Coconut Lime Chicken Soup + A Squat Christmas Tree

This will be me and Ryan's third Christmas together in an apartment, and we finally have a real Christmas tree!

I love our awkward little tree :)

It may only be 2 1/2 feet tall and has to sit on a stool, but that's okay :) We didn't want a big tree just yet. A real tree would be a bit of a hassle and we don't have any place to store a fake tree in our little apartment, so a squat little pine tree made for the perfect compromise. It's also too tiny for a star, so I added a gold bow :)

Now let's talk about food!

Last night I made a Coconut Lime Chicken Soup, using the recipe from Paleo Leap as a starting point. 

If you have a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, this is a super quick meal. I guess I wanted to make things more difficult because I started with uncooked chicken. You'll need two pounds. I used one pound of chicken breasts and one pound of chicken thighs, but it really doesn't matter which type of meat you use.

First, season your chicken. I seasoned mine with curry, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Then, bake the chicken in the oven at 375 for 30 minutes. Let the chicken cool, and then shred it with a fork. While the chicken cooks, you can prepare the veggies. You'll need one up of shredded broccoli, one cup of shredded kale, and 3 medium shredded carrots. (I used the food processor to shred the broccoli and carrots.)

In a stock pot or dutch oven, pour in all ingredients: 1/4 cup lime juice, 15 ounces of coconut milk, 3 cups of chicken stock, seasonings (salt & pepper, curry powder, cinnamon, ginger, chili powder, paprika, xylitol, and chili garlic sauce), chicken, broccoli, kale, and carrots.

Stir ingredients well and bring soup to a boil. Cover pot and allow soup to simmer for about 20 minutes. 

Serve and Enjoy!

Here's a more compact/detailed recipe:

Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
• 1 cup shredded broccoli
• 1 cup shredded kale
• 3 medium carrot sticks, shredded
• 15 ounces of coconut milk
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 3/4 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons xylitol (for sweetness. you can also add regular sugar or honey instead)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
• Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

(For uncooked chicken: Preheat oven to 375. Season chicken with curry powder, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Shred chicken.)

Combine all ingredients in a dutch oven or stock pot. Bring soup to a boil. Then, allow to simmer for about 20 minutes. Taste occasionally and add spices as needed. Serve and enjoy!

Question: Do you decorate for the holidays? What's your favorite decoration?

Good night!