Bariatric Foodie

Panera Knock-Off: Nik’s “Something Chicken Stew”

Servings	Prep Time
4bowls (depending on your eating capacity)	10minutes

Cook Time

5hours

Servings	Prep Time
4bowls (depending on your eating capacity)	10minutes

Cook Time

5hours

Ingredients

2 chicken breastspre-marinated in Italian seasoning
6cups assorted vegetables, chopped(I used tomatoes, asparagus, red peppers, zucchini and onion)
1tsp minced garlic
1tsp Mediterranean seasoning
1tsp lemon juice
4cups water
1-2tbsp tomato paste
2cups cooked quinoa or couscous
1/4cup sliced almondsfor garnish
Salt and pepperto taste

Instructions

Put everything exept tomato paste in the crockpot and set it on low for about 4 hours. Then go do something fun (yes, this is a legit part of the recipe).
By the time you come back your chicken should be cooked through. With a pair of tongs, move it to a cutting board and dice it into pieces of your desired size. Put the chicken back into the crockpot.
Taste the broth and adjust the seasonings as you see fit (I added a dash of oregano at this point but otherwise the seasoning was spot on). Stir the tomato paste into the hot liquid until incorporated. Let that go about another 30-40 minutes.
To serve: place a small amount of couscous/quinoa/rice/whatever in a bowl. Ladle some stew on top of it (for your portion, you get to choose how much broth, as I know some folks worry about taking in liquids and solids together). Top with sliced almonds and enjoy!