Chicken and Rice Soup

Easy and so good! 

2 - 4 carrots peeled and chopped
2-4 celery stalks chopped
1 onion chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 c. rice (I use 1/2 c. brown and less chicken)
1 quart chicken broth
2 chicken breasts (cook before and shred into soup)

Chop carrots, celery and onion.  Heat olive oil over med-high heat.  Add vegetables, pepper and paprika.  Cook about 6-8 min.  Add rice and cook 1-2 min until ends of rice turn translucent.  Add 1 quart chicken broth and bring to boil.  Add shredded chicken and cover.  Serve when rice and vegetables fully cooked. 

Optional: mix in a little cream cheese or sour cream when serving and a little lemon juice

My new favorite tacos

I've never been a fan of ground beef - so Taco salad, tacos etc. have never been my favorite. But I love this recipe using ground turkey and beans and my kids love it too. We've used it for taco salads, tostadas, burritos etc. (I got this recipe from Jessica Seinfeld via Oprah....)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 pound ground turkey
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 can pinto beans (I use whatever I have red, kidney, black - just be sure to rinse them first)

Heat olive oil over med-high heat.  Add onion and cook (3-4 min).  Add turkey and cook (5-6 min). Stir in tomatoes, chili powder, salt and pepper and beans and continue to cook, stirring until heated through. 

Eat with chips, tortillas, or taco shells and top with salsa, lettuce, avacado, cheese, sour cream, olives, fresh tomatoes etc.

Chicken Spinach Pasta Salad

I love this recipe.  I don't stick to the quantities closely and add more or less of whatever I want.  By the time I've added more of everything I like, there is no bowl in the house large enough for this salad.  (It does make a lot.  But we've never had a problem finishing it.)  It's a favorite in the summer.  Perfect for outdoor parties with the neighbors. 

5 Cups chicken (approx 3 grilled chicken breasts)
2 Cups of grapes (I use red grapes cut in half so their easier to fork)
2 Cups celery
7 - 9 oz. pasta (I use the spirals or bow-ties and rinse immediately after cooking so it doesn't stick)
1 jar artichoke hearts
3-5 green onions chopped
1/2 c. toasted and slivered almonds

Dressing:  1/2 c. oil, 1 tsp. lemon juice, 1/4 c. sugar (I use less), 2 TBL parsley, 2 TBL white wine vinegar (I use whatever I have), 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. dried onion

Eat at room temperature

Thai Chicken Soup

This is another good one that I have tested.  Again, I used a rotisserie chicken and I couldn't find rice noodles at the store so I used Japanese Udon noodles.  The only problem was I had to add a lot more juice because the noodles soaked up so much liquid.  I also added lemon grass.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/thai-chicken-soup-recipe/index.html

Meal Ideas

Sarah pretty much covered most of the meals I make.  I can only add a few.

Stuffed Peppers

Thai Chicken Soup

Tortilla Soup

Brocolli Cheese Soup

Pita Pockets (good for the summer, garbanzo beans, sprouts, turkey, cheese, cucumbers)

Beef Stew

Stuffed Pasta (from Costco in the frozen food section, you need meals like this every now and then)

Lasagna

Orange Chicken (also from Costco)

Sour kraut, Sausage and Potatoes

Cafe Rio Pork Salads

Rice with Meatballs

Enchiladas

Burritos

Homemade Pizza

Taco Salad

Grilled Cheese and tomato soup

Grilled Sandwiches-Ham, Sliced Apple, Apricot Jam, Sharp White Cheddar Cheese in between ciabatta bread. 

Grilled Sandwiches-Turkey, Swiss, and Cranberry Dressing in between ciabatta bread.

Stir-Fry with veggies and Tofu or Chicken

Spaghetti and meatballs

Butternut squash soup

BLTs

Cafe Rio Salads-ish

I have now made these recipes twice, except I haven't followed the pork recipe but I will next time. It is a lot of work so if you live near a Cafe Rio I would just go and buy one and enjoy it.  For those of us who are not so fortunate it is fun every once and awhile. This recipe will feed you more than once

http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/2007/11/jared-and-i-love-cafe-rio.html#uds-search-results

Chicken Tortilla Soup

It is always hard to sort through all of the recipes on line.  This one has been tested twice now and Jake and I are both fans and it is pretty easy to make.  I only put 1 jalapeño in it though and shredded a rotisserie chicken instead of putting in the chicken breasts. This is worth a try.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rescue-chef/chicken-tortilla-soup-recipe/index.html

Meal planning... YES!!

