Chicken Veggie Chili

Well, I had my heart set on making some delicious spinach quinoa patties for dinner tonight, but not having any quinoa in the kitchen would have meant putting back on a bra and real pants to go to the store so obviously that was out of the question. Oh well, another day perhaps.

In the meantime, I made one of my favorites out of ingredients I already had on hand... Chicken chili. It's super adaptable and can be made in so many different ways, so it's a staple for dinner for me.

This is the basic recipe, including the veggies I had in the fridge today, although it's also delicious with zucchini and yellow squash, diced chilies, and black beans thrown in. You can also substitute ground turkey. Like I said, adaptable.

Chicken Veggie Chili

1 lb ground chicken

1 can organic diced tomatoes

1 cup water

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1/2 cup carrots, chopped

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 cup baby spinach

2 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

3 Tbsp chili powder

2 1/2 Tbsp cumin

2 tsp dried cilantro

1/4 c whole wheat flour

- all of the seasonings are more or less to taste

Cook the ground chicken and spices until chicken is cooked through. Pour in can of tomatoes and water, along with all vegetables except the spinach. Bring to a boil, and adjust seasonings to taste, adding more if necessary. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in the spinach and let wilt. Spoon out some of the fluid and mix it with flour until a paste is formed, then stir paste into chili. Simmer five more minutes until well incorporated and slightly thickened. 

I love this chili topped with anything from a sprinkling of sharp cheddar to raw diced onions, but today I went with a few avocado slices and they really hit the spot. And it's a great filling dinner on a cold night that comes together quickly, and less than 300 calories a serving!

A Craving for Mexican

Today I wanted Mexican food.

Typically that isn't a big deal, but I was ravenous for Mexican food. I wanted the works, gooey enchiladas covered in cheese and sour cream sauce, Mexican rice, hot flour tortillas, fresh salsa, tortilla chips... It was all I thought about all day.

So I decided to make a healthy Mexican dish for dinner. No enchiladas unfortunately. Not even any rice. But it was delicious just the same.

Don't worry, Mexican calorie-fest... I haven't forgotten you. One day, we'll have a love affair with a candle-lit dinner. Maybe we'll even spend the night together.

In the meantime, this Southwest Chicken Stew hit the spot in a big way, and warmed me through and through (which was good, considering it was rainy, dreary, and November-y all day.) I added a little dollop of sour cream on top, and a pinch of shredded cheddar. It felt like a cheat without *being* one. See what I did there? Smooth.

Seriously. I want another bowl just typing this. Maybe even two.

Southwest Chicken Stew

(You could add a can of rinsed black beans to this and it would seriously be amazing. I happened to not have any so I didn't do that. Lazy.)

10 cups water
4 cubes beef bouillon 
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can fire roasted diced green chilies
2 diced celery stalks
2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 a white onion, chopped
1 c chopped carrots
1 potato, cubed
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/8 c chopped cilantro (dried) or 1/2 c fresh chopped cilantro
1/4 c chili powder
1/8 c cumin
2 tsp garlic powder
4 tsp sea salt
1/4 c cornstarch
1/2 c lime juice (less or more depending on how tart you like it)

Boil the chicken in 10 c of water on high. When done, remove chicken. Add can of diced chilies and all the seasonings to the water and let simmer. Meanwhile, saute the celery, onion, carrots, and bell pepper in a tablespoon or so of oil on medium high until its tender, about 5 minutes. Add to boiling broth, along with bouillon, and let simmer. Add in potato and tomatoes. Shred chicken and add it to the stew. Stir in lime juice and let cook 20 minutes at a simmer, until potato cubes are tender. In a separate bowl, stir cornstarch with 1/8 cup or so of cold water. Stir mixture into the stew and let boil another 5 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a pinch of shredded cheese.

Serves 10 at 134 calories/serving, not including calories from sour cream and cheese.