THE Best Soup Ever (Spicy Chicken Soup)

BEHOLD. The best soup I have ever made. It is spicy, satisfying, immune-boosting, and oh-so-mouth-watering. I am not kidding when I tell you that I have made it almost every single week the past 3 months!! This soup is fail-proof and takes little time to actually make. Oh, it also makes a LOT of soup which is awesome because I love leftovers! It lasts up to a week in the fridge.

One of the keys to this amazing soup is the shredded crock-pot chicken. I cook the chicken with bone broth and spices overnight on low (8-10 hours) while I sleep. In the morning, my apartment smells like HEAVEN. I have tried non-shredded chicken but it was not the same. 

This soup is a nutrition bomb. It is loaded with beneficial bone broth which is one of the best foods for our bodies. It contains collagen, amino acids, vitamins and minerals that strengthen our immunity, bones, joints, gut, hair, skin & nails. Talk about a powerhouse! This soup is rich in fiber and protein too, making it so satisfying. Add some avocado on top and BOOM you have the perfect meal. 

I LOVE THIS SOUP.

So does my boyfriend. And, well, everyone I have ever made it for.

I hope you try it too and love it as much as I do :)

INGREDIENTS

64 oz. (2 cartons) organic bone broth (I use Pacific Foods)

3 organic boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 cans organic beans of choice (My favorite is a mix of Pinto + White)

16 oz. green tomatillo salsa (I love using this one by Frontera)

2 bell peppers (I like to use a variety for a pop of color)

2 jalepino peppers (leave out if you want less heat)

1 small white onion

4 cloves garlic

1-2 scoops Vital Proteins Beef Gelatin (optional thickener + nutrients)

2-3 tbsp Olive oil

SPICES: Himalayan pink sea salt, black pepper,

cayenne pepper, turmeric, paprika, garlic powder

FOR SERVING: Cilantro, Avocado, Plain greek yogurt (tastes identical to sour cream), Beanitos bean chips or other tortilla chips

METHOD

1. Cook the chicken in a crock pot overnight or during the day with 32oz (one carton) of the bone broth + all of the above mentioned spices. I prefer to do it overnight on low while I sleep for 8-10 hours because it comes out better for me. I have tried cooking it on high for less time, but it was never as moist or as easy to shred!

2. Shred the chicken with two forks once cooking is done. The chicken should be super moist and fall apart nice and easy! This can be done directly in your crock pot. Once shredded, place the crock pot chicken (and it's broth it cooked in) in the fridge if you're not making the soup right away.

3. Chop & dice the garlic, onion, bell peppers & jalepino peppers

4. Heat the olive oil in a large pot on medium/high heat.

5. Add the garlic & onion to the pot and let cook for several minutes until browned and slightly translucent.  

6. Add the bell peppers & jalepino peppers. Stir the veggies often and let cook so they soften up. Add a splash of bone broth or water if needed to prevent sticking.

7. Rinse and drain the beans. Set aside.

8. Once the veggies are tender and starting to brown, add in the second carton of bone broth + the salsa + the beans + the crockpot shredded chicken (and it's broth)

9. Stir well and let the soup come together and cook for another 10-20 minutes on medium heat. Add 1-2 scoops of beef gelatin if desired and mix well*.

10. Serve with toppings if desired.

*If you do add the beef gelatin, be aware that this naturally thickens its substance when cold. Therefore once the soup is cooled down in the fridge, it will look more solid almost like jello! This is totally fine and actually makes it easier to scoop and serve the leftovers in my opinion. Simply stir it up and heat it back up and it will be soup once again!

Spicy Lentil Soup {Vegan, gf}

Spicy Lentil Soup

(Vegan, gf}

This lentil soup is one of my all-time favorites! It is perfect for a chilly day, perfect for meal prep (makes a huge batch which lasts the week), perfect for when your getting sick, perfect for detoxing or kick starting clean eating. It is loaded with nutrition, plant protein, and tons of fiber. Need a easy and delicious way to regulate digestion and even clear your sinuses? This is it! Let's be honest, it's the perfect anytime soup! It's customizable, too. Want meat? Add some ground turkey or beef (which I've done). You can also omit or add vegetables + tailor the spices to your needs. I promise it's hard to mess up this soup, if you make a it or a variation of it please comment below! I love hearing what you guys think of my recipes :) Hope you love it as much as I do!

INGREDIENTS

1qt carton organic low sodium vegetable broth (I have used bone broth + chicken broth as well)

28oz can organic no salt added diced tomatoes

2tbsp minced garlic

5 celery stalks, chopped

1 bag mini tricolor baby carrots, chopped

1 large zucchini, chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

1.5cups green lentils (dry)

1/4 of a lemon, squeezed

Fresh baby spinach (optional, for serving)

1tbsp extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil (I used this herb-lemon liquid coconut oil this time!)

