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Paleo Southwest Crockpot Chicken Supper

February 7, 2021 by Tasha Hackett 2 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Since when does Laura care about paleo foods? Oh, dear. Well, she doesn’t. But Tasha is trying a new thing with surprisingly great success. Paleo Southwest Crockpot Chicken Supper has been a favorite and it will definitely be added to the regular rotation.

I bet you’re wondering what’s with the trendy diet we’ve jumped on. Here’s the thing… I’ve never been inclined to jump on any type of diet because I didn’t believe in the idea of cutting out entire food groups. Let’s not even get into the details about how jumping is a high impact exercise and could be harmful if you are dealing with chronic achy joints and headaches. (I recommend yoga and stretching for beginners.) But elimination diets? I’m not here to argue the case of the paleo food choices. Except I will tell you, I paid a good amount of money to a doctor to get to the root of my achy joints and headaches and weird mood swings. He is making me eat paleo. At first, I was incredibly discouraged. I ranted and raved about how much I disagreed with the concept.

What is Paleo?

NO Dairy and NO Grains (including corn, oats, rice, quinoa, etc) and NO Legumes (including peanuts and soy) and NO sugar. WHAT IS LEFT!?!?!? BROCCOLI AND CHICKEN!? Poor Tasha. She can only eat broccoli and chicken. I was at Laura’s house (and we should have snapped a picture to document the momentous occasion) and I pulled a Laura and ate the spinach leaves directly out of the tub because I was so stinking hungry, but a few days later an amazing thing happened.

First, I must have gotten over the sugar craving hump because I wasn’t starving all the time anymore. Secondly, I discovered recipes that included a variety of flavors and foods I had never tried before. Dressing recipes with fresh squeezed orange juice, almond butter and garlic. Say whaaa? But it was amazing. I began making my own nut butters because all the ones I found in the store were too expensive and had added sugars.

Paleo supper isn’t always simple . . . so far.

paleo chicken supper

Yum

Because I’m still in the newish phase of this paleo food thing and I’m following a lot of other people’s recipes, food prep has been a priority of my life lately. Slowly I have been adapting the recipes I like to fit the simple standard that Laura has been teaching us. But the amount of chopping and sautéing that I’ve been doing the last 45 days is more than I would prefer. One important thing I’ve been learning is to start seeing onions and peppers as a solid filler, not a seasoning. Many of the paleo recipes call for a hefty amount of vegetables.

Southwest Crockpot Chicken Supper

paleo chicken

From start to finish this recipe took 5 hours. 10 minutes of chopping (but I use my nifty food processor for onions and garlic), leave it in the crockpot for four hours. Another 10 minutes of work to shred the chicken, chop the peppers and then let it simmer together for a few minutes. Work time for this paleo chicken supper? Perhaps 15 minutes. I served with avocados on top and ate it as-is. You could serve on top of a bed of greens or if you’re not on a restrictive diet, then you can add chips or tortillas and sour cream.

Paleo Southwest Crockpot Chicken Supper

Paleo Southwest Crockpot Chicken Supper
 
Save Print
Prep time
15 mins
Cook time
4 hours
Total time
4 hours 15 mins
 
Author: Tasha
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Southwest
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
  • 2 red onions, chopped
  • 4 cups salsa
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 Tablespoons homemade taco seasoning
  • 2 jalapeño peppers (optional)
  • 4 bell peppers, chopped
  • 2 avocados, chopped
Instructions
  1. In a crockpot, combine everything except the bell peppers and avocados.
  2. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.
  3. Remove chicken and shred with a fork and return to pot.
  4. Chop peppers and sear in a skillet for 4 to 5 minutes until roasted.
  5. Add peppers to crockpot.
  6. Stir and cover.
  7. Let simmer on high for another 20 minutes, adding water if needed for desired consistency.
  8. Top each serving with chopped avocados.
  9. Reheats well for left-overs.
3.5.3251

Paleo tricks

Did you know Laura already had a ton of paleo recipes on her blog? Or at least ones that are easily made paleo by adjusting only a few ingredients. Here are three treats that I have returned to a few times this year.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups (subbing almond butter and I use double the cocoa powder and a pinch of salt)

Simple Almond Flour Muffins (either cheat and use the butter or sub coconut oil)

Vanilla Pudding (Sub coconut milk and top with fruit and nuts for a full breakfast)

Do you have any favorite dairy-free, grain-free, legume-free, sugar-free recipes?


