Very Veggie Chicken Fried Rice

I can't believe this never made it onto the blog

WELL.....ok so I made it once before and afterwards my chief taster aka my husband ended up in the ER with some stomach issues. It was a year ago, and I was fairly certain it didn't have anything to do with my cooking...well certain enough that I would risk it again because in my recollection this dish was a-mazing!

this time no one ended up in the hospital so I can safely make it again....and again.....and again

We fought over the leftovers...and I won!

Very Veggie Chicken Fried Rice

borrowed from Dinners for a Year and Beyond

4 eggs, beaten

3 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari, divided

2 teaspoons sesame oil, divided

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1 pound of chicken tenderloins, cut in very small pieces

4 cups cabbage and carrot slaw mix

1 large carrot shredded (I like the extra carrots and the slaw mix never has enough)

4 cups of cooked rice, cooled and refrigerated

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

2 tablespoons soy sauce

4 green onions, sliced (about 1/4 cup)

DIRECTIONS:

In a small bowl combine eggs and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Set aside.

Add 1 teaspoon sesame oil into a wok or large skillet. Preheat over medium heat. Add garlic and egg mixture and stir gently to scramble. When set, remove egg mixture from the wok. Cut up any large pieces of egg mixture. Set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil into the wok or skillet and heat to high heat. Add the chicken, 2 teaspoons of soy sauce and cook, stirring occasionally until just cooked through, about 4 - 5 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil into the wok or skillet and heat to high heat. Add the mushrooms and the cabbage and carrot mix, stirring occasionally until just beginning to softened, about 3 - 4 minutes. Add cooked rice and peas. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Cook and stir for 2 - 3 minutes or until heated through. Add cooked egg mixture, cooked chicken, and green onions and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil; cook and stir about 1 minute more or until heated through.

Pepperoni Pizza Chicken

Sometimes I see a recipe and I know it will be good

this is one of those recipes

I altered it a little from the original, because well, it needed more pepperoni and I was confused about the chicken........but it was ALL GOOD.....no lie I could eat this every week.

I served it with whole wheat rotini and some zucchini and squash but I dont know why it never made it into the picture. I think I was so hungry and it looked so good, I was dizzy with anticipation

Pepperoni Pizza Chicken

adapted from Dashing Dish

Ingredients:

1.25 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, (or 3 large chicken breasts), pounded thin

(next time I am going to use thin breasts and pound them super thin)

1/4 tsp salt and pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp italian herb blend

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella + 1/4 cup (for topping)

1/4 cup tomato sauce + 1/4 cup sauce (for topping)

24 turkey pepperonis

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare a baking sheet with foil, and spray with non-stick cooking spray (this makes for easy clean up!)

To make the stuffing, mix together mozzarella, pizza sauce, and seasonings in a small bowl.

Put 4 pepperoni onto the flattened chicken breast.

Spread mixture out evenly over pepperoni.

Roll up each chicken breast, and place seam side down onto baking sheet.

Pour remaining pizza sauce over the top of the chicken breasts, and place 4 pepperoni on top of each chicken breast.

Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake for 30-35 min, or until chicken is cooked through, (when chicken is no longer pink in the middle.

Pre-baked and rolled up tight

BBQ Chicken Potatoes

So did you see the genius that is slow cooked baked potatoes?

Check out the post before this one.

This is what I did with them.

BBQ Chicken Potatoes

1 package of Trader Joe's BBQ Pulled Chicken

1 cup shredded cheddar

5 baked potatoes

Nuke the chicken

Unwrap the Baked Potatoes

Cover with shredded cheddar

Eat!

Side note:I realize not everyone is lucky enough to have a TJ's in their neighborhood....next time I am going to put the potatoes on the bottom, foil pack 3 chicken breasts with a little chicken broth, seal the foil pack and place it on top of the potatoes, once cooked on low for the 8 hours, shred the chicken and mix with BBQ sauce. I think it will work beautifully and it would eliminate the non-TJ's pulled chicken problem. I will let you know when I try it!