8-12oz water (optional)

*SPICES

1/2tsp pepper

1/4tsp tumeric

1/4tsp garlic powder

1/4tsp chili powder

1/4tsp cayenne powder

1tsp italian herbs

*I always eyeball spice and taste along the way, so PLEASE adjust according to your taste! I estimated these measurements since I do not measure. Get your spoon in there and don't be afraid to taste!

METHOD

1. Chop the garlic, celery, carrots, zucchini and onion (small, or desired chunkiness ;)

2. Using a large deep pot on medium/high heat, heat tbsp of oil and then add veggies to pot (garlic, celery, carrots, zucchini and onion)

3. While the veggies are cooking, stir here and there to ensure even cooking. Meanwhile, prepare lentils according to the back of their package. Typically 3cups water per 1.5cups lentils, bring to boil, and let cook for 15-25 minutes.

4. At this point the lentils are cooking + the veggies are getting tender.

5. Once the veggies start to appear translucent and tender, add the canned diced tomatoes + broth. Stir well. Bring up to a light boil.

6. Add spices + lemon juice and stir well.

7. Once lentils are 75% cooked and most the water is absorbed, pour into the rest of the soup. Stir well. Bring back up to a light boil and cover. Let simmer from as little as 15 minutes to as long as 45 minutes.

8. If you like your soup thick, leave as is! If you desire more liquid (which I did this time) then add 8-12oz regular water to the soup and stir well.

9. Let cool on the stove for 10-20 minutes and when ready to serve, scoop into a bowl with fresh spinach placed on the bottom (the spinach will wilt from the hot soup!)

You can keep it in the fridge for a week or even freeze for up to several months! Its great cold too, and after sitting in the fridge overnight, it gets thicker and even better tasting (as all soups do!) ENJOY :)

WIAW #3 - A full day of eats!

Hey guys! Half way to the weekend :) I finally remembered to document everything I ate yesterday,
so here it is! 

For those of you who don't know what it is, it is a post concept developed by the wonderful Peas And Crayons blog in which you simply post what you ate in any given day (not necessarily that Wednesday).
Enjoy :)

Breakfast

{ 1 cup carrot juice + Oat bran & rolled oats cooked with unsweetened vanilla almond milk, sea salt, stevia, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, tsp coconut oil. Mango + banana mixed in. Topped with more natural peanut butter + Side of coffee with stevia & unsweetened cashew milk }

SIDE NOTE

Love having my oatmeal in a almost empty nut butter jar! The sides get all melty and I get a little bit in each bite. I have been having 1 cup carrot juice every afternoon or morning before breakfast. I will be doing a post very soon on the benefits :) I find I prefer drinking it on an empty stomach because it gives me a fast boost of energy! Another reason why I need a juicer...

Lunch

{ Collard wraps stuffed with tuna, Ithaca dill + lemon hummus, Avocado, Cucumber + Red pepper.

Plus the rest of the avocado on the side }

SIDE NOTE

I have been loving these raw collard green wraps and Itacha hummus! This hummus is the best i've ever tasted, you can check them out here. Unfortunately, both days of eating this my mouth + ears have gotten tingly/itchy right after eating it, I am guessing a oral allergy to raw collard greens!? I never have them, so I know if I would have experienced this before. 

Snack

{ Apple + Natural peanut butter }

SIDE NOTE

Classic snack! I surprisingly have not had this in ages. It hit the spot and gave me energy for my evening work out. I for some reason got a irritating headache right after eating this...pesticides?! I do not know. Maybe I just think too much ;)

Dinner

{post-workout}

{ Grilled italian chicken + Maple roasted acorn squash }

SIDE NOTE

I was on my own for dinner tonight and had chicken marinating in the fridge for days, so I made this simple but delicious dinner! Chicken comes out amazing after marinating for 24+ hours and grilling always makes the best chicken in my opinion. I made the acorn squash last week by chopping it up (very difficult) so decided to simply roast it cut in half & eat it with a spoon. It came out SO good! I usually have some type of greens with my dinner, but if I load up on them at lunch most days then I don't stress about it.

Dessert

{ Microwaved homemade vegan brownie from the freezer +

dark chocolate with unsweetened Silk cashew milk }

SIDE NOTE

Many times I am full from dinner but sometimes I love having something sweet to top it off! I grabbed one of my vegan brownies from the freezer (made with dates, oat flour, banana...) and some dark chocolate after that :) If you've never tried Silk cashew milk you need to, it is super creamy + the unsweetened still has a sweet light taste!

