chicken taco chili.

I made a vow to try to use my CrockPot a lot more.  Over the holidays I actually kept my vow and busted out my trusty slow cooker.  Now,  I am a fan of chili.  That being said, I am not really a fan of ground meat--especially beef.  In general I typically do not eat a lot of red meat at all.  I am making an effort to try recipes with ground turkey, pork, and chicken and you will see that in the future.  But this particular night I didn't have any ground meat.  We eat a lot of chicken in this apartment.  I love chicken but it does tend to get boring.  

Pinterest really does help with inspiration, even when you're dealing with broken pins such as this pin which inspired me to try to re-create a recipe using a picture.  This recipe yields MANY servings.  I am not kidding.  We had leftovers for a few days, for lunch and dinner.  And that was even after I froze half.  Next time I am freezing more because it froze really well and made for an excellent easy dinner during the week.  It is probably one of the easiest recipes I have ever attempted and was absolutely delicious!

ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 zucchini, sliced and chopped
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped (We like spice.)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp fresh ground ginger
• 1 can of corn or a 10 oz package of frozen corn
• 1 regular can of tomato sauce
• 1 small can of tomato paste
• 1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes, no sodium added
• 1 regular can of black beans
• 1 regular can of kidney beans
• 1 pkg of taco seasoning OR 1/4 to half of my homemade mix
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• Some freshly ground nutmeg
• 3 tbsp sriracha sauce (Mmmm. Optional, but it's delicious.)
• Shredded cheese, reduced fat
• Sour cream, fat-free

directions

• First of all, I drain and rinse the corn and beans to try to cut out as much sodium as possible. 
• Combine everything but your chicken in your slow cooker.  Place chicken on top and cover.  Cook on low for about 10 hours or on high for six hours.  
• A half hour or so before you're ready to eat, remove the chicken and either finely chop or shred with two forks.  Return the chicken to the slow cooker and stir your chili.  
• If you feel like it you can top with a dollop of sour cream and shredded cheese. 
• Serve and enjoy!

Easy enough, right?  And now for my taco seasoning which is great on chicken, for tacos, and I am sure it is lovely with other food too.

ingredients

• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp oregano
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger