Crock-Pot Chicken and Rutabaga Greens Stew

January 12, 2012 By Leanne Vogel December 3, 2015

Cold weather has hit Alberta. Over the past couple of months I tried to remind myself that the Spring-like weather was a treat for us in January. I had hoped that maybe, just maybe, we wouldn’t experience Winter this year. But as luck would have it, the temperature plummeted from 59F to -13F in the span of a couple of hours, snow fell, wind crashed against the house, and Pebbles nearly froze to the deck when I let her out to play in the backyard yesterday morning. No good.

Crockpot Chicken and Rutabaga Greens Stew (4)

On the bright side – cold weather means lazy meals, naps, and more potatoes. A girl can never have too many root vegetables, I tell ya. This recipe was supposed to be a segue into my next Healthful Hints video focused on healthy winter eating, but my recording software broke last week and I haven’t had any success in figuring out how to fix it. So, until then… just know that cold weather = stews, root veggies, and additional fats. And hey, this recipe has all of that!

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Plus kelp. Kelp isn’t really a ‘winter food’ per sae, but it’s loaded with antioxidants that help to strengthen your immune system! Something many of us could use a bit more of during the cold (read: ridiculously freezing) months of the year. So, let’s just go on the record and say that we’re adding sea vegetables to the ‘foods to eat in the winter’ list and big out on some stew. ;)

Crock-Pot Chicken and Rutabaga Greens Stew

Author: Leanne Vogel

Recipe type: Gluten free, Dairy free, Sugar free, Corn free, Grain free

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 5 hours

Total time: 5 hours 10 mins

Serves: 8

There’s nothing like coming home to a warm bowl of stew on a blustery day. This Crock-Pot creation is packed with nutritious greens, lean protein, and the immune supporting benefits of sea veggies. Each serving comes in just under 200 calories. Serve it with gluten-free sprouted bread, a serving of rice, or increase the fat of the stew by adding coconut oil to each individual serving.

Ingredients

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 cups rutabaga, cut into 1-inch pieces (approx. 1 large rutabaga)
2 large carrots, cut into ¼-inch thick discs
2 cups kale, chopped (approx. 1 bunch)
1 small yellow onion, peeled and sliced
1 orange pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 corn-free, gluten-free chicken bouillon cube dissolved in 2 cups water *see note
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kelp flakes or 2 teaspoon braggs Sea Kelp Delight
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon herbamare or sea salt
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Combine first 7 ingredients at the bottom of your slow cooker.
In a separate large bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Stir to mix and then pour over top of the ingredients in the slow cooker.
Do not stir. Cover. Cook on low for 9 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.
Serve as is, or sprinkle additional kelp flakes over top.

Notes

If you prefer stock, there are a lot of great gluten-free chicken stocks out there. Harvest Sun is a company that produces gluten-free, corn free chicken bouillon as well as gluten-free, yeast-free vegetable bouillon. I used the chicken boullion, but either one will work for this recipe.

View Nutritional Information (once on page scroll down)

Crockpot Chicken and Rutabaga Greens Stew (2)

Each time I make a Crock-Pot meal I’m reminded just how much I love them, then get upset with myself for not relying on them more. It’s an absolute treat to come home to a healthy, warm meal that makes your house smell like you’ve been hard at work in the kitchen all day! After the stew had settled in my tummy, I took my new pal for a ride… Look at how gorgeous she is!

I’ve dreadfully missed my morning workouts since I switched over to CrossFit a couple of months ago. Problem was I didn’t like the idea of joining a second gym just so I could jump on a machine for 30 minutes a day. After searching for what seemed like forever, I managed to find a sweet deal on Life Fitness machines at Apple Fitness in Calgary. I had originally set my eyes on a treadmill, but with outdoor running season being all but one or two months out of the year, it didn’t really make sense for me to limit myself to running indoors. I also toyed around with getting a StairMaster or something similar, but was blown away at the cost of them! My elliptical paired with my Bodyrock.TV gear, and I’ve created a perfect little gym in our house! Do you enjoy working out at home? If so, what’s your favorite program or routine?

This entry was tagged: chicken, stew