Pepper Jack, Chicken and Peach Quesadillas

LOOKY WHAT I FOUND!!!!

these were phenomenal and I made them over the summer, but drafted them and never finished the actual post. See my slacking almost caused me to lose out on such a yummy meal. I know they sound a little odd, and I was skeptical but I stepped outside the box and YUM! These would be awesome as an appetizer for a spring-summer party.

Pepper Jack, Chicken and Peach Quesadillas

from Cooking Light

INGREDIENTS:

1 teaspoon honey

1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

4 (8-inch) flour tortillas

3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers

1 cup chopped skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast

1 cup thinly sliced peeled firm ripe peaches

4 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro ( I don’t see it in the picture so I might not have had any)

Cooking spray

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine honey and lime juice in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Stir sour cream into honey mixture; cover and chill until ready to serve.

2. Place tortillas flat on a work surface. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons cheese over half of each tortilla; top each tortilla with 1/4 cup chicken, 1/4 cup peaches, and 1 teaspoon cilantro. Fold tortillas in half.

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Place 2 quesadillas in the pan, and top quesadillas with a cast-iron or other heavy skillet. Cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until tortillas are crisp and lightly browned (leave cast-iron skillet on quesadillas as they cook). Remove quesadillas from pan; set aside, and keep warm. Repeat procedure with the remaining quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into wedges. Serve with sauce.

Chicken with White Bean and Parmesan Baked Orzo

HOLY COW, I am almost caught up (my fingers and cramped and I am so HUNGRY!)

I am not proofing and I have no clue what I am writing anymore.

I actually ate this last night!!!!!!

I had pinned this awhile ago and never got to it for some reason, but I am so glad I did. I have big plans for this recipe and want to put a more greek spin on it. I can't wait. While I was eating it, I was writing notes so I wouldnt forget. I changed it up a bit and am so glad for the inspiration. I love the original blog. So funny, and everything I have made I have loved.

This is also a keeper because my kids ate it deconstructed and say it with me....I cooked it....they ate it....and no one complained!!!!

Chicken with White Bean and Parmesan Baked Orzo

adapted from How Sweet It Is

1 cup of regular or whole wheat orzo pasta

2 cups Shredded Cooked Chicken

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

4 cups of raw spinach

1 15-ounce can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

3 tbsp. heavy cream

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bring water to a boil and prepare pasta according to directions, lessening the cooking time by 1-2 minutes since the pasta will bake.

While pasta is cooking, heat a skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. Add onions and peppers and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add in garlic and spinach, and stir until spinach wilts, then turn heat down to low. Add in white beans. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Drain pasta and add pasta & chicken to the mix, then toss to combine. Turn off heat, add heavy cream and half of the grated parmesan, and toss once more.

Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray. Spoon orzo mixture into the baking dish, then top with remaining cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, then if desired, broil for 1-2 minutes until cheese on top is golden.

Chicken Soup Noodles

Chicken Soup Noodles, without the broth....who thunk it? So SMART!

I love a big bowl of noodles and the people who eat my dinners do as well. I threw this together super speedy, everyone ate it, and no one complained...WAHOOO!!!

I ate all the leftovers happily.

Can't ask for more then that

Chicken Soup Noodles

borrowed from Pinch of Yum

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 large carrots, peeled and sliced thinly

3 celery stalks, sliced thinly

3/4 cup chopped onion

49 ounces chicken broth (about 6 cups)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/3 cup cold water

1 lb. package egg noodles

2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoon thyme

2 teaspoon parsley

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken--I used rotisserie

3-4 green onions, thinly sliced (I omitted since my kids would not eat)

Instructions

Heat 1 tbs. olive oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add the vegetables and saute until tender crisp, about 3-5 minutes, depending on how thinly they are sliced. Add chicken broth to the pot and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water. Add mixture to the broth. Add the noodles and bring to a rolling boil. Check noodles every few minutes and remove from heat when noodles are mostly cooked. The noodles will continue to soften after you stop the boiling. If you boil for too long, they’ll get mushy and break apart easily.

