Like the rest of the country, Ohio has witnessed a cold, bitter winter that has brought us a couple snow days, several frigid mornings, and lots of cozy warm fires. Nothing pairs better with wintery weather than a hot bowl of nourishing soup. With all the ups and downs of this past year, comfort food seems to fill our tummies and energize our minds.
As most of you know, we have been following the SCD
(Specific Carbohydrate Diet) for almost six years! It's hard to believe it' been so long. While we have always lived a healthy life; this clean, healthy lifestyle diet has become second nature in our home. Most days, I don't even think twice. I just prep, cook, bake, clean, repeat. And, thankfully, my son has remained healthy and remission.
Unfortunately, this past year (starting over the summer in 2020) has brought a few bumps in the road. While we have always followed SCD strictly, we have added in some foods with no problems. We have successfully added plantains, cocoa powder, oats, potatoes and sweet potatoes. No rice for us, my so has noticed it bothers his stomach. We try to eat these foods in moderation, but "try" can be hard for an active, soccer-playing, growing teenager. Over the summer we had a few days with severe stomachaches. Lab-work in August did come back slightly elevated, but not enough to cause major concern with our GI. At this same time, our son had an infected wisdom tooth and all four came out with surgery, which could easily have caused the inflammation that appears in his bloodwork. Fast forward to today, and we have still had a day here and there with stomach pain. Today we followed up with another round of labs and I am very anxious to see those results.
So, for now, it's lots of comfort food that is well-cooked, full of nutrients and one hundred percent SCD compliant. Brace yourself for several more soup and stew recipes! They are always our go-to when we have set backs with Crohn's disease.
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
SCD, Paleo*, Gluten-Free
yield: 8-10 servings
INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 cups navy beans, soaked for 24 hours and cooked*
5 cups bone broth or stock
1 large carrot, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
¼ cup green chilis, finely diced
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp oregano
½ tsp chili powder
Salt & pepper
1 can coconut milk
Juice from 1 lime
¼ cup parmesan, grated* (omit to make dairy-free)
Garnish Ingredients:
Homemade yogurt* (omit to make dairy-free)
Lime slices
Avocado
Watermelon radish
Jalapeños
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Place the chicken in the bottom of the Instant Pot and then add the broth, onion, carrots, green chilis and spices. Stir to combine and then secure the lid.
2. Use the Pressure setting, select Custom for 25 minutes.
3. When done release the steam and remove the lid. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and using two forks, shred the chicken. Add it back into the soup and turn the Insta Pot to the Warm setting.
4. Add the beans, coconut milk, lime juice and parmesan. Stir to combine.
5. Serve with desired garnishes for a hearty, healthy winter meal!
*A couple notes on beans:
If you follow SCD or struggle with IBD/IBS or any gastrointestinal issues, it is important to follow a few steps when preparing beans. To make these beans more digestible, soak them for 24 hours prior to cooking. Allowed beans/legumes on the SCD diet include dried navy beans, lentils, peas, split peas, kidney beans, black beans and lime beans. No canned beans. I like to soak my beans in large batches, cook and then freeze for easy use with meals.
*If you follow a Paleo lifestyle, omit the navy beans in this recipe and use chopped sweet potatoes or Japanese sweet potatoes instead.
Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the recipe. I will try it.
Thank you!! Keep me posted own how it turns out :)
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