Recipe: Mexican Chicken Lime Soup

I've been terrible with Paleo lately. I haven't committed, I've scrounged, and I've been digging into the candy dish at work. So I need to step it up. Life's been a bit on the difficult and stressful side recently, which has also contributed to the sheer lack of motivation. So I'm working on it. See, nobody's perfect...you just have to keep trying, and you'll get there.

That being said, the other night I was feeling highly unmotivated, but also starving and craving Mexican food. Scouring the awesome Paleo websites out there, I found this gem of a recipe, and wanted to share (with my amendments, of course!).

(also, I may have scarfed down my bowl before remembering to take a photo, so the stock one from Paleoaholic will have to do...)

 Mexican Chicken Lime Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp (ish) of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 finely chopped medium-sized onion
• 4-5 cloves of garlic, pressed (or sliced thinly, if you don't have a press)
• 3 chicken breasts, cut into slightly larger than bite-sized pieces
• 3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, plus some extra sauce (this is to your taste. I think I used like, 5 peppers, but mine was a little spicy, even for me. If you just want the flavor, and not the heat, just use one!).**Note: Make sure the can you buy doesn't add high fructose corn syrup. Most have sugar in them, but you don't want any HFCS. Yuck.
• 4-5 cups of chicken broth, depending on how brothy you like your soup
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1 handful of fresh, roughly chopped cilantro
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 Hass avocado per serving, sliced thinly

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil over medium in a large pot (this one is the one I use, that I can't live without), put garlic and your onions in there and let them get nice and translucent, and the garlic will get fragrant (about 5 minutes). Toss in your cubed chicken, salt and pepper to taste, and stir your mixture every so often for the next 5-7 minutes, or until you can tell the chicken is cooked. Then add your peppers and adobo sauce, and give it a good stir.

2. Move the pot to a cool burner, take two forks, and carefully pull your chicken cubes, so they're a little bit smaller, and not so chunky. It makes for a much nicer eating experience. Paleo doesn't have to be lazy! Move your pot back onto the hot burner, and add your chicken stock.

3. Let this simmer for anywhere from 15 - 30 minutes; the longer you do this the more the flavor melds together. Right before you serve, add the lime juice to the pot and stir. 

4. To serve, place some slices of avocado in the bottom of your bowl, ladle in the soup, and top with some chopped cilantro and some extra avocado! Depending on your dairy tolerance, you can probably add a dollop of sour cream here, or some pepper-jack cheese to make it extra yummy. 

(Note: this soup is EXCELLENT the next day, too, because all the flavors come together much more overnight. So make plenty!)

Thanks for Reading!
CJ

Product Review: Pacific Natural Red Pepper + Tomato Soup

 Pacific Natural Foods Organic Red Pepper & Tomato Soup

I have failed you all on week 2 of food planning. Which also means I had no lunch at work today. Back in the beginning of my job here, however, I squirreled away tons of oatmeal in my cabinets (pre-Paleo...) and as it would turn out, some soup! I hadn't had it before and I'm pretty sure I only bought it because it was on sale. (It's one of the 17.6 oz ones that they carry at - you guessed it - Whole Foods. This predictability thing has got to stop...)

Into a mug it went, and into the microwave. It came out nice, thick, and creamy. It's tangy, but has nice small chunks remaining of the red pepper. Typically I'm skeptical about canned/boxed soups, because I feel like they're full of fake stuff and that I shouldn't have been so lazy as to not make my own. 

Here's why I'll buy from this company again, when I'm feeling lazy enough to not make my own:

A. They created their own program to "Certify to the Source". Basically, they trace the origins of every ingredient in their products, ensuring that what they're telling you they're selling you actually is what it's supposed to be.

B. They have a soup for every diet or allergy that's out there and they're very visibly labeled: Corn Free, Dairy Free, Fat Free, Gluten Free, Kosher Dairy, Kosher Parve, Low Fat, Low Sodium, Soy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wheat Free, Yeast Free, and those that Promote Heart Health.

C. They're actually a good example of a sustainable company:

• Dairy cows are fed an organic, vegetarian diet, without antibiotics or growth hormones, and are open pastured
• They use aseptic packaging, which is recyclable, and doesn't require as many raw materials to create.
• They believe in being organic leaders for farming practices in Oregon

I can't wait to try out some of their other soups!

Thanks for Reading!
CJ

Recipe: Bacon Sweet Potato Soup

Oh. My. Gosh.

This is heavenly, and I'm purloining it almost exactly from The Clothes Make The Girl. 

Ingredients

• 6 slices of bacon - cut into 1/4 inch slices (preferably nitrate-free)
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 tbsp-ish Ras el Hanout (just add equal parts ginger, cumin, cinnamon, and a smaller amount of cayenne, coriander, and allspice/cloves/nutmeg). No need to be spot-on.
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 2 lbs sweet potatoes (2-3 large) - peeled, quartered and thinly sliced
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
• dash of salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper

Instructions

1. Cut bacon into 1/4-inch slices and place in a cold soup pot. Heat the pot over medium-high heat and cook the bacon until it’s crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate covered with paper towels and set aside to drain and crisp.

2. Keep 1 tablespoon of the fat in the pan and discard the rest. Re-heat the fat over medium-high heat, then add the onions, Ras el Hanout, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, about 5-7 minutes. Toss in the garlic and stir, cooking until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Add the sweet potatoes, broth, and water to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes.

4. Take the pot off of the heat, let it cool for a few minutes, and then use an immersion blender until it’s smooth. Taste, and adjust seasonings. Ladle into bowls, then sprinkle with a little bacon and chives. Both the bacon and soup hold up well in the fridge for a few days.

Thanks for reading!

CJ