Chicken Tortilla Soup

This was a delicious and easy crockpot soup! I got the recipe from my co-worker, and am posting the original below, along with my changes.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Makes 6 Servings

4 cooked chicken breasts, shredded

1 garlic clove (I added 2)

2 tbsp margarine (I used 1 tbsp olive oil)

2- 14.5 oz. cans chicken broth

2- 14.5 oz. cans chopped stewed tomatoes and juice (I used 2 cans of diced tomatoes and juice)

1 cup salsa – hot, medium, or mild – your preference

1/2 cup chopped cilantro (I used 1/4 cup because we’re not big cilantro eaters)

1 tbsp cumin

8 oz cubed monterey jack cheese

sour cream

tortilla chips

rice (optional)

Directions

– Add minced garlic and margarine to the crockpot and saute

– Add chicken broth, tomatoes, salsa, cilantro, chicken and cumin; stir

– Cover and cook on low for 8 – 10 hours

– Divid cubed cheese into soup bowls and ladle soup over

– Add dollop of sour cream and serve with chips

Changes

– I used shredded cheese, and added it on top of the soup

– To make the soup more substantial, I served it over brown rice

 

 

Herb-Rubbed Chicken with Creamy Orzo

I wasn’t 100% sold on this dish as I was cooking it — but it was a real winner! The flavors are simple, but come together beautifully. I chopped the chicken and mixed it with the orzo, but you could plate it with a whole chicken breast to make it a little fancier 🙂

Herb-Rubbed Chicken with Creamy Orzo

(Annie’s Eats)

8 oz. orzo pasta, uncooked
2 chicken breasts, butterflied into halves (4 pieces total)
Salt and pepper
2 tsp. Herbes de Provence (I made a homemade version here)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped (I used onion)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, with juices
2 cups broccoli florets
½ cup heavy cream
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
– Bring a saucepan of salted water to boil.  Add the orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, about 10 minutes.  Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water.

– Season both sides of the chicken breast halves with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle evenly with the Herbes de Provence.

– Heat the olive oil in a 12- or 14-inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken breast halves to the pan and cook about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown.  Reduce the heat to medium, add the shallot to the pan and sauté 2-3 minutes.

– Add the garlic and sauté an additional minute, until fragrant.  Add the diced tomatoes with juices and the broccoli florets to the pan, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer over medium-low.  Cover and let cook until the broccoli florets are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes.

– Stir in the cooked orzo, heavy cream and Parmesan cheese.  Mix until well blended and the cheese has melted.

– If necessary, add some of the reserved pasta water to smooth out the sauce.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

– Serve immediately.

Grilled Buttermilk Chicken

This simple marinade was very tasty on the chicken! The garlic and paprika were subtle, and the buttermilk really made this chicken super-juicy.

I used boneless, skinless breasts and thighs because I had them in the freezer…I can only imagine the flavor is even better on bone-in chicken!

Grilled Buttermilk Chicken

(Health for the Whole Self)

Ingredients
1.5 cups buttermilk
8 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp paprika
1.5 tsp sea salt
3/4 tsp black pepper
6 lbs bone-in chicken pieces

Directions

–  In a medium bowl, combine buttermilk, garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper.

– Place buttermilk mixture and chicken in a large plastic bag (you might need 2), and marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or overnight. Turn bag occasionally.

–  Heat grill to medium-low. Remove chicken from plastic bag and grill – covered and turning occasionally – for about 40 minutes, or until cooked through.

Chicken Meatball Subs

These chicken meatballs are absolutely delicious. I had them as subs, as well as with pasta….delicious!

Highly, highly recommend these if you’re looking to do something a little different with your meatballs 🙂

Chicken Meatballs

(How Sweet It Is)

1 pound ground chicken

2 tablespoons whole wheat bread crumbs

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

– Heat skillet on medium heat. Add one tablespoon olive oil.

– Mix chicken with remaining ingredients. Form into meatballs about 1 1/2 inches thick. Brown in pan on all sides until cooked through, about 10 minutes.

– Makes about 8-10 meatballs.

Pasta Primavera

This was delicious — DH proclaimed it to be the best new meal in a long time (acknowledging that he rarely remembers meals from week to week!)

