How did the name of this recipe get so long? All those words seemed relevant at the time... and still do, I guess. The recipe itself, however, is extremely short. It's only two steps and three ingredients—can't beat that. 

By the way, I hope you guys don't mind me sharing these super-easy non-recipes that I currently need to survive life with a small child. They aren't all that creative or pretty (I didn’t bother to photograph this one, LOL). But these meals are delicious, healthy and take very little effort.

For the first few weeks after you have a baby, people bring you so much food and it is so absolutely wonderful not having to think about your next meal (because you usually have only 120 seconds to eat it before the baby needs you again). We have the most amazing friends and family who helped us out So. Much. (I swear, my mother-in-law would show up with no less than six containers of food on an almost daily basis.)

Around the time Nilou hit the one-month mark, my husband and I realized our fridge was empty again and we finally needed to figure out our own food like grown-ups so that night I cooked this chicken stew.

PSYCH!

I didn't do anything like that. We definitely ordered delivery that night and several nights after that to avoid cooking.

But later in the week with an inbox of Postmates delivery fees and while covered in spit-up, I defrosted some chicken, found a jar of salsa in the pantry and a bag of frozen kale in the freezer and made this stew.

This is hardly a recipe revelation—anyone who owns a crockpot has done a thing exactly like this. But regardless, it was really good. Like, good enough to make it many times over the last year and share it on the blog despite how embarrassingly boring it is. 

Someday, I promise I'll get back in the kitchen for more than ten minutes and make something less boring and maybe even photograph it. In the meantime though, this kinda thing is what's for dinner. And breakfast and lunch because there's no time for anything else.

3-Ingredient Paleo Slow-Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken Stew

serves 4 | paleo, whole30, gluten-free, dairy-free recipe

Ingredients

• 16 oz medium salsa verde (I like the Roasted Verde Salsa from Whole Foods' 365 brand)

• 1.5 lbs boneless-skinless chicken thighs

• 1 lb frozen cut spinach or kale

Instructions

1. Put the chicken and the salsa into the slow-cooker and cook on high for 4 hours.

2. About 30-60 minutes before you’re planning to eat, add the spinach or kale into the crockpot, stir and let everything heat up thoroughly again. (You can add the greens at the start as well.)

3. Serve on top of (cauliflower) rice or a baked sweet potato with whatever condiments you like (cilantro, chopped white onions, pickled red onions, etc.). Cilantro-Lime Crema, perhaps?

Notes

• Take liberties on the salsa—use whatever kind you want. Obviously, store-bought salsa verde is going to vary quite a bit in ingredients and flavor and spice level from brand to brand.

• For extra credit, add additional frozen veggies.

• Add broth and make this into more of a chili verde situation if you prefer.

photo via Unsplash