Add butter and herbs and stir to combine. Mix in chicken and season with salt and pepper. Mixture will thicken slightly as it cools; there should be enough of a thick broth to cover everything but not enough to be runny. Stir in green onions just before serving.

Chip Chicken Pops

Feed them chicken, covered in chips....on a stick. Yeah exactly!

Another popular appetizer from the Super Bowl of all Super bowls. You could do a lot with these and play around with the different flavored chips.

By the way, have you noticed the heavily featured mauve countertop in my kitchen? I usually try to hide it but in my haste to take the pictures I just laid it all out there for the world to see. I hated in when we moved in in 2002, and by golly I hate it more 10 years later. Someday when we are ready to move, I will get a brand new kitchen.....and yes, you read that correctly, by the time we re-do we will be moving. So don't judge me on my mauveness.

Chip Chicken Pops

adapted from All Recipes

Ingredients

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts - cut into strips

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

2 cups crushed potato chips (I used ½ regular, ½ sour cream and onion

lollipop sticks from a craft or party store

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.

Crush potato chips in a bag with a rolling pin or throw them in a food processor. In a large bowl, whisk together egg and milk. Dip the chicken into the egg mixture, then coat well with potato chips. Spread the nuggets onto a wire rack placed on top of a baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes. Turn nuggets over, and bake for 10 minutes more, until golden brown. Remove baking sheet from oven, and insert a lollipop stick into each nugget.

I served with 1/2 honey & 1/2 Spicy Mustard Mix

Buffalo Chicken Rolls

Now onto Super Bowl Spectacular!!!!

I am sorry I am so late, but these were some of the best appetizers to ever come out of my kitchen.....AND the AWESOME NY/NJ GIANTS WON THE SUPERBOWL!!!

What a day!

I cooked like a champ, ate light a champ, and then was so happy for everyone to go home before the game started so we could curl up on the couch and cheer our heads off. These will be featured heavily in the future because they were so simple and the taste was phenomenal.

You bring these and people will think you are a genius of the Buffalo Chicken Variety

I don't even know what that means but trust me, you bring these and people will talk!

The picture kind of stinks but I literally shot one picture before I fed the hungry crowd. I did end up cutting them in 1/2 because they were steaming hot and then you could dip a little easier.

Buffalo Chicken Rolls

makes 12

NOTE: I probably over stuffed a few and the points of the celery broke through the egg roll wrapper. Since there were plenty of wrappers in the pack, I just started with a new wrapper. Next time I will stuff less, so the amounts may slightly vary with yours, but really it doesn't matter, you can easily make more or less rolls depending on how you like them

12 egg roll wrappers

1 ½-2 cup cooked and shredded chicken

1/2- 2/3 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce

1 crumbled blue cheese

1 cup sliced celery, really really thinly

Small bowl of water

Nonstick cooking spray

Blue cheese dressing (I also added ½ cup of blue cheese crumbles to it) , for serving

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lay egg roll wrappers on a clean work surface. In a small bowl, stir chicken and hot sauce until well coated, using more or less sauce depending on your spice preference. The meat should be moist with sauce.

Begin by placing one tablespoon of the celery on the diagonal of the bottom right corner of one of the wrappers. Next, place 2-3 tablespoons of shredded spicy chicken evenly on top of the slaw. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the blue cheese crumbles over the chicken. Do not overfill.

To fold: Fold the bottom right corner over the stuffing mixture so that it covers it completely, with the tip of the corner now pointing to the center of the egg roll wrapper. Fold in the bottom left corner, followed by the right, so that you now have formed an envelope. Roll the wrap upward one time, leaving the top left corner open. Wet your index finger in the small bowl of water and press to moisten the top left corner. Now fold that down on top of the filled roll, sealing it like you would an envelope.

Repeat with remaining rolls.

