Main Dishes

Chicken Noodle Soup

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Soup Season is here for sure and Chicken Noodle Soup always hits the spot somehow!

Ingredients:
2 1/2 Cups wide Egg Noodles
1 tsp Vegetable Oil
12 Cups Chicken Broth (I use Bouillon Cubes or granules)
1.5 Tbsp Salt
1 tsp Poultry Seasoning (optional)
1 Cup Chopped Celery
1 Cup Chopped Onion
1 Cup Chopped Carrots
1/3 Cup Cornstarch
1/4 Cup Cold Water
3 Cups Cooked, Diced Chicken

1. Cook your noodles according to package directions. Rinse under cool, running water.
2. In a Large saucepan or dutch oven, combine broth, salt, and poultry seasoning. Bring to a boil.
3. Stir in the vegetables. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes or until the veggies are tender.
4. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water together. Add gradually to the soup, stirring constantly.
5. Stir in the noodles and chicken. Heat through and serve!

Source: allrecipes.com, with variations

Mexican Chicken Lime Soup

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Yes!  Another Pinteresting recipe from Anna!  I do love to try all these yummy things and I am glad that I can provide this service to you so that you will know if they work or not.  Speaking of Pinterest, I have created a new board entitled SUCCESS!! where I repin anything that I have tried from Pinterest that actually worked.  Back to the recipe…This one was pretty darn good, but next time I am going to substitute boneless, skinless chicken breasts for the chicken thighs and I am going to grill them.  We have a favorite Mexican restaurant in town that makes a KILLER Sopa de Pollo and so we are used to the white meat with these ingredients.  On to the soup…

 

 

Ingredients:
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped (I used dehydrated)
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (Didn’t have any, used roasted, minced, from a jar…)
6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped, plus 2 T. adobo sauce
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 2 limes
salt and pepper
1 Hass avocado, thinly sliced lengthwise into 12 pieces (or hey, if just two of you are   eating supper tonight, like us, just share one avocado between the two of you…mmmm…)
Crushed tortilla chips (we love Santitas)

 

1.  In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Stir in the onion and garlic, lower heat to medium and cook until onion begins to brown, about 7 minutes. 
 
2.  Increase the heat to high, push the vegetables to the side of the pan, add the chicken and cook, stirring until golden, about 5 minutes. 
 
3.  Stir in the chipotles and adobo sauce, then stir in the chicken broth.  Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, skimming any foam.  Stir in the cilantro and lime juice; season with salt and pepper–I used a teaspoon of salt and that was too much, just so you know. 
 
4.  Place 2 avocado slices in each of 6 bowls and pour in the soup.  Top with the crushed chips.

 

Source:  Rachael Ray Magazine via Pinterest

Rustic Corn Chowder

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This is really great comfort food.  It warms you up and fills you up!!! I made a huge pot of this chowder and had more than 12 servings!  This is very simple  to make, and I am sure you already have everything on hand!
 
 
1/2 lb of bacon, chopped 
1 small onion, chopped into same size as the corn kernels (do this for all veggies except potatoes)
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
4 ears of corn , kernel cut off (or 2 cans of corn or 1 bag of frozen corn)
1 potato per person, chopped into bite sized pieces
milk, about 1 quart
16 oz of chicken broth
2 tbs. of butter
salt
pepper
2 TBS. or more of cornstarch or flour, for thickening
water, for the cornstarch
 
*serves:6-12 people
 
In a really big pot, fry the bacon. Stir to keep it from sticking and scoop out when done and set it to drain on paper towels.  Save the grease.  You can pour off all but about 2 -3 TBS.
 
Into the bacon grease add the veggies except the corn and potatoes.  Let the veggies cook until tender. Then add the corn.  Stir to keep from sticking for a couple of minutes.  Add the potatoes. Stir those also. 
 
