Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

THE Original RECIPE for SLOW COOKER CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

CAME FROM MELISSA DARABIAN ON THE FOOD NETWORK

I of course changed it a bit

Ingredients
3 chicken thighs, skin removed (i used left over turkey that was cooked & added it the last hour)

10-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans (i rinsed mine before using)
1 1/2 cups chicken broth ( i used Swanson Chicken Stock for cooking 26 ozs)

1 1/2 cups water
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 jalapeno, finely chopped (i did not have a jalapeño so i used a large can of chopped chiles)

1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
Juice of a lemon
i used tortilla strips and crunched them on top of the soup
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (i used this cheese maybe a couple T per bowl)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Put 2 - 4 slices of ripe avocado on top of each bowl of soup

Directions
Place the chicken, tomatoes (and juices), beans, broth, water, onion, garlic, jalapeño (or chiles)  cumin, and chili powder in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours. (i cooked on low for about 6 hours. at hour 5 i added the turkey. i would use chicken thighs though)

Uncover the slow cooker and use tongs to remove the chicken from the pot. Once cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and shred, then return the meat to the pot. Stir in the lemon juice. Crumble a few tortilla chips into each bowl and cover with some soup. Serve sprinkled with cilantro and grated cheese.

If you want it hotter, add hot sauce while it's cooking.

This was my Instagram post since it was the first time I made it and it came out SO freaking good!!

Per serving: Calories: 275; Total Fat: 8 grams; Saturated Fat: 4 grams; Protein: 22 grams; Total carbohydrates: 29 grams; Sugar: 7 grams; Fiber: 6 grams; Cholesterol: 56 milligrams; Sodium: 364 milligrams

Original recipe from Melissa Darabian

Shop at Charles Shaughnessy's amazon.com online store and GIVE BACK!

Did you know that if you start all of your amazon.com shopping at this link :

from Charles Shaughnessy's online store, a portion of the proceeds will go to Diabetes Research?

Well, it does and that is a cause near and dear to our hearts.

So please click on this link and start your amazon shopping! Every item that you purchase that starts from this link, a portion of the proceeds will go to Diabetes Research.  Not just for the holidays, but all year round! 

And please share this on your social media pages and tell the people you know who shop at AMAZON!

Thanks.

Janelle and Charlie

Fund Raiser with Charles Shaughnessy for Robert F. Kennedy Children's Action Corps

Will you be in the Boston area on October 6th?

Come join Charles Shaughnessy to raise funds for the Robert F. Kennedy Children's Action Corps!!

Charles Shaughnessy, of television's "The Nanny" "Mad Men" "Victorious" & "Days of Our Lives",  is starring as Georges in North Shore Music Theatre's production of "La Cage Aux Folles" from September 24, 2013 - October 6, 2013. 

After the final 2 pm matinee performance of "La Cage Aux Folles" on Sunday, October 6th, North Shore Music Theatre will host a "meet and greet benefit" for fans of Charles Shaughnessy to support the Robert F. Kennedy Children's Action Corps' participation in this year's Rodman Ride for Kids, which benefits at-risk youth throughout Massachusetts. The event will be from 5-7pm. 

The cost for the event is $25 cash/check payable at the door of NSMT's Backstage Bistro.  Charles proudly serves as a member of The RFK Children's Action Corp Advisory Council.

Please make checks payable to "RFK-Ride". For more information on the event or to reserve a ticket, please contact Tom Rosa @ trosa@rfkchildren.org  

For more information on the Robert F. Kennedy Children's Action Corps please visit the website @ Robert F. Kennedy Children's Action Corps. 

Charles Shaughnessy speaking on his involvement at RFK Children's Action Corps

October, 2011 - Charles Shaughnessy, RFK Children's Action Corps Advisory Council Member, visited our Lancaster Campus and held a workshop on acting and improvising for the boys and girls in our programs. As you hear from Charles and one of our staff members the workshop is so much more than just an acting class.

Charles Shaughnessy speaking about why he volunteers his time with RFK Children's Action Corps

October, 2011-  RFK Children's Action Corps Advisory Council Member, Charlie Shaughnessy, talks about his motivation for being involved and what his time spent with the youth and staff means to him.

