Healthy Eating for Bottomless Pits

My husband and I can put down some serious food.  We both have a legit illness which I refer to as "constant hungriness."  Anyone else afflicted?
I love a good, thick, creamy stew on a cold January night--who doesn't?!   Yesterday, I set out to create the same rich satisfaction without all of the fat and calories.
I started out by searing some chicken breast in olive oil. When it was golden, I removed the chicken from the pot and added in a ton of veggies-onions, carrots, celery, cubed potatoes, and garlic--cooking them until they just started to soften. Next, I added raw quinoa and allowed it to toast for about a minute before deglazing the pan with some red wine and diced tomatoes and allowing it to evaporate for a few minutes. I then added chicken stock and bay leaf and put the chicken breast back into the pot.

I allowed this mixture to simmer just long enough for the chicken to cook through, for the vegetables to soften and for the quinoa to become tender.  I then removed the chicken, shredded it, and added it back to the stew.

My next challenge was to create a rich thickness without having to use butter, flour, or cream.  My trick is to puree a can of cannellini beans into a paste and stir it into the hot stew.  It really does create a nice creaminess without added fat or calories!

At this point, I seasoned the stew with salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes.

 

Finally, I added fresh spinach in at the very end for some greens.

For some added creaminess and tang, I topped the stew with fat free Greek yogurt.  It was seriously delicious, so healthy, and very satisfying.

I hope some of you can use these tips toward living a healthier lifestyle!