Add the enough milk to cover the potatoes and then add in the chicken broth.  You may not want all of the chicken broth but, add until you have enough liquid. Drop in the butter, season with salt and pepper.  Let this simmer until the potatoes are tender. 
 
In a separate bowl add the cornstarch. To that add a little water slowly and then whisk away the lumps.  Add the cornstarch mixture to the pot when the potatoes are tender.  You may need to add more until you get it the right consistency for you. 
 
Serve with crumbled bacon on top or you could add that back to the chowder.
 
recipe from ME
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

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This recipe is such a crowd pleaser. Perfect for Sunday Meals with family!


Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

Ingredients
Pork:
2 pound boneless pork loin roast, trimmed
1 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, finely minced or crushed
1/2 cup water

Glaze:
1/2 cup brown sugar, light or dark
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions
1. In a small bowl, combine the sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub the spices all over the roast.
2. Place the pork roast in the slow cooker and pour in the 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
3. Near the end of the cooking time for the roast, combine the ingredients for the glaze in a small saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce and let the mixture simmer, stirring occasionally, until it thickens.
4. Remove the pork from the slow cooker, shred and place on a platter or plate. Drizzle the glaze over the pork and serve.

Source

Potato Soup

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So,  I needed a slow cooker meal to have tonight so that I wouldn’t have to spend so much time in the kitchen after work because my daughter and her family might be coming over for supper and Family Night.  I also had a sack of spuds to use, leftover from a beach retreat with my sisters.  Enter my Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook.  I love my slow cooker–really need to use it more often.  Anyway, Potato Soup sounded like a good idea and I just picked one of many recipes in the book.  SCORE!!  This was delicious!  And not as fattening as my normal stove-top recipe, because I usually add bacon drippings for flavor.  This recipe did not even need it.  Enjoy.

Ingredients:
6 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 leeks, chopped (I didn’t have any so I just added some minced garlic)
2 onions chopped (…….used dehydrated)
1 rib celery (actually had that!)
4 chicken bouillon cubes (I used chicken bouillon powder and added it to the water below)
1 T. dried parsley flakes
5 cups water
1 T. salt (I did that, but in retrospect, it was a little much)
pepper to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp.)
1/3 cup butter
13-oz can evaporated milk (that is not in the picture, because I was debating about using it.  I did    end up using it.)
chopped chives


1.  Combine all ingredients except milk and chives in slow cooker.
2.  Cover.  Cook on Low 10-12 hours, or High 3-4 hours (mine was more like 5 or 6 hours because I was at work for 5 hours).  Stir in milk during last hour.
3.  If desired, mash potatoes before serving.
4.  Garnish with chives.  Fresh would be better but I only had dried.
Source:  Jeanne Hertzog, Marcia S. Myer, Rhonda Lee Schmidt, Mitzi McGlynchey, Vera Schmucker, Kaye Schnell and Elizabeth Yoder in FIX-IT AND FORGET-IT, 2000 ed., p. 61. 

Grilled Chicken Piccata

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Who says you can’t grill past Labor Day? In our home, we grill year round! This is such a tasty recipe. Once you take a bite, you’ll think you’re at your favorite Italian restaurant. Gotta give major props to Pioneer Woman (P-Dub if you will) for this amazing recipe! 

Ingredients:

Chicken
Juice of 1 lemon (3 Tbsp)
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp basil or oregano
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Pasta
2 cups dried penne pasta
2 Tbsp butter Juice of 2 lemons (6 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup half and half (or heavy cream)
2 tsp dried basil
2 Tbps capers (you’ll find these by the olives at the grocery store)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Chicken
1. Combine first 6 ingredients.
2. Place chicken in a zipper bag and pour marinade mixture over chicken. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
3. When ready to cook, grill.

Pasta
1. While chicken is grilling, cook pasta. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and drain.
2. In same sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in garlic and lemon juice.
3. Pour in half and half and whisk until hot. Add some salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add the Parmesan cheese, basil and capers, and heat until cheese is melted. Check the consistency of the sauce and add some of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce if necessary.  5. Toss in pasta. Serve in pasta with grilled chicken on top. Sprinkle with more Parmesan if desired.

