Low Calorie Chicken Chili

How is everyone doing? We are on week two of our slim down and I haven't felt better! I am really enjoying my food again, because it is all wholesome and every ingredient counts. I hope you are all finding some healthy recipes you like! 

My husband is not a chicken fan. If he had it his way, he would have beef or pork every day. I am always trying to find new ways to serve him chicken that mimic his favorite red meat dishes. He loved this dish! I was so happy! He said I can make it as many times as I want. That means it is a winner. It is spicy, so if you are not a spice fan, simply omit the serrano peppers and cayenne pepper, then you will have a completely mild chili. We like it just like this. It is so low in calories and packed with nutrients. I served mine with a side salad and pineapple slices for dessert. It left us full and satisfied. Enjoy!

Low Calorie Chicken Chili

2 TBSP olive oil

2 cups chopped sweet onions 

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 serrano peppers, diced (reduce or eliminate if you don't like spice)

2 red bell peppers diced

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne

2 tsp salt

1 28 oz cans whole peel plum tomatoes in puree - undrained

1 can black beans

1 bay leaf

2 Chicken breasts

In a large pot, add olive oil, onions, garlic, serrano and red peppers. Cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. 

Add remaining ingredients and stir well so the chicken is coated. Cover and cook over medium low heat for 1 hour. Shred the chicken with a fork, it will fall apart easily. Serve!

Note: You can make this dish in the crockpot too. Just throw it all in and cook on low until you get home from work!

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Chocolate Avocado Ice Cream

 
I have been so excited to share this recipe with you! A while back I saw a recipe for avocado coconut ice cream. I kept it tucked away in my mind, waiting for Avocado season here in California. While I can get avocados any time of the year, you can get them for next to nothing this time of year. Wholesome healthy California Avocado's, Yum! 

So I got busy with my ice cream machine and ingredients to experiment. My very first experiment worked! Not only did it work, it rocked my world. While we are eating a lot healthier, we also are having a treat on the weekends. I wanted the treats to be healthier versions of things I love. This hit the spot. My husband said: "this is the kind of ice cream I could eat the whole batch in one sitting". The avocado's add an extra creamy texture. You would never guess avocado's are an ingredient. 

Now you might wonder why I would even put avocado's in the ice cream, rather than heavy whipping cream that is traditionally used. There are many health benefits to eating Avocado's. First the good fat content. Not all fat is bad for your body, and monounsaturated fat in particular is what constitutes the first health benefit of an avocado. In a typical avocado, most of the calories you receive come from monounsaturated fat. The monounsaturated fat in an avocado is healthy for you. Foods like avocados that contain monounsaturated fat lessen your LDL cholesterol, which is harmful to your body. Another reason to add more avocado to your diet is their high fiber content. A typical avocado will contain both insoluble and soluble fiber. Lastly you should consider eating avocado's because they are packed full of vitamins. The vitamins that you can find in an avocado are B vitamins along with vitamin K and vitamin E. 

So while yes, there is sugar and fat in this ice cream. There is also a lot of health benefits. So if you are going to have a treat that can stand up to the bad fat, high sugar, highly processed ice cream. This is the treat for you!

Chocolate Avocado Ice Cream 

adapted from Some the Wiser 

2 ripe avocados, chilled

1/2 cup melted semisweet chocolate

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk, chilled

1 can (13.5 oz) lite coconut milk, chilled

Pit the avocados and scrape the flesh into the bowl of a mixer or use a hand blender. Add the melted chocolate and whisk, blend, mix (whatever method you prefer) until smooth. Add sweetened condensed milk and coconut milk and mix until blended. 

Pour mixture into an ice cream maker and mix for about 20 minutes. Then place the ice cream mixer bowl in the freezer for 1 hour. Pull it out after an hour and mix again for 20 minutes. It took me 3 times of doing this process for the ice cream to come out perfectly. This recipe makes 1 quart of scrumptious Chocolate Avocado Ice cream.

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Weekly Healthy Gluten-Free recipe round-up

This week I am bringing you the "Weekly Healthy Gluten-Free recipe round-up". For those of you wanting to get fit and eat right as well as gluten-free. I am enjoying this healthy journey and I hope you are too! Here are the recipes I brought you this week:

Low Calorie Tuna Salad Wrap

Healthy Raw Carrot Cake Bars

Lemon Garlic and Herb Halibut

Raw Vegan Apple Pie Protein bars

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Low Calorie Tuna Salad Wrap

Tuna salad sandwiches have always been my favorite, but traditional tuna salad is high in calories from the mayo. This wrap is 240 scrumptious wholesome calories.