Place the rolls on a wire rack set on top of a cookie sheet (or just on a greased cookie sheet) coated with nonstick cooking spray. Spritz each roll evenly with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the rolls crisp and turn a light golden brown.

Chicken Meatball Subs

Chicken Meatballs

slighly adapted from How Sweet It is

1 pound ground chicken

2 tablespoons whole wheat bread crumbs

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon smoked paprika & ¼ tsp. regular paprika (1/2 tsp. all smoked was a little too smokey for me)

1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

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. Place in pan and bake for an additional 6-8 minutes until cooked through. *** you could brown these all the way through in the skillet but I I wanted to make sure they were cooked all the way, but make sure they dont dry out. You could also throw them into the sauce and let them finish cooking perking away there as well.

Makes about 8-10 meatballs.

Meatball Subs

4 whole wheat buns

1 cup tomato sauce

4 ounces low-fat, shredded mozzarella cheese or provolone

Add 2-3 sliced meatballs to each bun, topping with a 1/4 cup of tomato sauce each. Preheat the broiler and top hoagies with one ounce of cheese each. Place under broiler until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 1-2 minutes.

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake

I realized since Pinterest has entered my life, I have begun to rely on that to collect and organize my recipes. So this poor blog has been neglected. I dont even know if anyone reads this thing anymore, but if I dont update it soon with the 26 (gasp) recipes I have been cataloging to save I will never get it done and I am afraid they will be lost forever and any changes I made to the originals will be lost forever. So I am going to buckle down and get it down. Today is the day, and maybe tomorrow. Being able to sit outside in the sun while the kids kill each other.....I mean "play" doesnt hurt my motivation to get it done either. So off I go.......

Cheesy Chicken & Rice Bake

slightly adapted from How Sweet It Is

serves 4-6

2 cups shredded chicken breast or diced grilled chicken

4 cups cooked brown rice

3/4 cup frozen corn

1 -15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 cups low fat sour cream

1 can of Rotel drained

1 tsp. Chili Powder

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup grated cheddar & monterey jack cheese (low-fat cheese works too!) + more for topping if desired

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly to combine. Make sure the sour cream and cheese is mixed in throughout the entire bowl. Transfer to an oven-safe dish and top with extra cheese . Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through.

As suggested by the original poster of the recipe....To make this process easier, I always have cooked rotisserie chicken on hand, and use Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice. If you have those two things, this meal can be throw together in a matter of minutes and doesnt taste like it at all.

VERDICT:

I maKe this recipe a lot. I always have the ingredients in my house and while my kids dont eat the actual "bake" they eat all the components of it so I can easily deconstruct it and they will be thrilled. They are so weird in their old age that they will eat all the things in it, but not mixed into one dish.....annoying yes! But I should be happy my kids eat Chicken, Rice and Beans. This is the perfect weeknight meal in our house and it will continue to stay a staple

Chicken Stew

I am a little more in love with my Crock pot then I used to be. Mostly because of recipes such as this. It was so easy and while I made a HUGE mistake when I threw it all in....it still came out delicious in spite of me being a total bone head.

***I used an entire 1 pound bag of beans instead of 1 cup, I did have to add a ton more liquid because the beans were too hard and thankfully I had a lot of cooking time left when I realized what I did, but it still came out great

Chicken Stew

borrowed from Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients

1 cup dried pinto beans, rinsed

1 jar (11 ounces) mild or medium salsa (1 1/2 cups)

2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8)

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 medium red onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper (ribs and seeds removed), chopped (will add 2 next time)

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream, for serving

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for serving

Directions

In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, stir together beans, salsa, chiles, flour, and 1 cup water. Season chicken with salt and pepper; arrange on top of bean mixture. Scatter onion and bell pepper on top of chicken.

Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours. (Do not open lid or stir.)

Remove chicken from stew; shred into large pieces and return to stew. Serve topped with sour cream and cilantro.