Quinoa Primavera

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My husband and I are trying to eat healthier. We don’t eat a lot of meat to begin with, but we thought it would be a good idea to have one totally meatless meal a week. I thought quinoa would be a great dish to serve since it’s high in protein and a great food.

This was actually my first time cooking (and eating) quinoa, and it definitely will not be my last. This dish is so yummy and very filling. Although we ate it as a main dish, it would also make a great side dish.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
3 cups chicken broth
4 ounces cream cheese, cubed (I used light cream cheese)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3-5 cups thinly sliced or bite sized pieces assorted uncooked vegetables (I used a bag of frozen mixed cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots)
Grated  Parmesan cheese

Directions
– Bring quinoa and broth to boil in a saucepan; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 20-25 minutes or until broth is absorbed. (Follow package instructions)
– While quinoa is cooking, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook garlic in butter for about one minute, stirring frequently, until golden. Stir in vegetables. Cook about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender. If you are using frozen vegetables, you’ll just need to cook them until they are warm/hot.
– Stir cream cheese and basil into cooked quinoa. Toss vegetables with quinoa mixture and sprinkle with cheese.

Adapted from Christy’s Culinary Collection

Slow Cooker Chicken and Cheese Biscuits

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My kids really loved this! This is a pinterest recipe that I have saved for a long while just waiting for the right time to try out.  It was really Yummy! The only thing I didn’t like about this recipe was the Thyme. I am not a big thyme (seasoning) fan.  When I make this again, I will probably leave that ingredient out. But!, it was very yummy and a good comfort food recipe.  I simplified it a bit and left a couple of original ingredients out to make my family happy.  I loved using my slow cooker, it made this easy!

Chicken Stew:
2 cups chopped red potatoes
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 TBSP quick -cooking Tapioca
1 lb chicken, boneless & skinless, cut into pieces (for quicker cooking)
1 cup chicken broth
 1 cup frozen peas
1 oz cream cheese, cut in pieces
cheesy biscuits

Biscuits:
1 2/3 cup biscuit mix
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup milk

 In a slow cooker, combine the following: potatoes, carrots, onion,celery, garlic, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle tapioca over the mixture. Lay the chicken pieces over the mixture and pour the chicken broth over all of it. Place the lid on and set the timer for about 3 1/2 hours on high.

About 15 minutes before the timer goes off, add the frozen peas and cream cheese. Stir a bit. The chicken breaks apart and almost shreds it is tender! Replace the lid and continue cooking.

In a mixing bowl add the following ingredients for the biscuits: 1 2/3 cups biscuit mix, cheese, milk. Stir well until the dough forms. Then drop by heaping TBSP fulls into a greased cupcake pan! (this was easier for me than rolling out dough.) Cook in a 450 degree preheated oven for about 10 minutes! Really watch these, they burn easily. (so says my first batch!)

Serve this when the biscuits come out of the oven!  Spoon the Chicken Stew over the biscuits. The kids loved this!

Adapted from pinterest

Salmon Sliders

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As a kid, we used to have Salmon Croquettes every so often, and this is really just a new use for them.  Canned salmon is pretty cheap and packed with Omega-3 fatty acids.  If you keep canned salmon around, as I do, you’ve got a quick, cheap go-to lunch or dinner.  I kind of just threw in whatever, so this recipe is not precise.