If you are not a tuna fan, you can easily use canned chicken instead of tuna. You can change this recipe up to include what you like in a tuna salad. I am a plain Jane when it comes to my tuna salad. I like dill pickles, lettuce, and mayo. However I do not use traditional store bought mayo. I make my own out of Greek yogurt. It tastes the same to me and has 15 calories per serving compared to 90 per serving of regular mayo. I have included the recipe for my Greek yogurt mayo below. I make up a tub of it and use it in all the recipes that call for mayo. It is a huge calorie saver and very tasty! Yes I have tried veganaise and all the other low calorie stuff out there, and I don't care for it.

Now on to the wraps. I use a gluten-free wrap that has flax in it. It is 100 calories per wrap and they are high in protein and fiber. I have a local organic stand here that sells them. If you don't have access to them, then you can go to trader joes, they have two different gluten-free wraps. Or you can make your own using this recipe: gluten free wraps.

Low Calorie Gluten-Free Tuna Salad Wrap

1 TBSP Greek Yogurt Mayo (recipe below)

1 5 ounce can tuna in water (drained)

Romaine Lettuce

Dill Pickles

1 gluten free wrap or gluten free tortilla

*optional: tomatoes, cucumbers, sprouts... whatever you like!

Greek Yogurt Mayo:

1 24oz tub of plain Greek yogurt

The juice of one lemon

1/4 cup vinegar

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Stir all together and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

Mix one 5 ounce can of tuna with 1 TBSP greek mayo. 

Wrap up and serve!

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Healthy Products Spotlight

From time to time on here I like to highlight products that go above and beyond to make our food and homes safe. 

Today I wanted to take a second to tell you about iGOZEN and Corn-n-Tater™

I absolutely love what iGOZEN s doing. They make an organic cleaner for fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, and even your kitchen counter. 

iGOZEN is 100% safe to use around children and pets. iGOZEN is hypoallergenic and a non-toxic organic cleaner.

There are no soaps to cover or fill porous substances. No perfumes to cover up natural smells. There is absolutely no odor at all.

When you clean with IGOZEN, the area where you clean will smell exactly like it supposed to – wood smells like wood, stone, metal, fabrics and plastics simply smell clean.

There are no chemical off gasses and the IGOZEN will not leave a soap scum. Polish with a damp microfiber towel after cleaning to leave a sparkling shine.

You no longer need to be concerned about chemicals from any cleaner soaking into your skin. You do not need to wear gloves or be concerned with breathing chemical toxins used to clean your home.

I did receive a sample from iGOZEN to try. I was thrilled with the results in both cleaning my home and cleaning my food. 

iGOZEN has been independently tested by laboratories in the U.S. to be an effective organic cleaner.Specific bacteria and pesticides that are most commonly found in our food and in our homes were tested with iGOZEN to conclude an exact elimination percentage as scientifically proven. You can see the findings here: http://www.igozen.com/benefits/

You can buy yours here: http://www.igozen.com/shop/

They have 3 different cleaners

Everyday Cleaner - Cleans household items of metal, plastic, ceramic, granite, quartz, wood, stone and any washable surfaces. Excellent for kitchen countertops, cutting boards, appliances, toilets, bathtubs, interior of automobile, floorings, and anywhere you want to be sure of a safe, pure clean.

Fruit/Veg Cleaner - Cleans fruits and vegetables of toxins, pesticides and bacteria. Proven to eliminate 99.9% of e-coli, salmonella bacteria and more.

Meat/Fish Cleaner - Cleans all types of meats, poultry, and fish of toxins, pesticides and bacteria. Proven to eliminate 99.9% of e-coli, salmonella bacteria, and more.

I am passionate about cutting chemicals in our food and homes. I give this product two thumbs up!

I also wanted to tell you about Corn-n-Tater™. The Corn-n-Tater™ bag is a microwaveable cooking bag that retains food's moisture and flavor due to its cotton and bamboo materials. Your food will be cooked to perfection every time!

It's great for potatoes, corn on the cob, broccoli, peppers, tortilla shells, bread and more.

The Corn-n-Tater™ bag is reusable and easy to clean - Just machine wash in cold and air-dry as necessary.

It is completely free of Bisphenol A (BPA) chemicals, which are found in many other kitchenware products

You can get yours here: http://www.homecookedshortcuts.com