OVEN METHOD--I am adding this so when I forget to start the crockpot I can still make it :)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Follow step 1, using a 5-quart Dutch oven or large pot, substituting 2 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed, for dried beans, and increasing water to 2 cups. Cover pot and bring to a simmer on top of the stove. Transfer to oven, and cook until chicken is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Proceed with step 3.

Chicken Parm Bake

I have recently become obsessed with Pinterest and it has become such an amazing resource for...well everything! This was the 1st recipe that I pinned to my board and tried. It was SO GOOD! I did alter it from the original, and I might change it up a bit the next time but it really did taste like chicken parm, no frying and it couldnt have been easier. I did eat some croutons so next time I need to get 2 packages so I can eat some and make sure I have enough for a good top layer.

Cant wait to make this one again soon

Chicken Parm Bake

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

hot red pepper flakes, to taste

1 ½ pounds chicken breast cut into 1 inch chunks

2 cups marinara sauce

1/4 cup chopped basil

8 oz mozzarella, shredded

4 oz Parmesan, grated

1 (5-oz) package garlic croutons ( I needed 1 ½ packages because I didn’t have enough)

Directions

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

Spread olive oil into bottom of 13 x 9 in pan

Add the chopped garlic & red pepper flakes to the oil

Layer diced chicken on top, making sure to leave some room in between pieces

Spread sauce on top, letting it get into the cracks

Add chopped basil

Add ½ Mozzearella Choose

Add ½ of Parmesan Cheese

Spread Croutons on Top

Add remaining cheeses to the top

Bake for 35-40 minutes

Slow Cooker Autumn Sausage & Rice

If you have kids and you have to actually feed them, you know it isnt always easy. Sometimes I pick recipes thinking they will both love it. Then they hate it. I can never tell which might like what anymore and while they arent the worlds pickiest eaters, it drives me nuts when they turn their nose up at something I was just they would ask for again and again.

This was such a recipe. I was sure my little one would love it, and she did not. But I might try again, it has all her favorite things so I cant imagine what went wrong?

This is a great slow cooker meal and the flavors are really delicious

Slow Cooker Autumn Sausage & Rice

adapted from A Year of Slow Cooking

Ingredients

-1 pound sausage (I used chicken roasted garlic pre-cooked)

--1 large, or 2 small apples, chopped (no need to peel)

--1 yellow onion, chopped

--1 tbsp. butter

--1/2 cup chopped carrots

--3 cups already cooked long-grain rice (I used white )

--1/2 cup crasins (could use raisins also)

--1 T dried parsley flakes

--1 T brown sugar

--1/2 tsp allspice

--1/2 tsp cinnamon

--1/4 tsp black pepper

--1/3 cup chicken broth or water (I used broth)

The Directions.

The amount of ingredients fit nicely in a 4 quart crockpot. I'd say this comfortably feeds a family of 4-5 with a bit of leftovers. If you have a large family or teenagers, add more rice and sausage. It's a pretty easy recipe to adapt to your needs.

Add butter to a saute pan on med. heat. Add the onions and saute until light brown color. Add chopped sausage to the onions and cook until the sausage pieces get nicely browned. Add mixture to the crockpot. You can omit this step, and will achieve fine results, but I like my sausage cooked this way and I think it makes the flavor better.

**If you are using uncooked pork sausage you can remove onions to the crockpot and brown the sausage completely before adding them to the crockpot**

Dump the rest of the ingredients into the crock, and stir well.

Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours, or on high for 3-4. You're really only heating through, and allowing the vegetables to soften.

This will not stick together like a gloppy casserole; it has the consistency of fried rice. Use bowls to serve rather than plates.

The Perfect Roast Chicken

ITS MY 200TH POST!!!!! Holy cow, I cant even believe it. I have been trying to decide which recipe should take the honor of being #200, and since this recipe was a major achievement, I figured it was fitting.

Have you ever seen the Movie, It's Complicated?