Ok, my plan for planning dinners is working!
First night: turkey reubens and red cabbage cole slaw

YYYYUUUUUUUUUUUM!

We went to the market tonight and got food for over 5-10 dinners. I mean the stuff for reubens alone will feed us for 2 more meals. I'm excited. Can you tell?

-Sarahsvb

Meal planning?

My guy and i always have issues with dinner. "what do you want to have tonight?" "i don't know. What do you want to have?" Now with a baby it has gotten even more difficult to eat well, healthy, and fast. I've decided to plan better. Here is a list of the meals we eat often and feel comfortable preparing quickly (or in advance). I'd love to see yours!


MEALS!

salmon with...
chicken with...
Pork chops with...
pasta puttanesca
roasted veggies 
chili
tacos/ taco salad
burritos
chicken tortilla soup
enchiladas
pho
rice noodle stir fry
veggie tofu stir fry
pancakes
omelettes
eggs and toast
french toast
lasagna
fattouch salad
Loaded baked potatoes
Reubens
sushi
thai coconut curry
Indian paneer tikka masala
butternut squash soup
cheesy roasted cauliflower/broccoli
homemade pizzas
quesadillas
Spaghetti w/ marinara
Caesar salad
Salad with...

Salad stuff:
-Spinach, romaine, spring mix, iceberg
-Goat cheese, feta, blue cheese, romano
-Strawberries, craisins, mandarins, apples
-Chicken, buffalo strips, salmon, can tuna/chicken, sauteed onions
-Tomatoes, red onion, seeds, croutons, cucumber, carrot, radish

sides:
edamame
Fries
Tater tots
rice medley
cous cous
scalloped potatoes
sweet potatoes
Baked potatoes
Soy-cotash
roasted veggies
green bean casserole
Mini salad
polenta
brown rice
jasmine rice
orzo
Pasta
Pasta salad
Bruchetta
Mashed potatoes
Mashed sweet potatoes

Cozy Broccoli-Cheddar Soup

Jake and I often find ourselves ordering broccoli-cheddar soup from a nearby restaurant so I decided to try and make my own.  I found this recipe on foodnetwork.com and it was quite delicious. Jake and I both give it a 10.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/almost-famous-broccoli-cheddar-soup-recipe/index.html

creamy cauliflower curry (indian-ish)

i'm attempting to be vegan right now, but add whatever you want (i.e. chicken, real milk, whatev.). i made this for dinner last night.

1/2 tsp olive oil
3 C cauliflower pieces
1 small onion, sliced
1/2 C frozen peas

sauce (separate pan):
1 1/2 C rice milk
1 T grated ginger
1 T grated garlic
1 T yellow curry powder
1 tsp raw sugar or agave nectar
1/2 tsp flaxseed meal or 1 T arrowroot (thickener)

saute' the onion and cauliflower in the olive oil for a few minutes (you want a little color). add 1/4 C. of water and cover. allow to simmer until the cauliflower is slightly tender, but not mushy. while that is simmering in a separate pan add all of the sauce ingredients except the thickening agent. simmer for 5 minutes and assess the thickness. if you're using regular milk it may cook down and not need a thickener, rice milk will definitely need it. when the sauce is thicker than when you started add it and the frozen peas to the cauliflower pan. cook for another 5 minutes, uncovered, and serve over rice. serves 2-3

*quick tip* i like to make 4-6 cups of brown rice and/or quinoa once a week and keep it in the fridge. that way for a recipe like this, you just heat up some rice and throw this over it!

Basil Fettuccine in Fresh Tomatoes

So, I thought I might try something different.  I bought Japanese Style Noodles (Nasoya).  I made one of the recipes on the back that I had the ingredients for and was quite pleased.  I admit the recipe isn't the healthiest but the basil and tomatoes together are very tasty.

