Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Quinoa Soup

trying this out!

Ingredients

• 2 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups canned mild red enchilada sauce*
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 tsp ancho chili powder**
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 medium onion, halved from root to tip and peeled (also barely chop root off so onion stays intact)
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic crusher
• 2/3 cup dry quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn***
• 1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• Toppings:
• Shredded Mexican blend cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips

Directions

• To a 6-quart slow cooker add chicken broth, enchilada sauce, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add in chicken, onion and garlic. Cover and cook on low heat until chicken has cooked through and is tender, about 6 hours, while adding in quinoa during the last 30 minutes of cooking (so at about 5 1/2 hours add quinoa). Remove onion and discard. Remove chicken and dice or shred.
• Add corn and black beans to soup and heat through. Return chicken to soup and stir in avocado and cilantro. Serve warm with cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips.
• *I've tested La Victoria and Las Palmas since they were chili based sauces. I liked La Victoria but not Las Palmas it tasted almost bitter. Next I'd like to try Old El Paso, if you do try it please let me know how you like it. I think it may need more chili powder though as it is tomato based.
• **Adjust this to taste. You may want a little more depending on the brand of enchilada sauce used some are more chili pepper based than others.
• ***You can warm this in the microwave in water first then drain if you don't wait to wait for it to warm in the soup.
• Recipe source: Cooking Classy

serious yum

go back and read the recipe for my skinny enchiladas. serious yum.

similar yet different

jack

jack amazes me.
kind.
compassionate.
intelligent.
responsible.
funny.
humble.
athletic.
jack.

sweet luke

Luke's heart is bigger than the average bear. I found a Pokemon "set" in the driveway and he realized it belongs to his friend so he took the time to dry them out. He's hoping for the best so his friend is not disappointed. <3 span="">I love that kid.

It truly is the small things in life!!!!

skinny enchiladas

i have prepped these for tuesday 

roasted poblano peppers stuffed with chicken (skillet fried with mexican season), corn, black beans, fresh tomatoes, enchilada sauce, red onion. topped with a tiny bit of cheese and baked. 

mmmmmmmmm

Avocado Caprese Chicken

Another new one to try..... http://www.cookingclassy.com/avocado-caprese-skillet-chicken/

Avocado Caprese Skillet Chicken

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 (10 - 11 oz each) boneless skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and halved
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 6 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into 8 slices
• 4 avocado slices (from a firm but ripe large avocado)
• 2 medium vine ripened tomatoes, sliced
• 3 Tbsp balsamic glaze (I used Bertolli)
• 1/3 cup chopped basil ribbons

Directions

• In a bowl mix together garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Sprinkle mixture evenly over both sides of each chicken cutlet. Heat olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken (cover pan with a splatter screen if you have one) and cook until golden brown on bottom, about 4 - 6 minutes. Rotate and cook opposite side until chicken has nearly cooked though, reducing burner temperature just slightly if needed, about 4 - 5 minutes (it should be nearly 160 in center on an instant read thermometer) then add two slices of mozzarella to the top each cutlet, followed by one avocado slice, and 1 - 2 tomato slices. Cover pan with lid, return to heat and allow to cook 1 - 2 minutes longer until cheese has melted and chicken registers 165 in center.
• Sprinkle chicken with pepper, drizzle with balsamic glaze and sprinkle with fresh basil. Serve warm.
• Recipe source: Cooking Classy

"FRIED RICE" (surprise--NO rice!)

Pork 
Green Giant Riced Cauliflower Medley.
Cilantro 
Sesame Oil 
Soy Sauce
Hot Chili Sesame oil 
Fish Sauce 
Mirin
Carrots
Snow Pea Pods 
Garlic Clove 
Ginger Root 
Egg

Marinate Pork (or protein of your choice) in a little bit of soy sauce, mirin and fish sauce. Add cilantro, fresh minced garlic and ginger. Let sit. 

Dice (chop) shredded carrots, and fresh snow pea pods

Add Hot Chili Sesame oil to your wok (less heat....use regular sesame oil--a LITTLE goes a LONG way). Sautee meat mix. Add veggies. Let get "crisp tender" and meat cooked through. Set aside in a bowl or on a plate. 

Add smidge more sesame oil to Wok. Add Green Giant Riced Cauliflower Medley. Flatten in wok. Let "crisp". Sprinkle soy sauce over. Move to side. Scramble one egg in other part of wok. Add all ingredients back together. Serve. 

YUM!! AND HEALTHY!