Crock Pot Shredded Chicken "Tacos" with Guacamole

You gotta love a low-maintenance, “set-it-and-forget-it” meal.  When I have a lot of things going on, my crock pot is such a life saver!  If you don’t have one, you need to get one; because it doesn’t get much simpler than throwing a bunch of stuff in a pot in the morning and ending up with a fully cooked meal by dinnertime.  It’s multitasking at it’s finest!  I mean, you can cook and not even be in the room.  How cool is that?...Ok, maybe I’m just a bit of a dork, but I think it’s pretty neat.  (And yes, I just used the word “neat.” We have already acknowledged my quirkiness, thank you.)  

I’ve also come to realize that things like taco shells, pasta, and pizza crusts are totally over-rated.  They only taste good because the things you put on them taste good.  So, why not just use a more healthful and nutrient-dense “taco shell” like a cabbage leaf?  It serves the same function as a taco shell (crunchiness included) and increases your vegetable consumption. Bam! Just killed two birds with one head of cabbage (cuz I made chicken, get it?).  See, I thought that was pretty funny; but sometimes I get the feeling that when people laugh at my jokes they are actually laughing at how lame my jokes are.  But that’s ok.  I’ll take what I can get… Enjoy!

(Oh, and by the way, the best “cracker” ever is a crispy piece of bacon.  You haven’t lived until you’ve eaten a strip of bacon topped with sliced avocado.  Genius!)

Shredded Chicken “Tacos”

Ingredients:

• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup salsa
• 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
• 1-2 cloves garlic, peeled
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
• 2 Tablespoons lime juice
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
• 3 pounds of chicken breast (bone in, skin on)
• ½ medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 head red cabbage
• chopped tomatoes and cilantro (for garnish)

Directions:

1. Add the water, salsa, tomato paste, garlic, spices, lime juice, and jalapeño to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  Taste and add seasoning if desired.
2. Place the chicken breasts in a crock pot and pour the salsa mixture over it followed by the chopped onions.  Cook on low for 6 hours until chicken is tender and shreds easily.
3. Remove skin and shred the chicken off of the bone.  (I added the skin back in to the shredded chicken, because I like the flavor it adds).  Mix with some of the remaining juices and onions left in the crock pot, and serve on cabbage leaves topped with guacamole (recipe below), chopped tomatoes, and cilantro.

Guacamole

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe avocados
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 2 Tablespoons salsa

Directions:

1. In a bowl, mash the avocado using a fork.
2. Add remaining ingredients and stir until creamy

This is my everyday, go-to guacamole recipe.  Nothing fancy, but still delicious.