Tag: budget friendly

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Slow-Cooker Pulled Chicken

We live in a busy world and my clients are always listing time, convenience, and budget as their biggest constraints on healthy eating. When cooking is the last thing you want to think about, the amazing slow-cooker is your best friend. First introduced to the world in 1950 and mass-marketed in the 1970s, this piece of kitchen equipment has stood the test of time and is a staple in many a household. In most cases, you truly can dump ingredients in the large ceramic vessel, cover, and forget about it for the day – coming home to a homemade meal, house that smells divine, and still have time to spend with your family and friends.

 

This pulled chicken recipe is so easy. The only prep you have to do is mince the garlic and adobo pepper and thinly slice the scallions. If you’re feeling extra lazy, buy minced garlic in a jar. Serve it with a couple corn tortillas, cabbage slaw with a vinegar base, fresh avocado slices, and cilantro leaves for a healthy and easy dinner perfect for staying in or entertaining a crowd (chicken thighs keep the cost down!).

Slow Cooker Chicken Carnitas

SLOW-COOKER PULLED CHICKEN

Ingredients:

  • 4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1 bunch of scallions, thinly sliced using green and white parts
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 2 chipotle in adobo sauce, minced
  • 1 Tbs cumin
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

  1. Add the chicken, wine, scallions, garlic, chipotles, cumin, black pepper, chili powder, and salt to the basin of a large slow cooker.  Mix with a large wooden spoon to coat chicken in sauce and spices.
  2. Cook on low for 7-8 hours until the chicken is tender and shreds easily with two forks.
  3. Serve immediately with tortillas or atop brown rice and greens in a bowl.
  4. You can refrigerate this recipe in an air-tight for up to 5 days, or freeze it in an air-tight container for up to 3 months (be sure to label it!).

 

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Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Chili

Let’s face it, who wants to cook after all the work that goes into preparing a Thanksgiving feast. Even if you weren’t one of the culinary artists toiling away in the kitchen, you too may also be suffering from post-holiday food fatigue (no thanks to the L-Trytophan found in turkey). We still have to eat though so why not prepare something that’ll last, or even get better by the day and only takes 10 minutes hands-on time?

Queue the slow cooker. There are countless ways to use the slow cooker from a hearty-yet-healthy lentil soup to the more decadent french toast method. Chili’s are no stranger to the slow and low method but since I try not to consume too much red meat, I thought I’d give chicken chili a try. Of note, I used chicken thighs in this recipe to keep the cost low but if you wanted to go for an even leaner chili, stick to chicken breast.

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Most importantly, this recipe passed the Tilly Taste Challenge. Okay, so maybe a dog isn’t the best judge of a meal’s flavor and complexity, but her hound nose can’t lie – it smells darn good! Try it for yourself and let me know what you think.

Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Chili

Makes 6-8 servings | Hands-on time: 10 minutes | Total time: 5-7 hours

Ingredients:

  • 1 15-oz can pinto beans, drained
  • 1 15-oz can black beans, drained
  • 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 Tbs cajun creole seasoning
  • 1 Tbs cumin
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
  • 2 heaping Tbs pickled jalapeños
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 white onion, diced
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Sauté onions and garlic in 1 Tbs olive oil until tender and translucent (about 5-7 minutes.)
  2. While they’re cooking rinse and drain your beans in a large colander and pull everything else out so it’s ready to go.
  3. Transfer onions and garlic to your slow cooker and add all other ingredients (be sure to use the liquid from your tomatoes), submerging chicken thighs completely.
  4. Cook on low for 5-7 hours, or until your chicken thighs pull apart easily with a couple of forks shredding in opposite directions.
  5. Adjust for seasoning and add extra salt, pepper, spices or heat as desired.
  6. Serve plain or top with a dollop of greek yogurt, sliced green onion, and your favorite hot sauce.

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Harissa Pomegranate Roasted Chicken with Avocado, Grapefruit & Mint Salad

Those of you that have been reading this blog for the last couple of years know that I tend to share vegan and/or gluten-free recipes, featuring organic, local and nutrient-dense “superfoods” as much as possible. While this is a healthy, earth-friendly and local-business bolstering approach to nourishment, it’s not necessarily affordable or realistic for large swaths of the population.

With that in mind, I am incredibly grateful that I am able to eat the way I do and am passionate about making healthy eating as universally doable as possible. For those who can afford organic and/or local ingredients and can supplement their diets with emerging superfoods (chia seeds, coconut oil, maca powder, etc), the work is in creating recipes that are easy to follow and still taste delicious after weaving in all those extra nutrients and swapping out empty ingredients. For the rest, who still want and ought to have strategies and guidance for feeding themselves and their families without having to sacrifice other basic needs, the job is admittedly a lot tougher. I’m currently working on food education and nutrition workshops for my new studio, Yoga Heights, that will tackle this tough task and will ultimately help me and YHDC co-owner, Jess Pierno, further our mission of offering yoga, pilates and nutrition to create balanced wellness for every body, at every level and every budget.

Two strategies I often suggest for people trying to eat healthy on a budget is to pay attention to the cuts of meat they purchase and to use spices to add bold flavors to basic meals. Apart from my decision and ability to use organic chicken instead of generic, this recipe fits the bill. Chicken thighs are a much more affordable cut than breast meat, especially when you buy them bone-in, skin-on—or better yet, get the whole chicken and butcher it yourself. For health purposes, I’d suggest you skip the skin except for special occasions. Harissa is a North African spice blend featuring a variety of flavors ranging from hot chile to caraway. I picked some up the last time I was in Ethiopia and love using it on meat and fish.

Harissa Sauce_MOARfit

While it takes some investment up front to stock your pantry with spices, oils and special ingredients, it pays off in the long run. Just think of all the ways I’ve already used pomegranate molasses!

This dish is great for a summer dinner party with friends. The cooling Avocado, Grapefruit and Mint salad is a nice complement to the spicy Harissa Pomegranate Roasted Chicken. It’s a feast for the senses—nose, eyes and mouth delight!

Harissa Chicken_MOARfit

Inspired by a recipe I saw in Women’s Health (May 2014). Unfortunately there’s no online link!

Harissa Pomegranate Roasted Chicken with Avocado, Grapefruit & Mint Salad

{makes 4 servings}

What You’ll Need:

  • 4 organic, bone-in chicken thighs (skinless)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 Tbs pomegranate molasses
  • 1/3 cup harissa
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 large grapefruits, sectioned
  • 2 avocados, sliced
  • 1/2 cup gently chopped or torn mint leaves

How to Make It:

  1. Combine oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, harissa and salt & pepper in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
  2. Place chicken thighs in a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. Cover chicken in harissa-pomegranate sauce, cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (optimally overnight).
  3. Preheat oven to 400 F.
  4. Remove chicken from refrigerator. Bake, covered, for 20-25 min. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 min before serving (seals all the yummy juices inside).
  5. When ready to serve, divide avocados, grapefruit and mint equally between 4 plates. Place one chicken thigh on top of each salad and drizzle with sauce run-off.

I hope you like this one as much as I did! It’s a little spicy, bold and bright. Mmm mmm.