Chicken and Veggie Soup

This soup is so simple but delicious.  Very easy to make, all real ingredients.  No soups and not even any broths to worry about!  The original recipe came from Clean 15 by Julie Day but I have modified it some for my liking and to use ingredients I pretty much always have at home.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 boneless chicken breast
Homemade Cajun Seasoning (see recipe here)
1/2 onion chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
2 bay leaves
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 large carrot chopped
3 cups cut broccoli
3 cups water
Optional:  Cooked Brown Rice



Heat Olive Oil in a pot.  Use about 1 tablespoon of cajun seasoning  and cover chicken breast.  Add to oil and brown.  After about 5 minutes, add in onion, celery, and garlic with 3 cups of water and the bay leaves.   Let the chicken fully cook.  Remove chicken breast, cut into cubes and put back.  Add in mushrooms, carrot, and broccoli with about 1/2 tsp more cajun seasoning.  Let cook down about 20-30 minutes or until veggies are to your liking.

I eat mine as is, my daughter eats hers over rice.

Kale, Butternut Squash, and Chicken Soup

I picked up a bag of butternut squash at Trader Joe's to try, found this recipe on pinterest and decided to try it.  Was expecting to like it but it actually came out really delicious!  Even my 4 year old daugther loved it.

Kale, Butternut Squash, and Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

Chicken:
1 boneless/skinless chicken breast
2 tablespoons white wine
1 teaspoon grape seed oil
1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence
Red Pepper Flakes
Salt, Black Pepper

Soup:
1 tablespoon grape seed oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3/4 cup peeled and chopped carrot (about 2 large)
3 stalks celery chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 cups low sodium broth (I used chicken)
2 cups water
12 oz chopped butternut squash (I had the bag from Trader Joes)
2 cups chopped kale leaves
13 oz garbanzo beans drained (I used the boxed ones from Whole Foods, 365 brand)
1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence
Salt and Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
optional: crumbed gouda cheese for topping

Directions:

1.  Put chicken in small baking dish, mix rest of ingredients together and pour over chicken.
2.  Cover and bake at 375 for 25 minutes
3.  Take out and cube/shred then set to side.

1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot, then add the onion, celery and garlic. Cook 10 minutes on medium heat, stirring when needed.
2.  Add chicken and cook another 10 minutes.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients (minus the kale and cheese) then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes. Add the kale and simmer an additional 10 minutes.  If veggies are not soft enough for your liking, you can continue cooking on low.  Sprinkle individual servings with Gouda cheese. 

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

I forget to take a picture but I also don't want to forget my recipe for this :)  I usually just throw things in the pot but I actually measured this time since sometimes my jambalaya comes out good and others not so good.  Luckily, this batch was good since I measured/wrote it down.

1 tablespoon olive oil
14 oz andouille sausage
2 boneless/skinless chicken breast
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 green bell pepper - diced
1 medium onion - diced
Seasoning Mix (see below)
1 cup rice
2.5 cups water (I use 1/2 cup more water than my rice directions call for)

Seasoning Mix:
1/4 tsp dry basil
1/4 tsp dry oregano
Pinch of dry thyme
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1.5 tsp onion powder
1.5 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paparika
1/2 tsp salt (you may want a little more, we aren't big salt eaters in my home)
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Start by dicing up about 14 ounces of andouille sausage and 2 boneless/skinless chicken breast.  Pour about one tablespoon of olive oil in a pot and let it heat.  Add the meats and BROWN.  Browning is very important with jambalaya.  My first attempt at making it, I just cooked and did not brown anything and it looked like just chicken and rice.

Once the meat is good and brown, add in your onion, garlic, and bell pepper.  Cook this down and BROWN.  Don't burn, but you do want it good and brown.  It takes me about 15-20 minutes to brown good.  Then add in your dry seasonings.  Mix.  Add in your water and rice.  Cover and cook per rice directions.  I use brown rice so it always cooks about an hour.  I find brown rice NEVER cooks in only 45 minutes.  I also sometimes have to add a bit more water towards the end because it will dry out but the rice is still hard.

Baked Chicken with Potatoes and Asparagus

(Picture is before cooking, I forget to get one before we dug into it)

This was so easy and good! Even my 2 year old loved it.