Organic Black Bean, Turkey, 'Shroom Chili with Dean and Deluca spices

Chili for someone else because it has no GARLIC in it and 

I L O V E Garlic!!  

But, I have a good friend who just had back surgery, and she and her husband like my chili that I make just for them. The first time I made it, their request was no garlic, no onions, no mushrooms and not spicy & made with ground turkey and black beans.  SAY WHAT?!? That isn't chili!!  But over the years, they have decided that everything but the garlic is ok, so this is how I make it now, just for them. Since it's a pretty good dish, I decided to blog it.  At the end I'll tell you what I would add to it for me!  

First, I bring out the big crock pot so they can have some to eat and some to freeze.

I used over a pound of Shelton's ground turkey from happy pastured turkeys with a little S & P and I sautéed that in a little bit of olive oil just to brown it, then put it in the crock pot with the tomatoes and tomatoe paste.

Then I sautéed the shallots and mushrooms in a little olive oil and added that in. If you wanted to make this vegetarian, the mushrooms are meaty and hearty and make a great meat substitute or just a great addition to chili with meat or turkey.

Then I dumped in the rest of the ingredients and spices and turned it on low in the crockpot where it will stay for the next 8 hours or so.

Ingredients

1 or more pounds of ground turkey or beef

2 cans of organic black beans, drained and rinsed (if you remove these, it becomes #PALEO
2 cans of organic petite diced tomatoes
1 10 oz package Trade Joes crimini mushrooms, chopped up fine
2 medium shallots chopped up fine
1 jar yellow and red roasted peppers from Trader Joes chopped up
Equivalent of 1 can of tomatoe paste, though I squirted it out of a tube

2 small turkish bay leaves  

Dean and Deluca Chili Powder Blend which is what sets my chili apart from other chili because it is a rich dark perfect blend of spices!
Dean and Deluca Hungarian paprika, greek oregano, basil, thyme and cumin to taste. they don't like things 'spicy' so i never use more than a teaspoon of anything and mostly just a pinch.  Last time I made it they said it was kind of boring, because I barely used any spices, so i upped the chili powder blend in this one!  They just don't like 'hot' spicy things I think . . . or garlic!

If I was making it for me, I would add a ton of fresh grated garlic, greek black olives chopped up, red chili pepper flakes, Louisiana hot sauce & more fresh peppers chopped up. 

I would serve it with greek yogurt and colby/jack cheese shredded on top of it and maybe some more olives chopped up on top.  I USED to serve it with crushed up fritos and sour cream and cheese on top.  It was yum, but I don't eat fritos anymore :( 

Mish Mash of Italian Paleo one pot dish for dinner or whenever . . .

Paleo Spaghetti . . . kind of . . . sort of . . . but not really

So, I haven't made anything new for awhile until tonight.  This is really a mish mash to resemble spaghetti/italian something because I was missing Italian food. Basically Spaghetti and Meat Sauce.

I started with:
one sweet onion, chopped
about 6-8 ounces of brown crimini mushrooms chopped
sautéed in a little olive oil because i don't like cocoanut oil but that's what i should have used

Then I added 1 pound of Shelton's ground turkey to the veggies

Season with whatever you want but I used S & P, garlic, Dean and Deluca Oregano and Basil

I then added the threads from one pre-cooked spaghetti squash that I had roasted in the oven and pulled the 'spaghetti threads' out  ( here is how to do it in case you need directions: http://www.kitchentreaty.com/how-to-cook-spaghetti-squash-two-different-ways-in-the-microwave-or-in-the-oven/ )

I also had some crunchy roasted cauliflower that i chopped up and added to the whole thing, 3 big florets

Then I added about 3/4 of a jar of gluten free, organic pasta sauce and heated it all up. You could also just use fresh tomatoes cut up and some organic tomatoe sauce, maybe a little tomatoe paste instead. Add some red pepper flakes to make it hot. Grate some cheese over the top of it and even mix it with real spaghetti to make it go farther if you aren't doing paleo.