We added some grilled chicken (seasoned with salt, pepper, and italian seasoning) to this dish as well, because DH insists on meat in all dinners. 🙂

Pasta Primavera

(Food Network)

• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips
• 2 medium zucchini or 1 large zucchini, cut into thin strips
• 2 yellow squash, cut into thin strips
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs or herbes de Provence
• 1 pound farfalle (bowtie pasta) — I used rotini because we had it
• 15 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

-Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

-On a large heavy baking sheet, toss all of the vegetables with the oil, salt, pepper, and dried herbs to coat. Transfer half of the vegetable mixture to another heavy large baking sheet and arrange evenly over the baking sheets. Bake until the carrots are tender and the vegetables begin to brown, stirring after the first 10 minutes, about 20 minutes total.

-Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

-Toss the pasta with the vegetable mixtures in a large bowl to combine. Toss with the cherry tomatoes and enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve immediately.

Stuffed Chicken Florentine

This was very good — but the first night we ate it, I thought the ‘florentine’ part needed something. Maybe some garlic??

I ate it as leftovers for lunch later in the week, and it was much more flavorful — maybe it just needed to sit? 🙂

We’ll be having it again!

Stuffed Chicken Florentine

(The Rookie Chef)

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

salt

pepper

1 TBSP vegetable oil

1/2 cup chopped onions

1/2 cup chopped mushrooms (I omitted)

1/2 of a 10 oz package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained

1/3 cup of ricotta cheese

Directions

– Place chicken breasts between two pieces of wax paper. Pound until thin and even with a meat mallet.

– Sprinkle both size with salt and pepper, set aside.

– Heat oven to 350 degrees

– In a large skillet, heat oil. Add onion and mushrooms; sautee until onion is transparent. Stir in spinach and cheese to form stuffing. Heat through.

– Spread stuffing evenly over each chicken breast. Roll up chicken.

– Now stick a skewer through it to hold it all together.

– Place chicken in a lightly greased 9 x 9 pan. Cover with tin foil and bake 15 minutes; uncover and bake an additional 10 minute

– Remove the skewer and enjoy!

Lemon Roasted Chicken

This was delicious and super-easy. I actually made it on a Sunday, and then just refrigerated it in the casserole dish with the marinade juices until Tuesday (when we ate it). I covered it with foil and re-heated it while I was cooking the baked garlic rice pilaf and everything was done at the same time.

Perfect!

I’m not normally a “fresh herbs” snob, but this dish definitely needs the fresh herbs. It’s really delicious, and just fancy enough looking that you could probably serve it to company and wow them. LOL

Enjoy! We did!

Lemon Roasted Chicken

(Annie’s Eats)
2 tbsp. lemon zest
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves, finely minced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
2-4 lbs. of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or drumsticks (I used a whole cut-up chicken)
2-3 tbsp. melted butter
Thinly sliced lemons, for garnished

Directions
– Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper in a large zipper-lock plastic bag.  Seal the bag and shake well to blend.

– Place the chicken pieces in the bag with the marinade, pressing out excess air and sealing once more.

– Refrigerate and let marinate for 2 hours.

– Preheat the oven to 425˚ F.  Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and transfer to a baking dish, skin-side up, reserving the leftover marinade.  Brush the top of each piece of chicken with melted butter.

– Bake for 50-55 minutes, until the skins are crispy and well-browned.  Halfway through baking, pour the remaining marinade over the chicken pieces in the baking dish.  Once fully baked, cover loosely with foil and let rest 10 minutes before serving.

– Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with lemon slices and serve.

Breakfast Chicken Sausage Patties

This chicken sausage patty recipes has made the rounds — but that’s because it’s really that good!

I make a batch of these, cook them, and freeze them with waxed paper between them. Then, if I’m hungry for a breakfast sandwich I just pull one out of the freezer and reheat it in the microwave and add it to my sandwich!

Using all white meat ground chicken also keeps the health stats on this one rather good: 1 (1 oz) patty only has 40.9 calories, 1.2 grams of fat, but still 6.6 grams of protein! Score!

Breakfast Sausage Patties

(elly says opa!)

**Makes 16 1-oz. patties, or 8 2-oz. patties

1 lb. ground chicken
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
1/2  to 3/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
heaping 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
about 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 garlic clove, finely mincced or pressed
1/2 Tbsp. maple syrup (the real deal folks — not Aunt Jemima!)
2-3 tsp. olive oil

Directions

– Lightly mix all ingredients except the oil together until the herbs/spices are well incorporated – make sure you don’t over mix

– Divide the mixture into 4 equal parts, and then make 4 (or 2, for 2-oz. patties) patties from each part.

– Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat and add 1 tsp. of oil.

–  Put 1/3 or 1/2 of the patties (depending how big your pan is and how much space your patties take up) into the pan and cook about 2 minutes per side or until browned and cooked through.

