Mexican Chicken Soup

We're having a freak snow storm (before Thanksgiving even) that made me eager for a crock pot soup.  This one is not only a good soup, but it's also decently healthy (345 calories)!  It's from the Taste of Home Slow Cooker Cookbook, which I am DIGGING.  This is the first recipe I've made from this, but I doubt it'll be the last.

Here's how it goes:
Prep: 10 min
Cook: 3-4 Hours
Makes: 6 servings (I would argue it's more like 4, but maybe we eat like barbarians in my house)

1.5 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 tsp canola oil
1/2 cup water
1 envelope reduced sodium taco seasoning (I used half a packet of regular, half a packet of hot and spicy for a pleasurable zip)
1 can (32 oz.) V8 juice
1 jar (16 oz.) salsa
1 can (15 oz.) black beans (I would do 2 cans next time, but hey, I love me some black beans), rinsed and drained
1 package (10 oz.) frozen corn, thawed (I omitted this because of my hatred of all non corn on the cob corn)
Next time: I'll probably add a couple cups of chopped red pepper
6 tbsp. reduced fat cheddar cheese (let's be serious, I went hog wild on the cheese and didn't limit myself to 6 tbsp., BUT YOU COULD)
6 tbsp. reduced fat sour cream
2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro (feel free to go nuts on this too.  Cilantro is worth it!)

1.  In a skillet, saute chicken in oil until no longer pink.  Add water and taco seasoning; simmer, uncovered, until chicken is well coated

2. Transfer to a 5 qt (I used my 6, and it was nbd) slow cooker.  Stir in the V8 juice, salsa, beans, and corn.  Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until heated through.  Serve with cheese, sour cream, and cilantro.

Let me drop some nutrition knowledge on you:
345 calories
7 g fat (3 g saturated fat)
72 mg cholesterol
1,315 mg sodium
34 g carbohydrate
7 g fiber
31 g protein

What it cost me: $8.08, thanks to a lot of overlap ingredients.  W00t!

Drunken Cajun Chicken

Since this blog is mostly just me saving recipes in blog form, you (if there is a you out there) may have noticed that I usually don't even bother with pictures.  I don't know, crock pot cooking tastes awesome, but the presentation isn't the best. That doesn't deter me though :)

So my husband (I have a husband now!) and I stumbled upon this drunken cajun chicken recipe when we were craving Cajun.  Last time we ate at our favorite local place, we theorized how we could do it in the crock pot.  And this recipe helped!  The best part was surely the next day when we used the leftovers as the filling between Texas toast for some delish sandwiches.  Leftovers have never tasted so good, I promise!  So here it is, in case that link ever goes bad:

• 
  
• 4 pieces Chicken Breast
• 2 cans (15 Oz. Can) Stewed Tomatoes
• ¼ cups Olive Oil
• 12 ounces, fluid Beer (I Used Light Beer But Any Will Work)
• 2 teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Paprika
• 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 teaspoon Thyme
• 1 teaspoon Basil
• 2 whole Bay Leaves
• 
  

Admittedly a lot of stuff, but you probably have most of it in your spice cabinet/pantry already.

Here's what you do:

• Mix all the seasonings together.
• Coat the chicken breasts with the seasonings.
• Place in the slow cooker.
• Add in beer, stewed tomatoes, olive oil, and any extra seasonings that are left (if any).
• Stir around a bit.
• Cook on low for 5-7 hours.
• When finished, shred the chicken with 2 forks and serve over white rice!

THAT IS IT.  It is crazy.  And good.  And crazy good.  I did also add some tabasco on mine because I am a crazy person and heat appeals to me.  I made my brother-in-law's collard greens to go with it and it was delish.  I put too much red pepper in those, just to remind you about my crazed spice enjoyment.

What it cost me: Right around 20 clams.  For two plus nights of dinner, I'll take it.

Taco-Style Black Beans and Hominy

Oh, hello, right, I have a cooking blog.  I have been supremely neglectful and it makes my head spin how much has changed in life.  Except for the crock pot.  Crock pot is forever.  Anyway!

Ash Wednesday means no meat and so I turned to a recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Year Round Slow Cooker Recipes (they have a whole tab in this book of meatless recipes) and their black beans and hominy taco filling.  This was a good meat substitute AND worked great for leftovers.  Here's how it goes:

Ingredients:
2 15.5 oz. cans golden hominy, drained
2 15 oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/4 cups water
1 10.75 oz. can condensed mushroom soup
1/2 of a 1.25 oz. package taco seasoning mix (1 1/2 tsp.): we used Old El Paso Hot and Spicy because we wanted this thing as hot as we could stand.
Taco shells, sliced green onions, chopped tomato, chopped lettuce, or whatever else you like with your tacos

Use a 4 qt. slow cooker (or don't, I used my 6 qt since I don't have a 4 qt.).  Coat the inside of slow cooker with cooking spray or use a crock liner.  Combine hominy, beans, water, cream of mushroom soup, and taco seasoning.  Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

317 calories
10 g. total fat (2 g. saturated fat)
0 mg cholestoerol
1,001 mg. sodium
52 g. carbohudrate
11 g. dietary fiber
12 g. protein

What it cost me: $10.