add back the shredded chicken. Remove from heat and serve with desired toppings.

For slower cook:

In a slow cooker, combine broth, beans, salsa, cumin, and chicken breast. Stir to combine. Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.

Pull the chicken breasts out to shred. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Add back the shredded chicken. Serve with desired toppings.

I can't recall the first place I tried a curry chicken salad-  it was at a deli spot, Whole Foods, or Trader Joes- but I immediately like it and tried to figure how to create my own healthy version without mayonnaise. 

Voila...

This is the recipe that came about. A big hit, I must say. It doesn't last long in my house.

If you give it a try, let me know what you think!

Nourish Your Mind,

Jen

Curry Avocado Chicken Salad

Serves: 4

Total time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups chopped or shredded chicken

• 1 large avocado

• juice of ¼ lime

• 1 green onion sliced, tops only

• ¼ cup raisins (golden preferred)

• ¼ cup chopped cashews

• 1 medium carrot, shredded

• 1 Tbsp honey

• 1 tsp curry powder

• ½ tsp ground ginger

• ½ tsp turmeric

DIRECTIONS

In a mixing bowl, toss together the chicken, green onions, raisins, cashews and carrot shreds. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mash avocado. Stir in lime juice, honey, curry, ginger, and turmeric until mixed well. Add to the chicken and mix gently until combined.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.