Tasha HackettTasha Hackett, friend of Laura and author of Bluebird of the Prairie, (a Christian romance releasing Spring 2021), is fueled by sunshine or hot chocolate—whichever is more readily available. Though she often pretends to be a ballerina while unloading the dishwasher, her favorite thing is writing with hope and humor to entertain and encourage women. Her time is spent with four chatty children and an incredibly supportive husband. They give her the kind of love people write books about. You can connect with her at www.tashahackett.com or Instagram @hackettacademy or for Laura @heavenlyhomemaker.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

From Traveling to Camping to Potlucks, Gardening, and Saving Money – These Are My Favorites, and It’s Not Too Late

February 11, 2016 by Laura 9 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Before I start writing this, let me remind you: I’m not going Paleo. An exclusive Paleo diet doesn’t work for me, for my family of growing sons, or for my already enormous grocery budget. I wrote all the details about how I love-paleo-recipes-but-am-not-going-paleo here.

What I also shared there and on almost every post I’ve written the past few years is my love of nourishing food. My focus is not on the DO eat and DON’T eats as much as it is on this: Our bodies need nourishment!!! Let’s not make it hard. Let’s just eat good food. And please somebody hand me a strawberry. (Seriously. Last night I dreamed I got a price-match on strawberries. I was so excited that I bought a cart-full and then I woke up and there were actually no strawberries in my entire house. I was so sad, but then I made coffee and all was right in my world again. But if strawberries don’t hurry up and be in season, I don’t even know what.)

strawberries

I dream of strawberries!!!!!

Today I want to remind you about the package of free resources being offered right now by PaleoDork. THEY ARE FREE and they are going away at midnight Friday. I’ve spent the last several days working my way through these books and videos – and you guys? It doesn’t even matter what you think about the Paleo diet. Maybe you eat that way or maybe you’re like me and eat those foods with a side of potato or bread. But these sources are worth having – and they are FREE so just go get them. There’s not even a catch.

If you’ve been waiting, I understand. But you can’t wait anymore because Feb. 12 is it for this offering. If you don’t get this now, you won’t be able to get it later. Want to see my favorites in this package so far?

Eat Beautiful ($0.00)

I can’t even believe we can get this for free. It has 273 pages of really great recipes. Some are more complicated than I choose to tackle – but many are amazing and perfect for my family. This is the book I’m most impressed with so far as I make my way through the list. The recipes list everything from sweets to main dishes.

eat beautiful

Family Camping Handbook ($0.00)

Katie’s books are always amazing. I’m struck not only by all the great recipes in this but even more with all the great tips and ideas she shares –  like camping with babies and toddlers, making homemade wipes, and ways to save money.

family camping

Apartment Gardening ($0.00)

This book shows that almost everyone can have some sort of garden!! I’m loving how simple this book lays out the basics of gardening. Plus, I’m really hungry for a fresh strawberry, but we’ve been through this already.

apartment gardening

$5 Meal Plan ($0.00)

This one includes 6-weeks worth of really simple recipe ideas that are very low in cost! Enough said, right? Of course I love this one.

5 meal plan

Eating Out and Traveling on the Paleo Diet ($0.00)

This resource is great for our family because we are on the go many Saturdays because of sports. We pack a lot of food to-go, and it’s great to have more sandwich-free options. My favorite part of this book is the fantastic list of 30+ foods to take to a potluck or party. What a great, healthy resource to have on hand!

eating out

I am really enjoying several of the other books too – but these rise to the top for me as I search out great tips and recipes for my fam!

There are over 50 resources in this package, all of which are free. I don’t need and won’t use about half of them, which of course doesn’t matter in the least – I simply won’t download the ones I don’t need.

Hurry to get your free package here – and have fun! Not having to pay a penny for these resources is like a big present handed to every single one of us as we work hard to put great food on the table for our families.