It actually tasted really yum, even though it's not the prettiest thing i have ever made.  

Baked Tilapia with Olive Tapenade & Cauliflower Mash

Another (sort of) Paleo friendly meal

As I might have mentioned, I am eating dairy on my new lifestyle change of eating, way of life, so not pure Paleo. Though I still say that none of us were there at the time of the cavemen, so who really knows!?  

This was the easiest meal to make because I used some pre-prepared foods.

Trader Joe's has a new Mediterranean Olive tapenade that has a lot of good stuff in it.

I took a piece of tilapia and covered it with the tapenade, baked it in the oven for about 30 minutes at 350.

Then I made a variation of my favourite cauliflower mash with cheese and garlic in it.  I used a bag of microwave cauliflower and placed whole garlic cloves in with it, to soften the garlic & some butter with S&P to taste.

added the garlic and some shredded cheese then used my immersion blender to get it smooth.  Yum!!

Fire Station 8 West Hollywood CA cooking with Sheila Kelliher!

Quinoa Recipe video with Firefighter/ Paramedic Sheila Kelliher from Fire Station 8 in West Hollywood, California

This recipe should serve about 8 Combine ingredients and serve warm or cold. Adapt the recipe to fit your needs!

3 cups quinoa uncooked (prepare with 4 cups water or broth of your choice) Bring liquid to boil, add quinoa stir and reduce heat to simmer. It takes about 20 minutes. Take off heat and fluff.

Click here to watch the video

Add ins:

4 Persian cucumbers diced
3 red, yellow and orange peppers
1/2 red onion
1 container of feta cheese
2 cups toasted almonds
1 pint of cherry tomatoes
8 grilled chicken breasts

Dressing, whisk together:
1 part olive oil
2 parts balsamic vinegar
Juice of 1 large lemon
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Serve with warm flat bread or pitas and your choice of hummus.
Enjoy!!

Original posting found HERE

Healthy Vegetable Soup #Paleo #Diabetes #vegetarian #South Beach

Big batch of healthy vegetable soup!

One thing I have always loved is soups.  I have started making them in the crockpot and pretty much throwing in all the veggies I have and letting it be different every time. I eat it before dinner so that I get vegetables and it fills me up so I don't eat as much for dinner.  

I made a big batch of this the other day and then froze individual portions to have at a later time. I also sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top before I eat it.

I always put two things in for the base. One large can organic diced tomatoes,and one box Trader Joe's Organic Hearty Vegetable broth.

This is what I put in the soup this time.  Trader Joes sliced crimini mushrooms, a whole bag, two organic golden beets peeled and sliced, one organic sweet potato sliced, one sweet mayan onion sliced, one large organic broccoli crown broken up,  three organic carrots peeled and chopped, & three stalks celery chopped, some organic green beans cut in half, a couple of yellow summer squash and at the very end, a half a bag of organic spinach.  I like big chunks of vegetables in my soup so I do a rough large chop. I try to buy everything organic.  I season with S&P, lots of grated fresh garlic, Louisiana Hot sauce and  SPIKE .

This was the finished product in the crockpot! It's really good! Use your imagination. Cook on low in the crockpot 8 hours or 4 hours on high, depending on how crunchy you like your vegetables.

What's for Paleo breakfast, Part Two!

These are another variation on eggs in muffin tins.

This time I used one of my new favourite things, chicken apple breakfast sausages by Aidell, sliced them up and put a couple slices in the bottom of each of the sprayed muffin tins. For the 6 muffins, I cut up 3 green scallions, and divided those between the 6 muffins.  I then took 3 eggs and about 3/4 cup of egg whites, beat those with some S&P, put in a handful of shredded cheese and poured in some Louisiana Hot Sauce, to taste.

You can also make these by dicing up a bunch of veggies like peppers, green onion, broccoli,mushrooms, artichokes diced up & use canadian bacon or ham all diced and added into the sprayed muffin tin, then just beat the eggs that you have added the shredded cheese & S&P, i also add hot sauce, pour OVER the veggies & meat, and bake at 375 for about 20-25 minutes.   