After you boil the noodles and rinse them off with cold water you just add:
1/4 C whipping cream
1/3 C fresh, finely chopped basil
2 Tbs. melted butter (the not so healthy part, I am sure you could substitute something else)
2 Tbs. olive oil
3 medium tomatoes cut into 1/2" cubes
1 C Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste.

Peach Cobbler

My mom always makes the most delicious peach cobbler but she doesn't use recipes so I it is difficult to ask her how to make it.  I found this on Sunday and made it and it was delicious but of course not as good as my moms and never will be. There is something about your mother's cooking.  Maybe Ellie will like my peach cobbler some day thanks to Paula Deen. 

We ran out of peaches so we made up for it with strawberries which I knew could either be very good or very bad.  Jake said it turned out very good and he it my best critic.

I also didn't have self-rising flour so I found out how to make it by Googling it.

http://southernfood.about.com/cs/breads/ht/self_rise_flour.htm

It was easy to make and will be a great cozy dessert in the winter.

Cook Time:45 minLevel: EasyYield: 8 to 10 servings


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Ingredients

4 cups peeled, sliced peaches

2 cups sugar, divided

1/2 cup water

8 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

1 1/2 cups milk

Ground cinnamon, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the peaches, 1 cup sugar, and water in a saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Put the butter in a 3-quart baking dish and place in oven to melt.

Mix remaining 1 cup sugar, flour, and milk slowly to prevent clumping. Pour mixture over melted butter. Do not stir. Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup. Sprinkle top with ground cinnamon, if using. Batter will rise to top during baking. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes.

To serve, scoop onto a plate and serve with your choice of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Fall Favorite - Zucchini Cheddar Bread and Veggie Soup

Zucchini Cheddar Bread (Make soup of choice to go with it)
Serve with soup or salad for lunch.  It is also great toasted the next day. 

Whisk together: 3 C flour, 4 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking soda
Add and toss together: 1 C shredded zucchini, 3/4 c. cheddar cheese grated, 1/4 c. green onions chopped, 3 TBL parsley, 1 TBL dill
In another bowl: 2 eggs, 1 C buttermilk, 4 TBL melted butter

Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and lightly mix.  Do not overmix.  Batter should not be smooth.  Bake at 350 in the middle of the oven in a 9x5 greased loaf pan.  Bake for 55-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan on a rack for 5-10 minutes. 

Coconut Lime Chicken and Cous Cous (It's very easy!)

I love this relatively quick recipe and exotic taste! I made this with shrimp and chicken last night and the shrimp were delicious too.

Ingredients: 1 can coconut milk, 1 TBL oil, 1 tsp ginger, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp jalepeno pepper (can substitute red pepper flakes), 1/4 cup chicken broth (can use 1 boullion cube), 1 Cup frozen peas, 1 tsp salt, 2 TBL lime juice, 1tsp cumin

Heat in a pan: 1 TBL oil, 1 tsp ginger, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp jalepeno or red pepper flakes.  After 1 minute add 1 cup (1/2 can) coconut milk and 1/4 cup chicken broth, 1 cup frozen peas, 1tsp salt, then turn off and wait. 

In another small bowl:  rest of coconut milk, 2 TBL lime juice, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp jalepeno/pepper flakes. 

Pour 1/3 sauce in bowl over chicken to marinate and save the rest as sauce to pour over the meal when finished. 

Grill the chicken

While the chicken is grilling turn the pot back on and heat to a boil then at cous-cous, 1 TBL lime juice, cover and turn off heat.  Let it stand for 5 minutes. 

Serve chicken over cous-cous on a platter and let people pour the sauce on their individual if they want more flavor. 

Chicken Salad Sandwich

I know what you're thinking... "Chicken salad sandwich? The James family already has the best ever chicken salad sandwich recipe I have ever tasted, lovingly made at every James sponsored shower i ever attended :) but my mother in law made these the other day- so simple and one more added ingredient you might not have though of.... macadamia nuts! and yes, you can buy these on the mainland- usually in the healthy food section of the store. so heres to one more recipe!

