Hands down, the best (and most useful) present I got for Christmas was a new slow cooker. For years, I had a small (knock-off, no-name brand) one, but the few times I tried to use it, it did not work. I mostly used it for making fondue.
This new one, however, is amazing. I've used it a few times so far and everything has been wonderful. I got an 8 quart Crock Pot slow cooker. It even came with a little bonus: a 16 oz. "Little Dipper Warmer." The digital display allows you to custom set the cook time, which is incredibly helpful.
I've decided that, despite my Italian heritage and love of my native ethnic food, I would eat Mexican, Spanish, or Cuban food on a daily basis. So, my first culinary experiment with the new slow cooker was some chicken tortilla soup. There's something magical about the smell of soup simmering all day long, while you're curled up on the couch on a "snow day" (which really turned out to be a rainy, slight dusting of snow, but bitterly cold kind of day).
Ingredients
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
5 cups, low sodium chicken broth
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomato
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1 can (14.5 oz) black beans, drained
1 can (14.5 oz) corn, drained (no salt added)
1/4 cup lime juice
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
To taste: Salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, paprika
To garnish: cilantro, avocado, tortilla strips, lime...or anything else, really (cheese, sour cream, etc)
1. Add the chicken, broth, diced tomatoes, garlic, chopped onion, and all spices (salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, and paprika) to the slow cooker. Cook on low for about 6 hours (until chicken is thoroughly cooked through and onions are soft).
2. After the chicken is cooked, remove it from the mixture and shred it. Then, put the chicken back in the slow cooker.
3. Add the black beans, corn, cilantro, and lime choice. Cook for an additional hour on low setting.
Yields about 8 servings
Weight Watchers Smart Points: 3 (add additional points for toppings/garnishes)
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