I drink a ton of water. I gave up all soda, diet soda, artificial sweeteners four years ago. I only drink water, bubble water, tea, coffee & occasionally some 'spirits.'  I liked this post I found at Greatist and wanted to share because I think it's so important.

12 Unexpected Reasons to Drink More Water this New Year

by Laura Schwecherl · 8 days ago · Health

           

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• 1665
• Email

Photo by Marissa Angell

With the holidays finally behind us and healthy habits on our minds, many are trading pitchers of beerfor glasses of water. Whether it’s a New Year’s resolution to drink more H2O or you’re still fending off that January 1st hangover, we’ve uncovered some convincing reasons to knock back more water in the New Year.

Water It Down — The Need-to-Know

Water is the second most popular beverage in the U.S. after soft drinks. This is a scary stat, since sugary soda is a huge health hazard, upping the risk of obesity, stroke, and other heart problems^[1][2][3]. However, these dangers can be avoided if people choose to drink water, which doesn’t have negative side effects. So help put the sugary stuff to the side and it make water the number one drink of choice. Plus, the benefits really are endless. (Just take a look!)

• Fluid balance. Roughly 60 percent of the body is made of water. Drinking enough H2O maintains the body’s fluid balance, which helps transport nutrients in the body, regulate body temperature, digest food, and more.
• Calorie control. Forget other diet tricks — drinking water could also help with weight loss. Numerous studies have found a connection between water consumption and losing a few pounds^[4][5]. The secret reason? Water simply helps people feel full, and as a result consume fewer calories.
• Muscle fuel. Sweating at the gym causes muscles to lose water. And when the muscles don’t have enough water, they get tired^[6]. So for extra energy, try drinking water to push through that final set of squats.
• Clearer skin. Certain toxins in the body can cause the skin to inflame, which results in clogged pores and acne^[7]. While science saying water makes the skin wrinkle free is contradictory, water doesflush out these toxins and can reduce the risk of pimples.
• Kidney function. Our kidneys process 200 quarts of blood daily, sifting out waste and transporting urine to the bladder. Yet, kidneys need  enough fluids to clear away what we don’t need in the body. Let’s drink to that!
• Productivity boost. In order to really focus, a glass of water could help people concentrate and stayrefreshed and alert.
• Fatigue buster. Move over coffee — water can help fight those tired eyes too^[8]. One of the most common symptoms of dehydration is tiredness. Just another reason to go for the big gulp! (Not the 7-11 kind.)
• Hangover help. If booze has got the best of you, help a hangover with a glass of water to hydrate the body and stop that pounding headache.
• Pain prevention. A little water can really go a long way. Aching joints and muscle cramps and strains can all occur if the body is dehydrated^[9].
• Keep things flowing. Nobody wants to deal with digestion issues. Luckily, drinking enough wateradds fluids to the colon which helps make things, ahem, move smoothly.
• Sickness fighter. Water may help with decongestion and dehydration, helping the body bounce back when feeling under the weather. Just beware — drinking fluids hasn’t been scientifically proven tobeat colds in one swoop, so don’t swap this for a trip to the doctor or other cold remedies.
• Brain boost. A study in London found a link between students bringing water into an exam room and better grades, suggesting H2O promotes clearer thinking. While it’s unclear if drinking the water had anything to do with a better score, it doesn’t hurt to try it out! 

Bottoms Up — Your Action Plan

The amount of water people need per day is up for debate, but studies suggest adults need nine to 16 cups of H2O. However, this number varies depending on activity level, age, and how much water people are consuming in coffee, tea, or water-rich veggies and fruit.

Here’s how to keep yourself hydrated: Begin by drinking a glass of water as soon as you wake up, and 30 minutes before eating any big meal. (This will help control appetite, too.) Get in the habit of keeping a water bottle on hand at all times. And if the taste beings to bore, spice up the taste buds with a squeeze of citrus to the glass! Before you know it, all the benefits of water will be right at your fingertips…. and in your body.

What IS for breakfast? Paleo conundrum!

Breakfast - it can get boring, but you can make a lot of variations of this dish.  This is what I had this morning.