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YOUR TURN

Do you have any oral food allergies to raw foods?

What is your favorite "healthy" dessert?

RECIPE « Healthy Turkey Chili

My favorite cold weather food by far is homemade turkey chili. The recipe is extremely simple, super healthy, and is very hard to mess up! Made with minimal & completely clean ingredients, it is the perfect lunch or dinner, and goes oh so well with a fresh salad or some warm crusty bread.

It is a nutrition power-house! Loaded with veggies (peppers, onions, tomatoes), quality fiber (kidney beans, veggies), lean protein (ground turkey) & metabolism boosting spice (jalepino, chili & spices)

 It is my moms incredible recipe, so I have to give her credit for this one, she is the best cook in the world! I modified it a bit by adding more spices + jalepino because I have grown to love spicy food. I know you will love it as much as I do. It is a hit with everyone who I have ever made it for! This is a great meal to meal-prep during the week, or make a big batch and freeze for future meals! 

You will need:

1 container ground lean turkey (or ground chicken or lean ground beef)

2 green bell peppers

1 jalepino pepper

1 white onion

1 can kidney beans

1 24oz can crushed tomatoes

1 24ox can diced tomatoes

2tbsp minced garlic

olive oil

spices: pepper, chili powder, cayenne, red pepper flakes, cumin

Step 1

Chop your white onion, bell peppers, jalepino & garlic. You can chop them into whatever size you prefer! Heat a large pot on medium heat, and drizzle olive oil on the bottom. Add onion + garlic, and sautee until onion is translucent and slightly browned.

Step 2

Add the peppers and cook for 5 minutes until tender. Add the ground meat to the pot, breaking up into chunks with a wooden spoon. Continue to stir and cook until meat is 90% cooked (no longer raw/pink). 

Step 4

Season with pepper, chili powder, cayenne, cumin & red pepper flakes to your liking. (Important: taste as you go to make sure you are not over-seasoning! A little spice goes a long way.)

Step 5

Add kidney beans, and both cans of tomatoes. Stir.

Step 6

Continue stirring and let simmer on low/medium heat for 25-60 minutes. Add more spices to your liking, tasting as you go. You really can’t over-cook it, and the longer it sits the thicker & more flavorful it becomes! This is one of those recipes that is also amazing leftover cold, and one that gets better & better the longer it sits in the fridge! 

This chili is amazing topped with parmesan cheese. I also paired it with organic rosemary olive oil bread spread with olive oil butter. Soo good!

WIAW #2 - Comfort food

Happy hump day folks! I must say this week is flying by for me, which means its almost the weekend. I try to not wish the weeks away but the weather is so gloomy lately which totally puts a quite literal damper on everything. One thing that pairs well with gloomy weather? "Healthy" comfort food. Check out a full day of my eats with several meals that just scream "comfort!"

For those of you who don't know what it is, it is a post concept developed by the wonderful Peas And Crayons blog in which you simply post what you ate in any given day (not necessarily that Wednesday).
Enjoy :)

Breakfast

{ Oat bran + rolled oats cooked with unsweetened vanilla almond milk, sea salt, stevia, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, tsp coconut oil. Mango + banana mixed in. Topped with maple sunflower seed butter + peanut butter }

SIDE NOTE

Ultimate comfort food! Excuse the unattractive photo :) Nothing like super creamy, warm oats topped with melty nut butter to start off a chilly morning. This vegan breakfast option fills me up comfortably, gives me energy, and satisfies my sweet cravings. Never gets old! 

Lunch

{ Herb crusted baked salmon with lemon. Spring mix salad with tomatoes, cucumber, goats cheese + italian good seasons dressing added later }

Dinner

{post-workout}

{ Delallo organic whole wheat shells with homemade pasta sauce + parmesan cheese. Organic whole wheat & sourdough bread with olive oil butter. Pinot grigio }

SIDE NOTE

Comfort food to the max! Growing up an italian, nothing screams home to me more than a big bowl of comforting pasta. This was even my mom's amazing homemade sauce that I had frozen. SO GOOD. Gotta have some doughy bread to soak up the extra sauce of course, and what is pasta if there isn't wine involved? This meal made my belly + soul happy.

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Well there you have it! Another WIAW post in the books.

YOUR TURN
What is your ultimate "healthy" comfort food?

