Mind, Body, Food (Chapter 2)...A Chicken Chili Recipe for You!

Hey All! First, can I just say “WOW.” I was really overwhelmed and inspired by the responses to my last "healthy" post, Mind…Body…Food…The Road to Complete Nutrition.
As I mentioned, I was hesitant to talk about my own issues…but I did it and survived. I have a lot more info to share – maybe I can get Renee to guest post. In the next weeks, I am going to cover journaling…but not just your food, reading labels, pantry items, sugars, and one of my main things that I need to concentrate on…building up my adrenal system.
(again, not from the perspective of a doctor or
health professional, but from the mom prospective.)

If you want to catch up, check out these posts:

Getting Healthy (November 2009)

Mindy...Body...Food...the Road to Complete Nutrition (January 2010)

But every post doesn’t need to be so "heavy"…
so let’s talk about food…good, nutritious, delicious food!

I decide to throw this little Happy Hour gathering at my place, I freaked out. What kind of menu am I supposed to have? Parties are for yummy gluttonous food, like Chili Brie, right? Then I thought – wholly cow, nothing is going to be “good” enough for Renee. Seriously, I cannot serve cheesy artichoke dip, cosmos, and homemade brownies…and then talk about being healthy! So, I caught my breath and quit freaking out. I am not an idiot. I know what is healthy. I know what is good for me. I know how to cook properly.

And so here was the menu…(recipes or sources all to come)

Spicy Navy Bean dip with Endive

Veggie Salsa with homemade corn tortilla chips

Carrots (they go with either of the above)

Spicy Chicken Chili (recipe below)

Organic Greens salad

Brussel Sprouts with caramelized red onion

Sparkling Water with lemon and of course Wine (a necessity!)

This spicy chicken chili recipe is seriously one of my favorite recipes EVER. I think I have now made it 10 times since November and everyone eats it and LOVES it. I wish I could take credit for it, but the credit for this recipe belongs to Sandy at Reluctant Entertainer. If you have never been over there…you must go. Her blog is one of the very first blogs – actually I think the first blog – I ever read. I love her blog and her philosophy on entertaining…and I cannot wait for her book to come out in August!

SPICY CHICKEN CHILI*

(Don’t let the spicy scare you…My chili isn’t that spicy, but I think it is a matter of the salsa I use – not spicy at all. The chili is yummy and my Mom can eat it and she doesn’t “do” spicy at all.)

1 Costco Roasted Chicken (pulled apart)*

2 T oil

1 cup onion, chopped

1 pepper (I use red or yellow), chopped

Lots of garlic

2 cans Mexican-style stewed tomatoes

2 cans pinto beans, drained

1 can kidney beans, drained

1 can black beans, drained

1 cup salsa (homemade or store bought)

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

½ tsp salt

Sauté onion, pepper and garlic. Add (cooked) chicken and rest of ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes. OR simmer in crock-pot all day long. “This recipe tastes even better when it sits overnight and is served the next day. Double or triple the recipe for a real crowd-pleasing meal!” Sandy’s recipe, is adapted from Portland’s Palate cookbook, pg. 181. Visit Sandy's original post.

I will not ever be hired as a food stylist!

(The photo is not so good, BUT the chili is)

Holly’s Notes:

 -I baked my own chicken the day before (no preservative or who-knows-what-else and they were on sale!). I seasoned with salt and pepper and drizzled olive oil all over the chicken and baked it at 375 for about 1.5 hours. I used a thermometer to check for doneness.

-I cooked it all in the crockpot.

-Hubby doesn’t eat beans (whatever!). I cooked everything – except the beans -  together for a few hours, then take out a few cup-fulls of the beanless mixture for hubby. Then I add my beans in and cook for another hour or so.

*NOTE/EDIT: Noelle left a comment asked me about the serving size and calorie count...good question...If I have time I will look at the ingredients and see what I can approximate. I am taking the approach of eating only healthful, natural foods, and cutting out the refined and processed...mainly because I stink at measuring and counting - it makes me feel like I am on a diet (Or I am just lazy!). Overall I am trying to use good judgment - start off with a small portion eat it, and then really think about if I am still hungry before I go for more. I am guessing a serving size would be about 1 cup and it has a lot of fiber (the beans) and protein...and you could even use less oil to saute the onions in...now you got me thinking! I love readers and comments. Good point Noelle!

Happy Cooking!
Holly

DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor, nutritionist or food expert. I am simply sharing my thoughts and ideas. A doctor should check you out before you begin a new eating or lifestyle plan.