It's easy to make, yummy, spicy and filling. Great for a hot meal on a cold day. :D

It's also pretty healthy for you because it's made from all fresh ingredients. Yay!

Step 1: What You'll Need!

Ingredients

2 jalapenos
about a pound of tomatoes - 3 medium ones, 7-8 small ones, or a 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes.
one onion
garlic to taste, I used 5 cloves.
chicken stock - 2 to 6 cups.
2-3 chicken breasts or 5-6 tenderloins (skinless, boneless.)
cumin, chili powder, coriander
2 limes
an avocado (optional)
14 oz. can black beans
2 tbsp. of veggie/canola oil

Hardware

cutting board
large saucepan with lid
knife
stirring utensil

Step 2: Cut the Veggies and Prep the Beans and Chicken!

Roughly chop the onion.
Dice the tomatoes - remember to let the weight of the knife slide right through them - pressing too hard or trying to saw through them won't work!
Mince the garlic.
Cut the tops off the jalapenos and then cut them in half lengthwise and remove most of the membranes and seeds. I left in quite a bit - the more you leave, the spicier it'll be. Cut these to a small dice.

You'll need to wash the beans and then drain them. :)

Depending on what kind of chicken you're using, you'll need to do different things. If you're using frozen, you'll need to rinse the ice off of them. If you're using fresh, trim off any excess fat. Set the chicken aside on paper towels.

Step 3: Cooking the Veggies!

Add a couple of tablespoons of vegetable/canola oil to the pan and set in over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for a few minutes, until they begin to soften and turn translucent.

Then, throw in the jalapenos and cook those for a minute or so, and then chuck in the garlic. Stir this around until you really start to smell it, and then dump in the tomatoes and all their juice and the beans.

Step 4: Add Stock, Water, Spices and Chicken!

You can use up to six cups of stock, but I didn't have that much on hand. I only had about two cups leftover from my homemade turkey stock. :(

You'll need six cups of liquid total!

Bring this up to a boil and dump in your chicken. :D

Now, turn the heat down to low and add your spices. I added 1 tbsp. of cumin, and a tsp. of both chili powder and coriander... I think. I always eyeball it. If you're unsure, add less at first and then up it at the end after taste testing. :D

You'll let this simmer, covered, for 20-25 minutes. I went with 20 minutes since I was using tenderloins.

Step 5: Shredding the Chicken and Final Touches.

Once it's simmered for 20-25 minutes, turn off the heat and pull out the chicken.

Put the chicken on a plate and let it rest/cool while you tweak the spices. Add salt and pepper to taste, and more spices if needed. I added more cumin because I love the way it smells.

Roll the limes under your palm and cut them in half. Juice them directly into the pot and stir.

Now, get out a fork. Use it to shred the chicken into bite size pieces and then return it to the pot to reheat.

Cut up some avocado and parsley or cilantro to go on top and eat! Or, you can skip that. But I think it makes it even tastier. :D

If nothing else, use those teeny little tortilla chips from the bottom of the bag. :P