Sister's Kale Salad

So in my attempts to become a skinny bitch again and obtain my swag back, here is my sister's kale salad. Kale is a super food high in many vitamins.Paired along with the creaminess of the avocado, you'll never know how healthy this salad is for you.

4 Cups Kale - I like the prewashed bag from Trader Joe's, but you can always just run your finger along the stem of a bunch of kale to get the green leafy parts.
 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1 diced avocado
4 oz cubed chicken breast (optional)
1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste

Take the kale, avocados and the juice of one lime and combine it in one bowl. In order to get the avocado all around, I like to use my hand and kind of smoosh all the avocados with the kale and let it coat the kale leaves. Add in the tomatoes and the chicken breast and mix. Let sit for 15 minutes to allow the lime juice to wilt down the kale. Enjoy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

It might not be the healthiest recipe but given today's events, I felt a little comfort food was in order. If you don't add too much cheese and sour cream to your soup, it can still be healthy and delicious. Thank you Brenda for teaching me to make this soup. I LOVE YOU!

Salt
Pepper
Cayenne or Chili Powder
Cumin
Coriander
3 or 4 Bay leaf
Oregano
Thyme (Fresh or Powder)

Chicken Broth or Bouillon Cubes
2 Chicken Breast
1 Bunch Cilantro, Coarsely Chopped
1 Can 28 Oz Tomatoes (diced)
1 Can Yellow Corn
2 Yellow Onions, Chopped
4 Cloves Garlic, Minced or Whole
3 Carrots, Sliced or Cubed
3 Celery, Sliced
1-2 Jalapenos, minced

For Garnish:
Monterrey Jack Cheese
Salsa
Tortilla Chips
Lime
Sour Cream

So for all the herbs, I just eye ball and do it all by taste. Go easy on the cayenne or chili at first. I like to go a little more heavy on the cumin then the coriander but its up to you.

If you are using the bouillon cubes, fill the pot with as much water, as soup you plan to make. Keep in mind the soup will get larger as you put the ingredients in so plan accordingly. Put the pot of water/chicken broth on the stove and let it start to heat up. If you are deboning your own chicken, I like to throw in the chicken breast bone just for a little extra flavor for the broth. Throw in 3 cloves of the garlic into the soup. You can place it in whole or minced.

While the broth is heating up, sauté the onions, 1 clove of garlic, celery, carrots, and jalapenos in a skillet. Once the veggies are browned with a little carmelization, put them into the broth. Next sauté the chicken breast, just to brown it and give it some color. Put the chicken into the soup. After you are done cooking through all the veggies and chicken, deglaze the pan using some of the soup broth and pour it back into the soup. Put the tomatoes and corn into the soup with a handful of cilantro. Let the soup simmer for about an hour or more if you have time.

If you want a specific recipe just leave a comment. Thanks!

First Recipe!

Spinach Salad:

Total Calories: 395

2 cups of raw spinach
2 slices of turkey bacon
1 oz light fat feta cheese
1/2 avocado
5 artichoke hearts

Cook the turkey bacon in any method you desire and then cut into small pieces. Chop up the artichoke hearts into bite size pieces. Cut avocado slices however you choose and then add everything together into the salad. Crumble the light fat feta cheese on top and toss with your favorite dressing.

Balsamic Vinegar Reduction:
Total Calories: 60

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Pour the balsamic vinegar into the same skillet that you cooked the turkey bacon in. On low heat allow the balsamic vinegar to reduce a little and then become a glaze. Drizzle on top of the salad and it will help wilt down the spinach a little.

Salt and pepper to taste! If you want it to be lower in calories you can leave out the avocado and that cuts out about 130 calories! Hope you guys like it!