Remember, this offer expires midnight February 12!!!

paleodork.com

This post contains referral links.

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Are Paleo, Gluten Free, Grain Free Diets a Fad? Healthy or Not Healthy? My Thoughts…

September 11, 2014 by Laura 31 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

I decided it would make perfect sense for me to post about My Favorite Whole Wheat Recipes, and then follow it up the next day with a post about avoiding wheat and/or grains altogether. I like keeping you on your toes.

Coconut_Flour_Muffin

Seeing as the Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle includes an entire section on Special Diets, I thought this might be a good time to address my thoughts on eating a gluten free, grain free, or paleo diet. Let’s chat, shall we?

A few weeks ago, I got this email from Deb:

I am just wondering what you think about all the gluten free, etc. rage? Some of my friends truly have celiac, but most just seem to be trying this as more of a fad, way to lose weight, etc. Don’t you think that the reason that they feel better is because they give up processed junk and sugar, not so much because of the actual gluten?

We just had a missionary stay with us from Australia, she is originally from Taiwan and has lived in Kenya as well. She says that Americans are the only ones who take supplements and vitamins and have all these food allergies. She thinks it is ridiculous to eat at McDonalds, then buy vitamins. She stayed with us 2 weeks and it was very interesting, even if she was out and about, she would NOT get fast food, she would go to the grocery and buy fresh meat and vegetables and come home and cook it, even though it costs more and was more time consuming. Also, a lot of my friends that are on these EXTREME diets cheat half the time anyway, so what is the point?

Ah yes. I too have watched people go from eating a basic diet of donuts, chips, fast food, and skittles – to eating a low fat or low-carb diet. They lose weight, feel better, and swear that the key is to cut out carbs, grains, gluten, eggs, beef, or butter.

Hey, hey, hey. Them’s fightin’ words to this girl. Nobody better be blaming my butter or beef on their poor health! Especially when we’re talking about the kind that comes from cows who are raised in a healthy environment. But enough about my beloved bovines. What is the healthiest way for all of us to eat?

annesfarm21

I hate to disappoint you, but I do not believe that there is a one-size-fits-all diet.  I believe real food, in balance, based on what your body can tolerate and thrive on is the right diet for you. Learn to listen to your body, and nourish it.

I love my beef, and in fact, I believe I personally need quite a bit of (grass fed, if possible) red meat in my diet in order to maintain a healthy level of iron in my body. You might not need much or any beef. You may not need much of any variety of meat. Okay by me – that means more cow for this girl. Learn to listen to your body, and nourish it.

While some can’t tolerate grains or gluten, I can. I can’t eat them in large amounts, and in fact, I believe most of us should cut back on the grains just to make more room in our diet for fruits and vegetables.  Learn to listen to your body, and nourish it.

Here are my Paleo, Gluten Free, and Grain Free thoughts in a nutshell:

  • When you give up processed foods and instead eat more wholesome, nourishing foods, you will feel better and look better. This has very little to do with the fact that the food might be gluten free, paleo, or grain free.
  • If you truly are allergic to a certain food or if a food makes you sick, by all means, you should not eat it.  You might want to check into NAET though. It is possible to re-program our bodies so that they no longer reject certain foods as allergens. My boys and I have experienced this, and it works. Where we used to have food allergies, we no longer do, praise God!
  • A Gluten Free label does not automatically make a food healthy.
  • Cutting down on grains is beneficial, especially if the majority of what you eat is grainy. Our bodies need a better balance, and grains can be difficult to digest. Bready foods should not be our main nourishment focus.
  • If we’re cutting down our grains, we should not replace them with loads of almond flour and coconut flour. I believe these flours are fantastic additions to our diets, and wonderful to use in baking – especially if your body can not tolerate grains. But to eat them by the pound every day? Well, what happened to balance?

Paleo, Gluten Free, and Grain Free diets can be healthy and beneficial. But if you’re focused on cutting out foods for the wrong reasons, and not focused on overall body nourishment – you’re right back where you started.

Share with me what you have found is best for you and your family when it comes to eating gluten and grains. Do you eat them? What grains are your favorites?

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