Enough chicken breast for your family - I used 2 thick ones but cut each in half so ended up with 4
Bag of frozen asparagus spears
3 potatoes diced (fairly small so they cook in the right time)
EVOO
Salt, Pepper
Garlic Powder
Basil

Preheat oven to 400
Put chicken single layer in baking dish
Place asparagus around chicken on all 4 sides of baking dish
Place potatoes around chicken/on top of asparagus
Drizzle a little EVOO over everything
Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and basil
Cover with foil and bake covered for 45 minutes
Uncover and bake another 25 minutes

This dish was a combo of a few recipes. It was Chicken Capri, Roasted Broccoli, and a quick rice/pea combo I threw together. This went over well!

Chicken:
4-Boneless/Skinless chicken breast
1 tub ricotta cheese
A few slices provolone cheese
Garlic Powder
Salt
Black Pepper
Oregano
EVOO

Preheat oven to 425. Heat EVOO in a pan. Season chicken with garlic powder, salt, and pepper then cook each side about 5 mins in the EVOO. While cooking chicken, mix together ricotta cheese with some garlic powder, salt, pepper, and oregano. Put chicken in baking dish (I spray mine with EVOO no stick spray) then top each breast with equal parts of the ricotta mixture. Put a slice of cheese on top of ricotta. Bake 20 minutes or until chicken is done.

Broccoli:
1 bunch broccoli (I ate whole bunch myself so do more if you think you'll need it)
Minced Garlic
EVOO
Salt
Black Pepper
Parm Cheese

I didn't rince my broccoli because if damp, it won't crisp up in oven. Cut or break broccoli into nice size pieces. Put in gallon freezer bag with EVOO, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Shake. Pour onto baking pan. Bake at 425 about 20 minutes. Top with parm cheese straight out oven. Serve right away.

Rice:
Ben's 10 minute brown rice
Frozen Peas
Chicken Broth
Garlic Powder
Oregano

Follow directions on box for rice but use chicken broth instead of water, put desired amout of peas in water as well as the garlic powder, oregano, salt (if desired) and black pepper. Cook per directions on rice.

BBQ Chicken Burritos

I am trying to start eating healthy again and I found this great website, eatingwell.com

Tonight I made Pico de Galo and BBQ Chicken Burritos.

Pico de Galo(optional):
4 roma tomatoes
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
1/2 bunch cilantro chopped (you can add more for taste if wanted)
1 tsp minced garlic

Dice tomatoes and mix together. Leave in fridge at least 2 hours to marinate.

BBQ Chicken Burritos:

Step 1: Chicken
You can get a whole roasted chicken or roast your own. I had two pretty big chicken breast with bone that I roasted using below recipe.

Preheat oven to 400. Put a little water and white wine in a glass dish big enough to hold chicken. Sprinkle onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, red pepper flakes, paprkia, and cumin on the breasts. Cover with foil and bake at least 1 hr or until chicken is done. Shred (I do this using 2 forks) and put into pot.

Step 2: Add all of this to chicken in pot on low/med heat.
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup frozen corn
4 oz reduced fat sour cream

Microwave wheat tortilla for 12 seconds to soften. Put on plate and spread with advocado. Put a piece of romaine lettuce on top. Spoon chicken mixture ontop of lettuce and top with Pico de galo.

I ate mine with a fork and knife because it was so overloaded but if you have bigger tortillas you may be able to fold/wrap and eat like a real burrito. If you want to skip the wrap to make it healthier, just put chicken mix in a bowl and pico de galo

Cheesy Chicken Casserole

I had chicken, ricotta, and pasta and needed something to do with it so I came up with this.

3 chicken breast, boneless/skinless
EVOO
1 box pasta (I use the "Plus" one)
1 container ricotta cheese
1 cup milk
Parmesan Cheese
Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded
Salt, Black Pepper, Paprika, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder

Preheat oven to 375

Boil a pot of water. Add pasta.

Heat up enough EVOO to cover the bottom of a pan.

Dice up chicken breast. Season with S, BP, P, GB, OP. Add to pan with EVOO. Cover and cook, stirring as needed.

Drain pasta and put back in pot. Add ricotta and milk. Mix until cheese is melted through. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Add chicken. Mix. Put in casserole dish. Top with parmesan and mozzeralla cheese.

Bake until cheese is browning and bubbly.

**You can also add a package of drained frozen spinach when mixing everything together before putting in casserole dish**

Finally Updating

On October 29, 2009 Isabella Rose entered our life. She is beautiful and perfect, I couldn't ask for a better daughter.

Anyway, I have a new recipe to post.

The original came from my mom and I made 2 little changes. No pictures but it is really good. And I had to cut out all red sauces due to nursing but this one seems okay with Bella. Plus its fast and easy.

