#WWHD: Crockpot Black Bean Soup w/ a Cilantro Yogurt Sauce

When I think of comfort food, I think of soup on a cool winter night. When I think of a work night, I think of something I can heat up quickly -- without much thought or energy. This black bean soup meets both of those requirements -- comfort & quickness. It takes a while to prepare, but once done, it can be heated in the microwave for 2 minutes and be nice and steamy! I use a slow cooker to make this dish, and there have been times where I put all the ingredients in in the morning, and come home to a house smelling like soup. You can also make this on the weekend and portion it out in freezer bags, so you later can just grab one, heat, and go!

This go-around, I decided to get creative and add a cilantro-yogurt sauce. The recipe is delicious on its own (I've even used it as a spread on a grilled chicken sandwich,) but feel free to let your creative wings soar! Add this yogurt sauce, add some sliced avocado, add some goat cheese crumbles -- do what you want! With this soup made of one of nature's most protein-and-fiber-filled foods, you really can't go wrong.

Servings: about 5 (1 and a half cups of soup each)

What You'll Need:

• 1 bag (16 oz) of dry black beans (about $1.30 at the store)
• 1 medium or large sweet potato
• 1 red onion
• 4 cups chicken broth (go for "low-sodium" to avoid bloating later-on!)
• Some people use vegetable broth -- feel free if you're vegetarian -- but since this soup has no meat, I find that the chicken broth adds some flavor!
• Seasonings (they seem like alot, but they will dilute when the starch from the beans is released)
• 4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• A dash of allspice, if you have it
• OPTIONAL: a cup of fresh chopped cilantro (a bunch is $0.50 at the grocery store)
• For the sauce:
• 1/2 a plain greek yogurt package
• 1 cup of fresh chopped cilantro

The Step-by-Step:

1. The night before, chop the onion into small pieces and sweet potato into chunks. Set aside in the fridge. Place black beans and half the chicken broth in the slow cooker, and let soak overnight. (Some people soak the beans in water, then drain it in the morning-- forget it, you want the FLAVOR to penetrate the beans.)
2. The next morning, add in the onion and sweet potato to the beans. Add the seasonings on top. Turn on the slow cooker to "low" and let cook for 8 hours. The day is yours!
3. When the 8 hours is up (your home will smell like a fiesta) -- turn the slow cooker to "off" and in small batches, scoop the soup mixture and blend it in a blender, returning the blended soup to the pot. This allows the insides of the beans to be released, combining with the sweet potato to become a creamy (and delicious) puree. Keep repeating until the soup becomes the texture you want it to be. (I prefer it to be all creamy, but some people like it half & half -- creamy with some whole beans in there -- up to you.)
4. If you're making the yogurt sauce, all you have to do is blend the cilantro with a little bit of water (about a tablespoon) to make a paste. Then, mix in the paste to the yogurt. This is a delicious alternative to sour cream (plus, the yogurt adds lots of protein.)

Top the soup with the sauce, some salsa, avocado, and/or goat cheese crumbles. The possibilities are endless!

xoxo n

For more info about the #WWHD feature, please see the below post, or head on over to The Gym Bag Diaries!

Easy Mexican Chicken

Personally -- I am a HUGE fan of Mexican cuisine. In fact, some of the proudest cooking moments I have include figuring out how to skinny up Mexican dishes without sacrificing flavors and still keeping the essential nutrients our bodies need -- as some "diet" foods seem to forget.

What many people don't know when they are trying to get healthy is that Mexican food is actually quite flavorful naturally. When you think of ingredients like tomato salsa, fresh cilantro, and avocadoes -- these are all things that are of the EARTH (meaning your body will thank you for them.) With that being put out there, look at this amazing way to cook some Mexican chicken that's friendly to your body -- and have your cheese and eat it too. Seriously, it was so easy to make, Austin & I went ice skating in Silver Spring afterwards.

Servings: 6

What You'll Need:

Austin's first time skating! Such a sweet idea!

