To be honest, I couldn’t tell you the exact month or day that cooking changed my life. I can tell you that I used to eat boxed taquitos and eat at McDonald’s 2-3 times a week during high school. I was never obese or even really “over weight”, but I definitely wasn’t physically fit, healthy or feeding my body the nutrients it deserved. It wasn’t until I started dating Allen about five years ago that my culinary journey began. His father loves to cook and I think that is what sparked my initial interest. He introduced me to Aldi, which provided me with healthy, delicious, and inexpensive food to cook with. When Allen was home from college, I would watch his dad make us dinner and I began to pick up on some of his cooking techniques. I started using what I learned from watching him to adapt Pinterest recipes to my liking. We also broadened our love for food by going on dates to authentic, ethnic restaurants in the Richmond, DC, and Lancaster area. The more I researched food, the easier it became for me to recreate what I tasted and loved. Over the last 5 years, my taste buds have changed dramatically. I no longer constantly crave greasy burgers, carbs, and sugar. Don’t get me wrong… I definitely bake cupcakes, eat tacos, and love bread! I have just learned to make and eat healthier substitutions, as well as curb my constant cravings. Changing the way you eat starts with the ingredients you put into your body. Through personal research and my curriculum in nursing school, I have learned what your body needs and what foods provide which nutrients. Choosing to eat healthier options changes your taste buds and what your body craves. Now, I crave recipes with wholesome and farm fresh ingredients! I hope to provide you all with the recipes to achieve the same success with flavorful and healthy eating that I have experienced. I will most definitely also share my favorite cupcake recipes with you because life is too short not to eat cupcakes! 😉
There are several go-to recipes I have perfected over the years. This is one of them and personally my favorite. The ingredients are as inexpensive as they get, and the recipe requires little to no prep and cooking effort. Probably the most difficult thing for you will be finding the spices I have suggested if you are not knowledgeable in something other than salt and pepper. 😛 Honestly, I buy spices as cheap as they come. I do not make enough money to buy organic or fair-trade spices by the pound. At Aldi spices are very cheap. Unfortunately, they do not always have the specific ones that I need for a certain recipe. Thankfully, Giant has all of the spices you could imagine, but my secret is in the international isle. Please do yourself and your wallet a favor and look there! It is not just filled with ethnic spices. I get my dill and ginger there because it is so much cheaper and sold in bigger quantities. The initial investment for a versatile spice cabinet may be somewhat pricey, but a wise long-term investment. Personally I think you can never have enough spices sitting around in your kitchen.
I hope you enjoy the simplicity of the preparation, yet the complexity of the flavors when you taste your finished masterpiece!
Crock-pot® White Chicken Chili – Easy, Healthy and Delicious!
Ingredients
- 3-4 large chicken breasts thawed
- 1 Tbsp. chili powder
- 2 Tbsp. garlic powder
- 2 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1 Tbsp. cumin
- 2 15.5 oz. cans Great Northern Beans
- 1 15 oz. can golden corn
- 1 10 oz. can dice tomatoes and green chilies
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 cup chicken stock can substitute water in a pinch
- Optional Toppings
- Cilantro
- Fresh limes
- Avocado
Instructions
- Place chicken in the bottom of a large slow cooker.
- Mix all of the spices together and sprinkle half of the mixture over chicken. Set leftover aside.
- Drain and rinse cans of beans and corn and dump onto chicken and spice layer.
- Pour can of tomatoes and green chilies into slow cooker with juices.
- Pour remaining spice mixture in making sure to coat the entire top layer of ingredients.
- Set to cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4 hours.
- Once time is up, if chicken has not shredded completely, remove any large chucks of chicken and shred with a fork. Return to slow cooker.
- Add Greek yogurt, mix well and if time permits, let chicken chili cook on low for 30 more minutes.
- Serve with cilantro, avocado, or fresh limes.
- Enjoy!
I'm a 20-something foodie with a passion for travel. As a self taught chef, I believe food is what brings us together. When I'm not in my kitchen creating recipes, I love connecting with people as I experience cuisines from other cultures. Come join me on my culinary and travel adventures!