2 boneless/skinless chicken breast cleaned and cut into thin strips
Salt/Black Pepper/Paprika/Garlic Powder/Onion Powder
EVOO
1/2 cup white wine
8 oz tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
Fresh parsley and basil chopped, about a hand full
1/2 bag egg noodles

Boil a pot of water and cook egg noodles

Pour a bit of EVOO in the bottom of a pan, just enough to cover bottom.
Season chicken with s, bp, p, gp, and op then add to pan. Cover and cook until done, flipping as needed.
Add wine and let simmer until reduced by about half.
Add tomato sauce and cream. Mix. Add parsley and basil.
Let heat up while stirring. Add S&P if needed.

Sprinkle with parm. cheese and serve.

Chicken Pot Pie

This took quite a while to prepare but it was sooooo good. And I made three smaller ones so I can freeze. I use the Casserole Queen Pot Pie Recipe from Food TV. I used the chicken recipe from below (Roasted Chicken Breast) instead of a full roasted chicken and once the chicken breast were done, I let cool for a little while then sliced up with a knife. I also used green bell pepper instead of sweet red which is a good thing because the filling still has a sweet taste to it. I also added about 1 tsp more of salt once I had everything mixed together before pouring into baking dishes.

I ended up with 1 - 1 quart and 1 - 1.5 quart size and still had a little left so I had a single serving baking dish which I filled and just did a quick bisquick mix to top that one with. I baked the two larger ones for 45 minutes and the smaller one for about 30 minutes.

TIP: Do the slits in pastry puff before baking but mine closed back up so about 15 minutes into baking, I re cut the slits.

The picture is of the 1 quart and the individual size. The 1.5 quart was still real liquid like on top so I put it back in the oven at 350 for an extra 20 minutes.

Update and Roasted Chicken Breast

I am currently 13.5 weeks pregnant (due November 6)!!!! So I haven't been doing much, well any, cooking for the past 9 weeks or so. But I am feeling better and trying to get back into the habit of making nightly dinners.

Tonight I am doing Casserole Queen Chicken Pot Pie (which I will review after I eat tonight) but I have no idea how to fool with a whole chicken so I decided to roast chicken breast (another first for me). I don't have any measurments bc I wasn't sure what I was doing but it came out YUMMY and very moist. Could use as is with a side or cube/shred for many other things such as salad or chicken pot pie.

Roasted Chicken Breast
4 - Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast (approx 2 lbs)
Water
EVOO
White Wine
Salt
Black Pepper
Paprika
Dried Parsley
Dried Tarragon
Fresh Lemon Thyme
Butter

Preheat oven to 400

Put a little water, EVOO, and white wine in a roasting pot large enough to hold all chicken without over lapping. Lay chicken breast into pan and season each with S&P, paprika, a pinch of dried parsley, and a pinch of dried tarragon. I placed a fresh spring of lemon thyme on top of each breast but you could also use regular thyme with a little lemon juice. Put a little butter on top of each breast.

Cover and bake for 45 minutes.

EVOO Chicken and Veggie Stir Fry

Pictures were taken when I made this dish again and didn't have the fresh egg noodles so I used regular. This actually could become a very healthy dish and eat without the pasta. The chicken and veggies themselves are very filling!!!

This is very different for me but it was really yummy!!!

I was in the produce section at Winn Dixie and saw fresh egg noodles (but they were long and wavy not fat like regular egg noodles) and decided to try them. Then I was passing the stir fry mixes and that sounded good I just didn't want the soy sauce so I created my own stir fry.

3 cleaned and cubed chicken breast
1 bag fresh egg noodles (will need a little over half)
1 bag baby carrots
1 green bell pepper (or whatever color you like)
1 head broccoli
1 medium onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
EVOO
Salt, Black Pepper, Red Pepper Flakes, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder

Heat EVOO (enough to cover bottom) in large pan. Put in 1 tablespoon garlic and carrots, cover and let sizzle about 10 minutes to get carrots soft.

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta.

Slice onions into circles and bell pepper into strips. Break up broccoli.

Season cubed chicken with salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic and onion powder. Add to pan. Let cook about 10 minutes (or until chicken is cooked through) then add rest of chopped veggies. Cook down about 6 minutes.

Drain pasta (only needs to cook about 5 minutes) and add to pot. Mix all together and let cook over high heat about 3 minutes. Mix the whole time. Serve.

Grilled Chicken on Flatout Bread

So, I was doing my regular weekly grocery shopping and looking for wraps and noticed these new Flatout Wraps. I didn't know what I would do with them but I love what I made tonight!