Recipe « Chili Lime Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Hey guys! I hop everyone had a great weekend. Mine was very relaxed. Got a lot of quality sleep, did some fall clothes shopping (finally..cozy sweaters!), and watched a lot of netflix :) Also got a great sweat sesh in Saturday morning (HIIT sprints + abs)

I have an amazing recipe for you guys today! The original is from the wonderful Half Baked Harvest, but I made a ton of modifications with ingredients + instructions so I will post my version below! 

These are so healthy. High in lean protein, healthy fiber-rich carbs from the sweet potato, nutrients + antioxidants from the spinach & sweet potato. Perfect paired with a nice green salad!

You will need:

8 small sweet potatoes or 4 large potatoes

1 package ground chicken (or ground turkey)
1/4c olive oil
juice of 1 lime
1tbsp minced garlic

2 minced jalepino peppers

1tsp dried oregano

1tsp cumin

1tsp chili powder

salt & pepper

1 container spinach

sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dry your sweet potatoes, place on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for about 40 minutes or until fork tender. Let the potatoes cool for 5 minutes before cutting in half. Let them cool for another 10 minutes.

In a bowl combine the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, jalepinos, oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Wilt the spinach. This can be done many ways. I microwaved it in a large microwave safe bowl for a minute. You can also steam it, or wilt it on the stove! Once wilted (not soggy), set aside.

To prepare the ground chicken, simply heat 1 tsp olive oil in a pan on medium heat & cook the chicken, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as you go. I seasoned  the chicken at this point with salt, pepper, cumin, chili, & oregano. This amount of spice is extra and I did not include in the ingredients. You can omit.

Turn the oven up to 400 degrees. Using a spoon, scrape 1/2 the potato out of the peel and put filling in a bowl. Once all potatoes are scooped, place them all back on the foil lined baking sheet. Brush the skins with with a little of the chili lime sauce and bake for about 10 minutes or until slightly crisp.

Meanwhile, mix the wilted spinach, cooked ground chicken, remaining chipotle sauce, and leftover sweet potato filling that you had set aside. (I combined all in the same skillet I cooked the chicken in, with heat turned off).

Remove potatoes from the oven and stuff with the filling mixture. Grate & sprinkle cheese on top of each, and place back in oven. Bake for about 10 minutes until cheese is bubbly & skins are hot + crisp. 

Wine is optional ;)

Remove, let cool, devour.

These potatoes were so good and made for tons of leftovers. I have been eating them for lunch or dinner every day since I made them. They are good cold, or heated up! I love chopping them up on my salad, as well as picking one up like a taco and eating it with my hands (classy I know).

What I Ate Wednesday (WIAW) #1

Happy Wednesday guys! I hope everyone is having a great first half of their week. I am super excited about this post because it is my first ever WIAW post! For those of you who don't know what it is, it is a post concept developed by the wonderful Peas And Crayons blog in which you simply post what you ate in any given day (not necessarily that Wednesday). I have always loved reading other blogs WIAW posts, so I am excited to finally do some of my own :) Here we go!

Breakfast
at about 7:30am

{ Smoothie made with 1/2 scoop Vega All-in-one chocolate shake + 1/2c Unsweetened almond milk + Frozen banana + Frozen berries & cinnamon & 1/2 an Ezekiel english muffin with organic PB + Coconut oil }


Lunch
at about 12:30pm

Yikes! The busy day caught up with me & I ate before snapping a pic :(
{ Sautéed kale + swiss chard (in coconut oil) + Grilled italian chicken + Avocado + Leftover broccoli }


Snack
mid-afternoon

{ Apple cinnamon oatmeal Detour Smart Bar + 1c Organic carrot juice }

SIDE NOTE
I have started drinking 1c organic pure carrot juice the past week after doing some research on the AMAZING benefits thanks to the idea from my friend Jess... Expect a blog post on this soon!)
+ First time trying these bars, pretty tasty! Only 4g sugar and 10g Protein is what I like to see in a bar.


Dinner
post-workout

{ Salad of mixed spring greens + Cucumbers + Tomatoes + Leftover garlic roasted cauliflower + Goat cheese + Leftover balsamic salmon + italian good seasons dressing }

Dessert
post-dinner

{ A few chunks of 85% + 72% dark chocolate --> Trader Joe's & Green and Black's }

SIDE NOTE
Sometimes I like a little something sweet after dinner or a while later, and nothing quiets my sweet tooth like super dark chocolate! Quality over quantity as rich cacao is filled with antioxidants, fiber, and very little sugar. I used to only have a taste for 72% but I worked my way up to 85% & 90% and it actually tastes amazing to me now!


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Well there you have it! My first WIAW post in the books. I promise to work on remembering to take more pictures of my food in the future ;)

YOUR TURN
What was the best thing you've ate this week?
Have you ever tried carrot juice?