Chicken Noodle Soup

I finally got the recipe how I liked it! After taking many recipes, and combining and changing and adding whatever to it, I am happy with how it is now!

Ingredients:

one whole chicken

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. boullion

1/2 tsp. celery salt

1 tsp. minced garlic

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. thyme

1/4 tsp. pepper, or to taste

1 tsp. salt, or to taste

Directions:

Cover chicken with water and above ingredients. You can certainly add carrots, onions, and celery to this, but I like to do that in a different step.

Once chicken is done, take out of water to cool. I strain the broth at this point to get any bits of skin or even bones out of it. You don't have to, but I just like to!

Put broth back on stove to keep boiling.

In another pot, mix the following

Ingredients:

4 carrots, sliced

1 medium onion, diced

2 celery ribs

1/4 c. butter

Directions:

Simmer those together until everything is tender and turning a golden brown on outside. Stir in 1/4 c. flour and let that turn thick and golden brown with the veggies for a couple minutes. Turn of heat.

At this point, I make some homemade noodles. My kids love them. I think they are fun to make! I use THIS recipe. Just make sure you roll out thin enough and also slice them thinly (I use a pizza cutter). They poof up while cooking, so that's why you want them pretty thin.

Debone chicken and throw the pieces back into the boiling broth. Add the veggies with everything in the pan, scraping it to get all the bits of veggies and butter. Place the noodles, one at a time, into the boiling broth. They don't take long to cook. *I heard that you can put vinegar in the water to keep them from sticking, or some people say they put the noodles in a bag with flour and toss them so they are coated with flour. That might save time, but I've never tried either of those. Turn off heat because it now is SUPER hot and will stay hot for a long, long time!

You can be done and it's great at this point, or you can mix in some milk or half and half. My mom always made her chicken noodle soup with milk, so I sometimes add 2 cups milk or if I have it, the half and half.

Chicken Mexican Meal over Rice

Got a crock pot? This recipe is so quick, easy and cheap. Serve over rice and top with cheese, sour cream, even tomatoes and lettuce would be great! I think Janina told me about it. Thanks sister!



Ingredients:
1 can black beans
1 jar salsa
2 chicken breasts
rice
shredded cheese
sour cream

Directions:
Place beans, salsa, and chicken in crock pot and cook until chicken is done. Chop chicken and add back in crock pot. Serve over rice!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This soup is quick and I believe pretty healthy. I know it's not soup season, but I guess I was craving it the other day!





Ingredients:
1/2 c. chopped onion
3 chicken breasts halves
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. chili powder
2 cans chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can green chilies, with juice
1 can black beans, rinsed (you don't have to, you can throw the whole can in, but it kind of discolors the soup)

Toppings:
cheese
cilantro
sour cream
tortilla chips (or corn tortillas cut into strips and baked 7-8 minutes at 400 degrees--a little better than the chips as they don't get as soggy)
lime juice

Directions:
For the chicken, I like to cook it in the crockpot with some chicken broth, cumin, and garlic so it's nice and tender. Or you can just cook it however you want to! Chop chicken, cook onions in some oil or in the crockpot, mix everything together and heat through. Top with cheese, cilantro, sour cream, lime juice, and mix with tortilla chips or tortilla strips. Easy!

Curry Chicken Sandwich Filling

I don't have a picture of this, but it is kind of salad-ish since you can eat it plain or on bread. I got the recipe from a lady in our ward in Nibley, who just happens to be my sister Janina's old college roommate:). I love the chicken sandwich filling with grapes and cashews, but this one is a bit cheaper and usually you have all of these items on hand.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 c. shredded, cooked chicken
1/2 c. chopped pecans, toasted
1/2 tsp. onion powder (or 2 T. grated onion)
1/2 c. mayonnaise
2 T. sour cream or plain yogurt
3/4 tsp. curry powder
pinch cayenne pepper
2 shakes black pepper

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate for at least one hour to blend flavors. If eating on sandwich, you could add tomatoes and lettuce or any other veggies you like. It's good just plain as well. Easy and tasty!

"Cafe Rio" Chicken

(Sorry I don't have a picture. This is supposedly Cafe Rio's chicken. To me it's not the same, but it is still very yummy and super easy.

