Mexican Chicken Stew

Believe it or not I just experienced my first ever "professional" full body massage. At my school, the massage therapy program has a clinic that gives them for only $10....don't mind if I do! Let me tell you, I will now be getting one at the end of every quarter...a...ma...zing...

This quarter has been particularly stressful so the massage was the perfect ending to the last week of classes. This is a bit crazy, I know, but one of my teachers offered to drop our lowest quiz grade to get one of these massages...if that doesn't tell you you have a stressful major, I don't know what does...

I think people would be shocked to learn how much pressure and stress is involved with being an American Sign Language interpreter. I would have never imagined it would be like this. Though I am incredibly stressed out all the time, I still love it. I just hope I can last throughout the rest of the program. I have confidence with regular excercise, a boyfriend who picks me up when I'm down, baking/cooking/lotsa' eatin, and now quarterly massages, that I will make it.

Crossing my fingers at least!

Hope everyone is having a good Mardi Gras week! Unfortunately I haven't had even a minute to make something special for it...sorry :(

In slightly good news, the weather is slowly creeping back to being tolerable though today was particularly cold and nasty. It's incredibly gray and cold but let me tell you, this soup will warm you right up. This is the kind of soup you could eat cozied up on the couch wearing your thickest socks and comfiest blanket or out on the porch enjoying the sun with a margarita (can't wait for those days...eek!)

Aka, this soup is yum...and always will be...

Mexican Chicken Stew
Adapted from Foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
4 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 jalapenos, 1 seeded and both sliced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried cumin
1 (28-ounce) can chopped fire-roasted tomatoes
2 medium-large chicken breasts
Few dashes Worcestershire sauce
3 to 4 cups chicken stock
1 lime
1 cup brown rice
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 chipotle in adobo sauce chopped
Sea salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
Fat-free sour cream, for garnish
Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
Whole grain tortilla chips, for garnish

Directions:

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeno and sweat until soft and translucent. Add spices and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant and aromatic. Add tomatoes, chipotle,  chicken, rice, corn, black beans, Worcestershire, and stock.
Bring to a simmer and cook 20 minutes.

Cut the lime in half, squeeze juice into the pot, and then add the juiced halves as well.

Make sure chicken is thoroughly cooked. Pull out chicken and shred using two forks. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot. Season, to taste, with salt.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with sour cream, cilanto and whole grain tortilla chips.

*PS: Check out this neat article about my beloved city's good eats!