Ingredients:
1 can of salmon, drained*
chopped onion and peppers (I used a small onion and 1/2 to 3/4 of a bell pepper)
1 egg
salt and pepper
seasonings**
bread crumbs
oil (I used coconut oil)

1.  Empty the drained salmon into a medium bowl.  Using a fork, mash the bones and skin pieces together with the flesh until well mixed.*  Saute the chopped onion and peppers (I used a little yellow, orange, and red bell pepper) in oil  in a skillet on medium heat until they are to your liking.  (I like my onions slightly caramelized.)  Add this to the salmon in the bowl and stir together.
2.  Add the egg and seasonings, stirring until well-combined.**  Add enough bread crumbs so that the mixture forms patties easily…not too dry to fall apart, but not so wet that it’s mushy.  Form into small patties about the width of the rolls you are using; mine were about a half inch thick.
3.  In a skillet on medium heat, allow the oil to heat up.  Carefully place the patties in the skillet and cook for a few minutes on both sides until browned.

Makes about 8 small patties

Source:  inspired by this but embellishments are mine

Notes:
*The bones and skins don’t bother me; the bones are so soft they crush up easily.  But if it bothers you, take them out while draining.  Personally, I just don’t want to bother!
**I used lemon pepper, but you can add any seasoning that you enjoy in your burgers (onion soup mix, Montreal steak seasoning, etc.).

Also,

  • I used dinner rolls from Sam’s for the buns.  I buy the big bag and divide it up by the dozen into freezer bags.  I keep them in the freezer and pull them out when needed.  For added flavor, after cooking the sliders, add some butter to the skillet.  Place the rolls cut-side down in the skillet and allow to “cook” until they are golden brown.
  • For slider fixin’s this time, I used provolone cheese, mayo, and spinach.  I would’ve thrown some avocado on there if I’d had some.

Summer Corn Cakes

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Yes.  Another Pinterest Repin.  This one is my SAVORY board cover so I just had to try it.  It’s so pretty.  It’s so yummy.  I will now post the original ingredients, but know that I was able to pull things from food storage and, by rehydrating the freeze-dried corn, I had perfect kernels for this recipe, and my buttermilk was from a mix.  Also, I didn’t have a scallion but I did have a leek, so I substituted that and took out the minced garlic.  Now, there are two different recipes here, one for the corn cakes and one for the Chopped Tomato & Avocado Salsa.  Pay attention and be sure to get all of your ingredients for both recipes.  Pay ATTENTION…I emphasize this because I put the red onion in the salsa instead of the corn cakes because I was trying to watch the Republican National Convention at the same time. 

Corn Cakes Ingredients:
3 ears of corn, shucked
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons well-shaken (not stirred) buttermilk (sorry, just had to use that James Bond reference)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Canola oil, for frying
1.  Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with a brown paper bag.
2.  Cut the corn from the cobs into a large bowl.  Scrape the stripped cobs with the back of the knife or spoon to release the juices into the bowl.
3. Place 2 cups of the corn kernels into a food processor. Pulse several times until the corn is slightly pureed but still chunky.  Scrape into the bowl with remaining kernels.
4.  Add flour, cornmeal, onion, basil, baking soda, baking powder, salt and pepper to the corn.  Stir to mix.
5.  Add the eggs, buttermilk, and butter, and stir just to combine–do not overmix.
6.  Place a large skillet over medium heat.  Add just enough canola oil to cover the bottom, and heat until sizzling hot.
7.  Scoop the batter onto the skillet, one heaping tablespoon at a time.  To avoid overcrowding, do in batches of 4 or 5 at a time.  Fry the cakes 1-2 minutes per side, until golden brown.

8.  Drain on the lined baking sheet, and place in the oven to keep warm while cooking the rest of the cakes.  Serve warm with LARGE spoonful of the Chopped Tomato & Avocado Salsa.
Chopped Tomato & Avocado Salsa Ingredients: 
1 large tomato, cored and chopped
1 scallion, trimmed and minced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, cored, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 garlic clove, minced
Juice of 1 lime
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1.  Place all ingredients, except avocado, in a bowl and stir to mix.  Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to serve (for up to 2 days).
2.  Just before serving, add the avocado and mix gently.

Source:  Ezra Pound Cake