Can of Chicken
Mayonaise
Salt to Taste
Cut up Grapes
Chopped/Grinded into bits, Macadamia Nuts!

Mix it all together and slap it all on a crossant bun! Yummy and so easy!

Green Beans

I bought a bag of fresh green beans and wanted a new way to cook them so I tried this recipe and was pleased with it.  I was missing a few ingredients (cumin, cayenne pepper, paprika )  but the beans still turned out with plenty of flavor.

Here is the link:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/blackened-green-beans-recipe/index.html

Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic, Gorgonzola and Herbs

I almost never watch the Food Network but starting this blog inspired me to stop while I was channel surfing. I watched Guida De Laurentiis make these tomatoes and I had to try them. They were delicious and easy to make. Jake even liked them (if you can't tell he is my guinea pig).

I like that the ingredients were pretty simple. I was going to try one of her other recipes but the ingredients were harder to find and more ridiculously expensive.

I will definitely make these tomatoes again. They would be a great appetizer or side dish. I made them with Gorgonzola, which is a little bit more difficult to come by compared to Parmesan so I might try that next time.

I also cut the recipe in half so that I could sample them.
They were delicious.

Ingredients

12 Roma tomatoes, sliced in 1/2 lengthwise

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup plain bread crumbs

3/4 cup finely crumbled Gorgonzola or grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Using a teaspoon or grapefruit spoon, remove the seeds from the tomatoes. Place the tomato halves, cut side down, on paper towels to drain, about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Using clean hands, gently toss the drained tomato halves in the oil mixture until coated. Marinate the tomatoes for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and Gorgonzola cheese.

Place the marinated tomato halves, cut side up, on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Fill each tomato half with the bread crumb filling. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until slightly softened and the underside of the tomatoes are brown.

Arrange the cooked tomatoes on a serving platter. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Brussels Sprouts

So, I have never been a fan of Brussels Sprouts.  I think when they are cooked they stink.  It is hard because I know nutritionally they are supposed to be great for you so I want to like them.

 To piggy-back on another great recipe from Kristin, here is a great salad made  out of fresh Brussels Sprouts.  Now, I made this the other day and will have to be honest and say that Jake did not love this one.  So, if your husband is a "meat and potatoes" kind of guy then he may not like it either.  On the other hand, I think it is a great alternative for eating Brussels Sprouts-fresh not stinky.

Ingredients:

Brussels Sprouts 1 dozen

Fennel 1/2 tsp

Goat cheese 1/2 c.

*The amounts are guesstimates.  I kind of just felt it out. Sorry.

1. Wash the Brussels Sprouts

2. Finely chop up the Brussels Sprouts (like shredded cabbage) and place in a bowl.

3. Heat goat cheese in a sauce pan.  Be careful to heat it up on a low heat so that you don't burn the cheese.  Heat it up to the point that it is melted.  It doesn't need to go to the point of boiling.

4. Pour the goat cheese on the finely chopped Brussels Sprouts and stir it in.  The goat cheese should lightly coat the Brussels sprouts

5. Sprinkle fennel on top and stir in.

6. Eat.

Hubrich Lemon Pasta

This is what I had for dinner last night thanks to Kristin and the Hubrichs.  It was amazing!  I think you could also add a couple veggies to it like some chopped up Roma tomatoes and some sauteed asparagus.  Really though, this one can stand all on it's own flavor wise. Kristin cooked this for me about two months ago and I have been craving it since.  I finally received the recipe last night and I ran right to the store to get the ingredients. When Jake came home from a long day of studying at about 10pm he said, "What did you eat for dinner?  It spells delicious."

2 garlic cloves


Zest of Lemon

4T Butter

1 C Heavy Cream

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 nutmeg

1 C Parmesan

Lemon Juice from Lemon

In pan, melt the butter and cook the garlic and lemon zest until very fragrant. Add cream, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cook until heated through. Set aside until pasta is cooked. Reheat sauce. Add Parmesan cheese and lemon juice. Best with radiator pasta.

I couldn't find radiator pasta so I used bow tie.