Jamaican Jerk Banana Soup

Modified Janet @ The Taste Space | Serves: 4 | Time: ~45 min

Ingredients

1 tbsp coconut oil 1 medium onion, chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed 1.5 cups chopped red bell pepper (I had some green bell pepper on hand, so I threw that in, too)

1 tbsp ginger

1 tbsp ancho chile pepper 2 tsp dried thyme 1 tsp ground allspice 1 tsp salt, or to taste 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 1/4 tsp ground cloves 3 cups vegetable broth (I always go homemade to reduce sodium) 1 (15 oz) can coconut milk (I went with lite coconut milk) 2 cups cooked #chickpeas aka #garbonzobeans 1 bay leaf 1 cup thinly sliced #carrots 2 ripe #bananas, peeled and sliced (I wanted to do #plantains, but the grocery store was out) 3 tbsp lime juice (1 lime) 1 tbsp coconut aminos, or to taste 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

Oddly enough, the as the banana cooks it gets a stringy texture, similar to that of crab soup. If you love Maryland crab soup, but want to save the Chesapeake, this might scratch that itch just enough.

Instructions

In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil. Once hot, add onion and saute for 5 minutes until translucent. Sprinkle with salt. Stir in garlic until fragrant, around 2 minutes more.

Stir in the red bell pepper, thyme, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, chile, broth/water, coconut milk, chickpeas, bay leaf and carrots. Raise heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Stir in the plantains, and cook an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the lime juice, coconut aminos, and green onion. Season to taste. Remove bay leaf prior to serving.

Make your meat eaters happy: sous vide up some Jamaican jerk chicken. Fill a large container with water and set your sous vide to 142 degrees fahrenheit. Cover 1.5 lbs of chicken breast with Penzey's Cajun seasoning. Add it to a ziploc bag with 1.5 tbsp of EVO and salt to taste. Dunk bag in the water to vacuum out all the air and seal the bag up. Let the sous vide do its magic for an hour and a half. Cut the chicken up and add to their individual bowls.

What I ate and drank today (06/25/2018)

80 oz of water

2 cups of decaf coffee

Toast with cannellini bean salad (includes tomatoes and cranberries)

Celery with almond butter

Roasted eggplant, zucchini, portabella mushroom sandwich on ciabatta with garlic hummus, arugula, olive relish, and a side salad from Northside Social Falls Church

1 IPA

1 cup of cinnamon Life with almond milk

#Jamaican jerk banana soup

Fruits and veggies of the day: tomatoes, cranberries, eggplant, zucchini, arugula, olives, radishes, onions, carrots, bell peppers, and bananas. ELEVEN!

Exercise

2 miles of walking

Strength training (arms and core)