• 3 large raw chicken breasts (get a 3-pack in the grocery store)
• 1 jar salsa (Some like Medium, but I get Hot for that spicy kick!)
• Tip: You may think all salsas are the same, but look at the ingredients list of the brands you're considering. I liked Newman's Own because I could understand what goes into it! Nothing sketchy about things like "tomatoes" and "onions."
• 1 cup reduced-fat shredded Cheddar Jack cheese (Sargento makes this)
• 1 avocado
• A Slow Cooker (Don't think they're expensive like I thought for so long..... I got mine for $15)
• A SLOW COOKER IS THE BEST THING YOU'LL EVER BUY (more on this in a later post)
• Here's one for $16: Click here
• Oven + 13x9 Pan (a brownie pan)
• Optional: Fresh Cilantro

The Step-by-Step:

(inspired by a Pinterest post)

1. Rinse the chicken breasts gently with some cold water. Pat dry with some paper towels.
2. Pour 1/3 of the salsa into the bottom of the slow cooker.
3. Take each chicken breast, and slice it in half horizontally (so one long cut from left to right.) You should now have six pieces of chicken.
4. Place two pieces of chicken in the slow cooker, then top with more salsa. Repeat until you place all chicken in the cooker and top it with salsa. If you want some extra spice, feel free to add a little bit of cayenne pepper.
5. Put the lid on the slow cooker, and let it cook on "Low" for 3 hours.
6. Transfer the chicken to the pan, and top it with the remaining salsa mixture from the slow cooker.
7. Let bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes until cooked through.
8. Slice the avocado. Get the cheese measured and ready.
9. Remove the pan from the oven and top each chicken piece with avocado slices. Sprinkle the whole pan with the cheese. If you have cilantro, rip the leaves and sprinkle over.
10. Let bake for 5 more minutes so the cheese can melt into stringy goodness.

See, I told you -- super easy.
Not to mention -- it makes for EXCELLENT left-overs that you can easily freeze and reheat. Check my Instagram (@natalieneilson) for the mexican chicken salad I made the day after!

Happy eating!
xoxo n

Green Skewers: Cilantro-Marinated Shrimp

A couple nights ago I was curled up on my couch -- picture this -- a yankee candle "harvest" candle burning, my feet propped, ready for fall -- when I cracked open one of the newest additions to my cookbook collection, Vegetable Love by Barbara Kafka. "Cilantro Marinated Shrimp" was one of the recipes that caught my eye first. You better believe -- the first opportunity I had to run to the market and get some fresh cilantro -- well, I took it. How did this happen?

I know I didn't follow Barbara's recipe exactly, because I didn't remember it when I was cooking. All I cared about was marinating some shrimp in some cilantro and spicing it up, and in that moment of inspiration, the following "green skewers" were born. Enjoy.

Servings: 6 Large Skewers

What You'll Need:

• 1 pound medium sized shrimp
• 1/2 a bunch of fresh cilantro
• 2 cloves garlic (or 1 tbsp garlic powder)
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp Plain Yogurt
• Salt/Pepper
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• 1/2 a large zucchini, cut into strips
• 6 Wooden Skewers (I got a pack of 50 from Giant for $2 and its lasted me 2 years)
• Small blender
• Cooking Spray/Flat Pan/Oven

The Step-by-Step:

1. In a blender, combine olive oil, yogurt, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Tear off the top half of the cilantro and add into the blender. Blend until you have a green sauce.
2. Put the shrimp in a bowl and pour in the cilantro sauce. Toss with your hands until all of the shrimp are well coated. Put the bowl in the refrigerator, and let the shrimp marinate.
3. After the shrimp has been in the fridge for at least an hour (up to overnight,) preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray pan with cooking spray.
4. Take the bowl out of the refrigerator and toss again with your hands, to make sure the sauce coats the shrimp.
5. Place a shrimp, pepper strip, and zucchini piece on each skewer. Repeat, then top the skewer with another shrimp. Place on pan.
6. Keep using skewers until all the shrimp are used up.
7. Roast the skewers for 15 minutes, then turn up the oven to 450 degrees for 5 minutes (or the "broil" setting for 3 minutes)
8. Optional: Rip up a few fresh cilantro leaves and sprinkle over the skewers for presentation.

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I'm so grateful for Barbara Kafka.

xoxo n