Baked eggs & turkey bacon in a muffin cup 

Pre-heat oven to 375

I sprayed the muffin cups with non-stick spray and lined them with one piece of turkey bacon.  You could also use real bacon or canadian bacon or even some ham. I wanted to use up my turkey bacon, because I do eat real bacon.

I took 2 eggs, 1/2 cup egg whites, a handful of shredded cheese, Mt. Olive sliced jalapeno peppers, S & P.  Whipped that all together and divided amongst the four muffin cups. 

Sorry this is a bad photo, the muffin tin is one of those flexible ones, and it's red! you can take the extra ones out and put in a plastic bag to eat the next day or freeze them if you make a big recipe. Let hem cool for 20 minutes before you put them in the fridge (they will keep for a week) or freezer.

**You can also make these by dicing up a bunch of veggies like peppers, green onion, broccoli,mushrooms, & use canadian bacon or ham all diced and added into the sprayed muffin tin, then just beat the eggs that you have added the shredded cheese & S&P, i also add hot sauce, pour OVER the veggies & meat, and bake at 375 for about 20-25 minutes.   

From Clinton Kelly on The Chew, Pork Chops and Apple Compote from his Grandma!

PALEO Pork chop and Apple Compote a la Clinton Kelly on THE CHEW

I adapted The Chew's Clinton Kelly's recipe for his Grandma Annette's Pork Chops and apple compote, for last night's dinner.  Mostly because I didn't have the cabbage at home, I had everything else, and I was hungry.  For the entire post, including the braised cabbage, which would have been wonderful, go to this link:  Clinton Kelly's Grandma Annette's Pork Chops.

For Christmas, I received a great present all the way from FLORIDA, of a Lodge cast iron skillet, allowing me for the first time ever, to be able to start a dish on the stove and then finish it off in the oven, which is what I did. However . . .  I have to keep reminding myself that the handle is H O T!!! and to use an oven mitt!

Just as an aside, I do use a lot of Dean & Deluca spices, because I think they are the best, but for sure the cinnamon is the most fragrant, sweetest cinnamon powder you will ever find, in my opinion.  I also added a few raisins to this. Trader Joe's has a Jumbo Raisin Medley that doesn't have any added sugar & they are really kind of tangy sweet different tasting, so I threw a handful in while it was on the stove and I did add a little more water while it was cooking.  I put the recipe as THE CHEW had it, but I seldom stick to a recipe. 

ingredients:

• For the Pork Chops:
• thick cut pork chop 
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt and black pepper to taste
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• For the Apple Compote:
• 3 granny smith apples (peeled and large diced)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon Dean and Deluca cinnamon
• 1 lemon (juiced)
• salt to taste
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What to have for lunch ... Paleo + diabetes

My biggest conundrum is what to eat for breakfast, lunch and snacks in order to keep my blood sugar from not dropping too low during the day with my meds. 

Once I make a big dinner, I have that left over for other meals, but I need to have more things prepared that I can grab and throw together when I'm starving. Which I am a lot of the time.

Today, I was in a lot of knee pain and not moving too quickly after running some errands, it was later in the day, so I had to find something quick . . .  with protein and veggies. 

I still had some of my veggie soup left that I made.  I hadn't blogged the making of the soup, since it was the first week of, during detox from grains, sugar, processed foods & bad crap.

This is what I did for the soup though, and you can use any vegetables you have in your house. . 

i put some olive oil in a big pot on the stove. 

Then I cut up veggies that i had in the house, all pretty chunky
fresh green beans
golden beets, peeled and sliced
Crimini mushrooms sliced
red onion sliced
yellow summer squash
broccoli flowerets
and sautéed them for maybe 5 minutes or so

i would have added a can of organic diced tomatoes, but all i had was a small can of tomatoe sauce and one box of Trader Joe's vegetable broth so I added that then let it simmer covered until it was done.

S&P, fresh grated garlic and a ton of SPIKE which is a seasoning.

For lunch, I had one leftover turkey meatball from the other day, so I chopped that up and put it into the soup and heated it up on the stove.  Voila!  Hearty, healthy, Paleo lunch.