-Repeat with the next 1-2 batches, adding an additional teaspoon of olive oil per batch.

To Freeze:

– Cool patties and wrap in waxed paper, place in a zip top bag and freeze. To eat, remove from freezer and reheat in microwave (it doesn’t take long….30 seconds to a minute?)

*Ground chicken breast will make a leaner patty, but  dark (or a mixture of white and dark) meat will make a tastier patty. Nutritional information for both is as follows:

Using all white meat (per 1 oz. patty, using 3 tsp. oil): Calories: 40.9 / Fat: 1.2g / Saturated Fat: 0.2g / Carbs: 0.6g / Fiber: 0.1g / Protein: 6.6g

Using  dark meat (per 1 oz. patty, using 3 tsp. oil): Calories: 52 / Fat: 3.6g / Saturated Fat: 1.0g / Carbs: 0.6g / Fiber: 0.1g  / Protein: 5.2g

Creamy Taco Mac

This recipe was originally described as a “healthier” version of Hamburger Helper — but since it’s been so long since I’ve had Hamburger Helper, I don’t know if that’s correct! Ha!

This was tasty — we’d have it again in a heartbeat. I think it would be a hit with relatively picky eaters or kids…it tastes JUST ENOUGH like junk food to lure you in. 🙂

When you re-heat leftovers of this, you may need to add a small amount of water to it — it dries out quickly!

Creamy Taco Mac

(delish blog)

1.25 lbs ground meat (turkey, chicken, beef…pick your pleasure)
8 oz dry pasta + 1 cup reserved pasta water
1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes
1 packet mild taco seasoning
3 oz cream cheese  (can use low fat)
1/2 cup sour cream (can use low fat)
salt & pepper
cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions

– Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta per directions. Reserve one cup of pasta water

– Over medium heat, brown ground turkey until no longer pink. Add taco seasoning and diced tomatoes. Allow to simmer over low heat for 5 minutes

– Add cooked pasta, reserved water, cream cheese and sour cream

– Give it a good stir until cheeses are melty and incorporated.  Simmer over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt & pepper, as desired

– Top off with cheddar cheese

Fried Rice

We don’t normally eat “make it at home” Chinese food because it is simply never as good as the Chinese restaurant stuff. (Must be all that MSG? haha)

Regardless, I periodically want to try another recipe. This time I decided to try fried rice…it seemed pretty basic, so I thought it might come out a little better than our previous attempts at “Chinese at home”.

This recipe is phenomenal. The key really is cold rice, just as Joelen remarks on her page. I made the rice 2 days in advance and kept it in the fridge. I also made real ‘rice cooker’ rice, although I’m not sure if it would matter or if you could just cook up a package of minute rice. 🙂

I also cooked off my chicken (I just put it in foil packets with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder and baked at 375 for 45 minutes) and cubed it in advance. This meant the meal took me a whopping 15 minutes to put together on the evening we ate it.

Awesome. 🙂

Final thought: I doubled the recipe when we made it (original measurements are below) — it served two of us dinner, and easily two lunches, with that amount as an entree. I didn’t serve anything with it, but egg rolls would be delicious!

Try this soon! We’ll be adding it to our rotation meals, and I’m dying to try it with pork, shrimp, etc!

Fried Rice

(Joelen’s Culinary Adventures)

1 cup leftover meats – pork, chicken, beef, seafood
1-2 eggs
3-4 cloves minced garlic
1/2 onion finely diced
3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup chopped vegetables (fresh or frozen) — Add whatever your family will eat. I added frozen peas/carrots mixture this time, but next time I’ll DEFINITELY add sugar snap peas and some of those mini corn cobs
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1-2 tablespoons light or dark soy sauce
1-2 cups prepared rice, cold
Directions

– In a hot skillet or wok, heat oil (I used a large ‘chicken cooker’ with sides, as I don’t own a wok)
– Add garlic and onions & stir, then add leftover meats of your choice, chopped up in bite sized pieces
– Stir fry meats until you get them a bit crispy, then push the meats aside and crack eggs into the pan
– Scramble the eggs into the pan until cooked
– Add cold rice over the eggs & meat into the pan, making sure to crumble it in your fingers. (Dumping a large chunk of rice is not going to work here. You need to crumble it so it separates nicely)
– Add salt, pepper, onion & garlic powders and soy sauce; toss
– Allow the rice to heat up and absorb the spices and soy sauce, tossing to help it along
– Add the fresh or frozen veggies and toss into the rice
– Continue cooking it all on high heat until rice is heated through and veggies are cooked