Its an amusing enough movie and in it, the most amazing caterer's most amazing meal is a roast chicken....HUH? How can that be? She can make homemade chocolate croissants, but her Roast Chicken is her claim to fame. I was intrigued, yeah I know I need a life.

But I set a challenge for myself to learn how to make a good roast chicken. This was attempt #4.....It's COMPLICATED...... and I have to say its just about as perfect as it gets.

Perfect Roast Chicken

borrowed from Ina Garten

Ingredients

1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs

1 lemon, halved

1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted

1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced

4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks--* next time I am adding even more

1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedges (blech, I omitted)

Olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.

FOR NEXT TIME--I am going to do a 1/2 hour roasting the regular way and then flip it. The juice was juicy but it still needs a little more moisture. Its either that or brining and I never remember to do that ahead of time. I will also add more yummy carrots and maybe some potatoes in place of the yucky fennel.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

I was cleaning out my giant stack of recipes in my kitchen and stumbled across this one. I was SHOCKED I never blogged it when I made it last November---oopsie!

I love all things Chicken Pot Pie. I know you cant kid yourself into thinking that a chicken pot pie is healthy...the creamy filling, the pie crust, BUT when its good its so worth the slurge. There will be no Weight Watchers Points listed for this one. This soup was such a quick and easy replacement for the real deal.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

adapted from Food Network.com

Ingredients:

4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced

4 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 small white onion, diced (1/4 cup)

2 stalks celery (1/2 cup), diced

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 1/2 pounds frozen mixed vegetables

1 cup heavy cream or 1/2 & 1/2 to cut down on calories

Pinch sea salt

1 store-bought pie crust

Directions:

Add diced potatoes to a large bowl filled with cold water. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the celery cooking until translucent, 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and whisk until it forms a roux. Add the Italian seasoning and pepper; cook for 3 more minutes.

Whisk the roux into the broth and bring back up to a boil. Drain the potatoes. Add the potatoes and the chicken to the broth over low heat. Stir in the frozen vegetables. Place a lid on top and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in cream and a pinch of sea salt and cook for 5 more minutes.

Preheat the oven as directed on the pie crust package.

Lay the pie crust on a baking sheet and place into the oven. Cook according to package instructions, or until the pie crust is golden brown. When the crust has cooled, break up into pieces.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the pie crust.

Chicken & Vegetable Dumpling Soup

I am a sucker for soup. I love it and eat it all year long. Even when its hot outside there is always some soup in the fridge. In wintertime I pretty much make some sort of fresh soup every other day. Chicken and Dumplings is one of my favorites. It is just so hearty and comforting, that if you have never had it, you must try it right away. Dont wait for it to get cold, it will make you happy no matter what the weather

Chicken & Vegetable Dumpling Soup

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:

2 Cups Shredded Cooked Chicken

Vegetables:
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 large carrots (6-7 baby carrots), chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup frozen peas

Dumplings:
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme or sage
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the celery, carrots and onions. Saute for about 6-7 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the vegetables to the hot broth in the pot after the chicken has been removed. Add salt, thyme and pepper to the vegetable/broth mixture and stir to combine. Heat the soup to a simmer.

In a small bowl, blend ½ cup cold water and 1/4 cup flour with a wire whisk until smooth. Whisking vigorously, slowly add the flour mixture into the hot vegetables and broth and whisk until well combined. Add ½ cup frozen peas and the reserved chicken and cook, stirring gently for one minute.

For the dumplings, in a medium bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine sour cream, milk and oil. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined (don’t overmix, it is ok if there are a few dry spots of flour here and there).

Heat the soup to boiling and drop teaspoonful amounts (the dumplings should be fairly small, they’ll expand while cooking) of dumpling dough into the boiling soup, covering the entire surface of the soup (don’t make more than one layer of dumplings). Reduce the heat to simmering, cover and let the dumplings cook for 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid of the pot while the dumplings cook.

When the dumplings have cooked fully, remove the lid and gently stir the dumplings to break them apart. Serve.