Ingredients:
3 lbs. chicken
12 oz Kraft Italian dressing
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
2 cloves minced garlic

Directions:
Combine all in crock pot. Cook for 4 hours on high. Shred with a fork.

I have used this chicken with taco salads, like in the taco shell bowls (whatever they're called) and especially when used with the tomatillo dressing, it is delicious.

Calzones

This meal is great because you can put anything you want in it. I have seen ones with ham, salami, and other sorts of lunch meats, and ones that were made of all vegetables. So be creative and don't feel like you have to follow the recipe exactly. (the picture is of a chicken single fold calzone)

Also, I am guessing on the amounts, since we usually just sort of put on however much we want (or have handy) so feel free to change that too.



Bread:
Rhodes Bread loaf dough (1 per calzone)
butter (the spray kind is easiest)
garlic salt or powder

Pizza Calzone filling:
1 jar spaghetti sauce (you won't use all of it)
1-2 cups graded mozzerella cheese
1/4 cup graded parmesan cheese
1 package pepperonis
4-6 precooked sausage links, diced
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped red pepper
Italian seasoning (a couple of shakes)


Chicken Calzone filling:
1 jar alfredo sauce (you won't use all of it)
1-2 cups graded mozzerella cheese
1/4 cup graded parmesan cheese
1-2 chicken breasts, cooked, cut in long slivers (preferably already seasoned with salt, pepper)
1 cup broccoli, cooked and chopped
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped red pepper
Italian seasoning (a couple of shakes)
garlic powder (a couple of shakes)


Directions:
Let dough rise according to package directions (this can take 2-7 hours, depending on the method).
For a "single fold calzone", roll out dough into a long rectangle. Spray the dough with butter and sprinkle with garlic salt. Place a thin layer of sauce slightly to one side, then lay down cheese and other toppings. Fold the dough over to cover toppings and connect securely to the other side, pinch ends shut (use the butter to help make this easier). Spray the top with butter and sprinkle with garlic salt and some of the graded Parmesan cheese. Place on a cookie sheet (you can make the calzone on the cookie sheet if you feel nervous moving it).
For a "double fold calzone", roll out the dough into a big square. Spray with butter and sprinkle with garlic salt. Place a thin layer of sauce directly down the center, then lay down half of the toppings. Fold one side over the center pile. Butter and garlic the newly exposed bread. Add the rest of the toppings (with more sauce if you want) on top, then fold the last flap over, connecting securely to the other side, pinch ends shut. Butter and garlic the top, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Place on a cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until golden brown on top. Slice like a subway sandwich and eat plain or dip in extra sauce.

here is the process for the single fold pizza calzone

Caesar Chicken Pasta Salad

This is possibly my favorite salad ever. We rarely eat all the salad in one day, so I keep the romaine lettuce out and just mix all the other ingredients together. Sometimes, we use baby spinach and that's great, too! When we eat it over the next couple of days, we put a bed of romaine lettuce/baby spinach on a plate and put the pasta salad on top. The fresh basil is essential. Delicious!

Ingredients:
3 cups chicken breast, cooked and cubed (In a rush, the canned kind works great!)
3 cups penne pasta, cooked
2 cups romaine lettuce, sliced
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes (I usually just use chopped tomatoes.)
1/2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
1/2 cup green onion, chopped
1/2 cup Caesar salad dressing, more or less to taste (I love Ken's Steakhouse Creamy Caesar.)
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1 clove garlic, minced

Directions:
Combine ingredients in a large bowl; toss well and serve.

Crockpot Chicken Alfredo

Okay, if this picture makes you want to puke rather than eat it, totally understandable! Anyways, I've been on a little of a health-kick lately, and this is really NOT healthy. I tried to counter the cube of butter by using the light cream cheese and 98% fat free cream of chicken soup, so I felt a little bit better, but hey, it's the fat that makes it so good I guess. I really didn't taste any difference however with those changes, so maybe they're worth it!


Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
1 package dry italian dressing mix
1 cube butter
1 package Neufchatel
1 can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup

Directions:
Put melted butter in crockpot. Place chicken in and sprinkle with italian dressing mix. Let cook until chicken is done (my crockpot is hot and on high only takes a couple hours). Take chicken out and put the cream cheese and soup in--soften cream cheese first though to make it less lumpy. Let that heat up a bit while you shred the chicken. Whisk the cream cheese and soup together and add enough milk to make it a thinner sauce. Add chicken and heat through. Serve over noodles. Very easy!

Chicken and Asparagus Crepes

I made these for dinner tonight. My husband and I loved them. My three year old ate them very well. My 5 year old said he "didn't like the sauce on the inside of the pancakes" (it was cream of mushroom soup!) Go figure. I got the recipe from foodnetwork.com and Paula Deen.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/8 cup dry sherry (I used water)
1/4 cup shredded fontina cheese (I used cheddar & swiss)
1 cup chopped cooked chicken
8 asparagus spears, steamed until crisp-tender
Savory Crepes, recipe follows
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish.
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add cream of mushroom soup and onion and cook for 2 minutes, Stir in sherry, fontina cheese and chicken. Cook until cheese is melted.
Spoon 1/4 cup chicken mixture down center 1/3 of each crepe. Place 2 asparagus spears over chicken mixture. Fold edges of crepe over filling, and place, seam side up, in prepared baking dish. Sprinkle 1/2 cup Swiss cheese over crepes. Bake for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and crepes are hot.

Savory Crepes Ingredients:
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups milk
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt. In another medium bowl, whisk together milk, egg, egg yolk, and butter. Gradually add flour mixture to milk mixture, whisking until smooth.
Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Spoon 2 1/2 tablespoons of batter into skillet; cook for 30 to 45 seconds. Loosen crepe with a spatula, and carefully turn over. Cook for 30 to 45 seconds; transfer to plate. Repeat procedure with remaining batter, stacking crepes on a plate.
Yield: 4 servings

Teriyaki Chicken

I got this recipe off of my cousins' blog, Come Hungry. I took a picture, but it was really ugly and unappetizing-looking. But I made it for dinner tonight, and my kids couldn't get enough. My four year old ate more than I did! We made rice, and scooped the teriyaki sauce from the pan on top of the rice, and my two year old asked for thirds. So good!


Ingredients:
2-3 lbs cut up chicken (my chunks were pretty big. The smaller chunks seemed to be more tender)
1 can evaporated milk

Directions:
Wash and dry chicken. Place in shallow container. (I used a gallon sized ziploc baggie.) Cover with evaporated milk for 1 hour. Drain and then coat with flour. Brown in oil and drain. Place in large shallow baking pan (I used a 9x13), marinate in teriyaki sauce for 45 minutes turning once. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve with rice and veggies.

Teriyaki Sauce Ingredients:
1/2 c soy sauce
1/2 c water
1 c sugar
1 T pineapple juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 ts. ground ginger (I don't like ginger, so I didn't use it)

Indonesian Chicken

This is what we had for dinner tonight. It's different, if you are looking for something different--Dillon and I always are. We love to try new foods. This is a slightly spicy (not too much--you control it) peanut dish. Found (as a lot of mine are) on Allrecipes.com.


Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice (I love basmati rice, so that's what I use)
2 cups water
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into chunks
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter
4 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons red chile paste (or hot sauce, although red chile paste is better)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3-4 green onions, thinly sliced
chopped peanuts (optional--you can see in the picture I was too lazy to chop ours)

Directions:
Cook rice according to directions with rice. Place green beans in a pot fitted with a steamer basket over boiling water, and steam 10 minutes, or until tender but crisp.

Heat the oil in a skillet, and cook the chicken 5 minutes on each side, or until juices run clear (note: I really like it better if you marinate the chicken for a couple hours in the oil and lemon juice it calls for, plus a little garlic--makes it more tender and more flavorful).

Mix the chicken broth, peanut butter, honey, soy sauce, chile paste (another note: I did not like the tabasco sauce when I tried to sub that in!), lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir until slightly thickened--you might have to let it come close to boiling to thicken. Mix in the green beans. Serve over rice. Garnish with green onions and peanuts.