1 flatout wrap per person
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast per person
EVOO
Herbs de Provence
Salt
Pepper
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Cheese (I used a mix of mozzarella, goat, and parm)'
Fresh spinach leaves

Preheat oven to 350. Preheat outside grill

Mix about 3/4 cup EVOO, herbs de Porvence, salt, pepper, onion, and garlic powders together. Put about a tablespoon to the side then put chicken breast in to marinade. Let soak about 10 minutes.

While chicken is grilling, you can slowly pour a little left over marinade on each breast to keep it moist. When it is cooked, remove from grill and slice into thin slices.

Use a nonstick baking pan and place the flatbreads on it. Heat in oven about 2 minutes. Remove from oven, coat is marinade you put to the side. Cover in fresh spinach leaves, chicken, and cheeses (if using goat cheese, it is strong so don't use much). Put in oven on low broil until cheese is melted. Eat right away!

Creamy Spinach Spaghetti with Herb Chicken

I wasn't crazy about this dish I made up toinight but maybe someone else will like it :)

3 chicken breast
Fresh sprigs of lemon thyme, curly leaf parsley, oregano
Few slices of onion
1 box spaghetti
1.5 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1 cup warm milk
1/2 box frozen spinach thawed and drained
Salt
Black Pepper
White Pepper
Nutmeg

Chicken:
Clean chicken and put in a sprayed baking dish. Sprinkle salt and black pepper and fresh herbs on top of chicken, top with onion. Cover with foil and bake at 375 for about an hour.

Bring pot of salted water to boil for spaghetti. Cook until tender.

Sauce:
Melt butter in saucepan. Add flour and whisk until smooth. Slowly add warm milk mixing the whole time until sauce is thick, creamy, and lump free. Add a dash of salt, white pepper, and nutmeg (very little nutmeg) and stir.

Drain spaghetti and put back into pot. Add spinach and sauce, mix well.

Summer Chicken and Pasta

I made this up tonight I had chicken defrosted and didn't know what to do with it. Again, for the camera to use your imagination :)

2 boneless/skinless chicken breast
S&P
Spaghetti (I use 1/2 box organic)
About 1/4 cup chopped fresh curly leaf parsley
EVOO

Preheat grill. Season chicken breast with S&P and grill until cooked. While chicken is grilling heat up a pot of salted water and cook spaghetti. Drain and put into big bowl. When chicken is cooked, cut into strips and add to bowl of spaghetti. Put a drizzle (about 1 tablespoon) of EVOO and fresh parsley and toss all together. Add more S&P if needed. Serve and top with shredded Parmesan cheese.

This was super quick for those hot summer days you don't have time or feel like standing over a stove top!

Chicken Marsala - Very different flavor!

Another Giada recipe, I promise I make my own recipes too but I have been in the mood to try different stuff lately. This one was from "Family Dinners"

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (I use two big chicken breast)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons butter, divided (I didn't use this much, maybe 2 tbsp)
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced (I didn't use any mushrooms)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup dry Marsala wine
1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves, plus whole sprigs, for garnish
12 ounces dried fettuccine (I used rotini, I didn't have fettuccine)

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cool slightly.

While the chicken cools, melt 2 tablespoons of butter to the same skillet over medium-high heat, then add the onion and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate, about 12 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Stir in the mascarpone and mustard. Cut the chicken breasts crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain. Toss the fettuccine with 3 tablespoons of butter and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Swirl the fettuccine onto serving plates. Spoon the chicken mixture over top. Garnish with parsley sprigs and serve.

Mini Penne with Parm Chicken

Another Giada recipe from Everyday Pasta. This picture sucks but my Canon battery was dead so I had to use my old Kodak.

3 tbsp EVOO plus 1/2 cup
1 cup buttermilk
1.5 lbs chicken tenders (about 18)
1 lb penne pasta
1 1/4 grated parm cheese
3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
Salt and BP
3 tbsp minced garlic
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar (I only use 1/4 tsp)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 500. Spray a baking pan with olive oil baking spray. Place buttermilk in a large bowl. Add chicken tenders, stir to coat, and let stand for 15-30 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until tender but still firm to bite.

Stir the parm. cheese and bread crumbs together. Season with S&P. Remove chicken from buttermilk and dredge in mixture. Please on pan. Coat chicken with olive oil and cook until golden brown (about 12 minutes). Transfer to cutting board and cut into 1" pieces (I cut mine up in the beginning before soaking.

Mash garlic with 1 tsp of salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in the vinegar and 1/2 cup of EVOO. Season with 1/4 tsp pepper.

Place drained pasta in a large serving bowl. Drizzle with the vinaigrette, sprinkle with parsley, and top with chicken. Toss and serve.