Pulled Chicken Chili

Hello 2017! It’s been a while but we are back with some delicious and nutritious recipes to help you stay on track with your healthy New Years resolutions!

What else is there to make when it’s freezing everywhere other than chili? Yes, usually the meat is on the fatty side and it’s normally paired with some sort of fat-inducing carb. But this recipe packs the protein and subs out the starch for a carotenoid rich squash. And, it’s topped with some cruncy kale because tortilla chips are certainly on no ones diet right now 😉.

Ingredients

Chicken: One red onion, One garlic clove, One (any color, yellow used here) bell pepper, One can tomato paste, 2 tablespoons apple side vinegar, 2 tablespoons agave nectar, 3-4 boneless chicken breasts

Chili: 1 can tomato sauce, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 can black beans, 1 can kidney beans (any combo of beans will work)

2 Spaghetti Squashes (serves about 5)

1 bag of chopped kale. Juice of 1/2 lime.

Directions: Dice veggies. Heat a skillet to medium heat. Brown veggies and then reduce heat. Stir in tomato paste, vinegar and agave. Add any hot spices you desire (cayenne, chipotle, cumin and black pepper used here). Mix until a cohesive paste. Lightly coat each chicken breast.

In a slow cooker, add 1/2 the can of diced tomatoes and 1/2 can of sauce. Add chili pepper and any other hot spices desired. Add both cans of beans. Place coated chicken on top. Add the remaining diced tomatoes and sauce. Cook on low heat for 4-5 hours. After about 2 hours, use a fork to break apart chicken.

Refer here for instructions on cooking spaghetti squash.

For the crunchy kale topping, spread the greens out on a cooking sheet. Drizzle lime juice over and sprinkle with cilantro if desired.

This is just the thing to warm you up without costing you your diet. The squash serves as a great base that will make you forget all about that pasta.

Grilled Romaine Salad

Now this one had us a bit skeptical. It sounds a little pretentious and something someone attempting to be on top of food culture would serve. Plus, throwing a green on the grill seems like a watery, wilted mess. But, turns out, it’s almost like a new veggie to throw in a sautée. And its size provides a nice base for a warm, wedge salad.

Ingredients: romaine stalks, 1/4 onion (red used here, any will work), 1/2 red pepper, 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 lemon slice, 1/2 avocado. Any protein will work: 2 pieces of bacon, 1 hard boiled egg and 2 slices of ham were used here.

Directions: Mix the vinegar, oil and juice of the lemon wedge. Cut the romaine stalks in half. Season with black pepper and salt. Lightly distribute the dressing over the half of romaine.

Once prepared, place romaine on grill. We have used a stove top griller but it will work the same on a normal outdoor grill. The only advantage here is allowing the onions and peppers to cook with the risk of them falling through.

It’s best to cut piece by piece. It definitely beats a normal salad and serves as a good healthy option for summer grilling.

Middle Eastern Chicken and Chickpea Salad

Let’s face it: chicken can be boring af. It’s the blandest of all the proteins, but also the most benign when it comes to your waistline. That’s why we will be coming up with some chicken options that provide flavor without any guilt attached (tap the chicken option tag to see all).

Trust me, this one will get your taste buds going and make you forget you’re eating healthy.

Chicken Breast-Chopped Parsley, Juice of Half a Lemon/2 Tbsp Olive Oil, Through Rub of Cumin, Salt and Pepper to Taste. Baked with Bell Peppers and Mushrooms at 360° for 45 minutes.

Chickpea Parsley Salad-One Can of Chickpeas, Half Chopped Red Onion, Half Chopped Green Pepper, Half Chopped Tomato, One Chopped Cucumber, Bunch of Chopped Parsley, Juice of Half a Lemon, 2 Tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar, 1 Tbsp of Stevia, Salt and Pepper to Taste

The dish doesn’t exactly fall into any one country’s culinary profile, but the lemon/olive oil marinade and use of cumin, parsley, and chickpeas slides right into the Mediterranean/Middle East area. Isn’t it funny how the food from other countries is so much healthier than America’s?