Spicy Mexican Pulled Chicken and Vegetables

I love this chicken so much I made myself sick eating too much of it. Since my stomach has trouble emptying I have to eat my meals spaced out. Because a few bites of anything causes my stomach to blow up like a balloon, my nutritionist suggested spacing out each part of my meals. I eat the vegetable, wait an hour or so, then eat the meat/protein, wait an hour or so and eat the potato/grain, etc. It’s frustrating, but I’m getting used to it. However, when it came to taco night I couldn’t help myself, I ate 3 tacos, knowing I should only have had two. I should have waited an hour before eating that third one, but it was so tasty I couldn’t wait. My stomach was painfully distended, but it was so worth it.

For lunch the next day I made nachos covered in the chicken and topped with homemade salsa. You can use this chicken as a topping for nachos, a filling for burritos, tacos, or just eat it as is. Less chipotle chiles can be used if you don’t want too much spice. It also freezes well. I usually just freeze it as is, but you could add the filling to some burritos and make frozen burritos. Unfortunately, this was gone in 2 days, with no leftovers to for me to freeze. Speaking of tacos, have you ever tried the Trader Joe’s organic hard taco shells? They are to-die-for. I will never buy the supermarket ones again. The flavor is unbelievable. If you find yourself at TJ’s, do yourself a favor and get a box.

Slowcooker BBQ Pulled Chicken

I’m not a fan of pulled pork but whenever I smell pulled pork it makes my mouth water. I just can't bring myself to eat it because I don't really like pork; I only eat it once a year on New Years Day.  

When I saw this chicken version awhile ago I immediately made a mental note to make it in the future. This weekend it was rainy and chilly, so I decided now was the time. MrSurly ended up eating 4 of these in one sitting, they were so good. 

The sauce is spicy, which we like, and the heat factor can be adjusted by using less/more chipotles and cayenne. I added some brown sugar to give it a spicy sweetness, which I love. I ate one of these sandwiches cold the next day and I think I liked the cold leftover version even more than heated. 

 I wish I would’ve had some potato chips to serve along with the sandwiches. Instead I had to settle for baked potato wedges, which the only option available to me at the time. What a great alternative to BBQ pork. I will have to remember these for fall football game days.

Chicken Tortilla Casserole

Casseroles aren’t normally thought of as healthy, usually due to condensed soup, which this version doesn’t have. I know the picture doesn’t make it look appetizing, but this is so freaking good. It was also quick and easy, which is a plus for me.

Next time I think I may add some cumin to season the chicken. The recipe says it feeds two, but we only ate half of it. I think it could serve 3-4 depending on the portion size. I’m definitely going to be making this again, hopefully, next time I’ll get a better picture.

Black Bean Soup with Cumin Crema

I love black beans. So healthy, so tasty, so economical, what’s not to love? I’m always on the lookout for new ways to incorporate them into my diet. I like things spicy, if spice isn’t your thing just decrease the amount of chipotle pepper and adobo sauce. I wouldn’t eliminate them all together because they provide a nice smoky flavor. I normally add red wine and lime, but I didn’t have them on hand this time, and I didn’t feel like running out to the store. It still tasted great, you really couldn’t tell that they were missing. Serve with tortilla chips or some bread (pita or naan). And of course, sour cream can be used instead of greek yogurt. This could be used as a healthy black bean dip. I’d just add some more tomato paste to thicken it up, or simmer uncovered to reduce the liquid. To make it vegan either omit the yogurt or use a dairy-free substitute. Yummy.

Pressure Cooker Chili

Most chili is made using a combination of ground beef, beans, and tomatoes. Since I am grossed out by the texture of ground beef, my chili usually is just a bunch of beans and tomatoes tossed into a pot and simmered with spices. Mr.Surly's brother told us about this chili recipe from Alton Brown that uses chunks of stew meat instead of ground beef and contains no beans. At first I was skeptical. How could chili have no beans? Could I tolerate chunks of beef in my chili? After one bite all my doubts were gone. This chili is awesome; it’s spicy and the meat is so tender you can cut it with a spoon. Trust me, you won't miss the beans in this, and like us, you'll be making it again and again. We use a Cuisinart electric pressure cooker we bought last year from Williams Sonoma. If you prefer a thinner chili consistency decrease the amount of tortilla chips and tomato paste.