In a month where the heart is the focus, these recipes feature ingredients to help keep your heart healthy—fresh fruit, lean proteins, healthy fats, whole grains, fiber, herbs and spices. These dishes prove that you don’t have to sacrifice flavor when eating healthy foods. — Merritt Bates-Thomas
Owensboro’s Merritt Bates-Thomas is a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) who has been sharing recipes with a healthier twist on WBKR-FM 92.5’s What’s Cooking since 2017. In May 2023, she joined ABC 25 Local Lifestyles to share recipes and tips for flavorful cooking. She also appears on CW7’s Daybreak Extra’s “Joe’s Kitchen.” You can follow her on Instagram @thekitchentransition.
Serves 8
1 cooked chicken, boned + shredded (can stew chicken or use store-bought rotisserie chicken)
2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 poblano peppers, seeded and diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
1½ teaspoons chili powder
8 cups chicken broth or 2 32-ounce cartons low-sodium chicken broth or stock
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/3 cup chopped cilantro, plus extra for garnish
6 fresh corn tortillas, cut into strips
Shredded colby jack cheese or cotija cheese, for garnish
Salsa verde, for garnish
1. Stew chicken in a Dutch oven over medium heat until cooked. Internal temperature should be 165 degrees. Strain chicken broth/stock, if desired. Skin, bone and shred chicken and return it to Dutch oven.
2. Heat avocado oil in a skillet and sauté peppers, onion and garlic.
3. Add sautéed vegetables, cumin, black pepper, chili powder, chicken broth, tomatoes, tomato paste and cilantro to pot with chicken.
4. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer 30-45 minutes for flavors to blend.
5. Serve with selection of garnishes.
Note: I stew my own chicken and use the stock to make the soup.