creamy chicken noodle soup...

This creamy soup is an ultimate comfort food.

The addition of a simple homemade white sauce brings it to another level of deliciousness, perfect for warming you up on a fall day.  Eat it with fresh rolls or some crusty french bread to sop up the broth, and you will be one happy camper!

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

(inspired by Real Mom Kitchen)

Main Ingredients:

1-2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 onion, chopped

24-30 baby carrots, sliced (or 2-3 large carrots)

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 32 oz. carton fat free, low sodium chicken broth

4 cups water

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken

2 cups uncooked noodles

Salt & pepper to taste

Fresh parsley (optional)

Cream Sauce:

1/3 cup butter

1/2 cup flour

2 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

In a soup or stock pot, heat oil and saute garlic 1 minute.  Add onion, carrot, and celery and saute until onions begin to become translucent.  Pour in chicken broth and water, then add dried herbs.  Heat broth to boiling and add shredded chicken and pasta.   Boil until the pasta is cooked (check the package directions), then reduce heat to a simmer.

In another pan, melt butter.  Stir in flour and cook for a few moments, until the flour is incorporated and the mixture is golden.  Stir constantly to prevent scorching!  Slowly stir in milk a little at a time.  Keep stirring!  Add the lemon juice.  As it warms, the sauce will thicken.  Once it's good and thick, just stir your cream sauce into your simmering soup.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  (We liked it with a good amount of pepper.)  Serve topped with fresh parsley.

The ingredients can easily be doubled to make a large batch to feed a crowd!

lasagna rolls...

There are several versions of lasagna rolls I've spotted floating around the internet--Skinny Taste, The Girl Who Ate Everything, and Whole Foods.  Since I'm generally way too lazy to make a whole lasagna for just my husband and I, I thought lasagna rolls might be just right for us.

I liked that all of these recipes had spinach...gotta pack those healthy veggies in wherever I can!  However, I generally find most ricotta fillings to be way too bland.  So I spiced my version up with a bit of Italian sausage and some sauce mixed in with the filling.  My husband LOVED how they turned out.

Lasagna Rolls

8 lasagna noodles

1/2 lb. Italian sausage

1 1/2 - 2 cups baby spinach (packed)

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

jar of spaghetti sauce

shredded mozzarella

Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions.  Drain and pat dry.  Brown & drain sausage.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Chop baby spinach and place in medium mixing bowl.  Add ricotta, parmesan, egg, oregano, sausage, and 1/2 cup of the spaghetti sauce.  Stir to combine.

Cover bottom of  9 x 13 baking dish with spaghetti sauce.  Lay out noodles on waxed paper and spread with filling.  (Don't overfill.  A little goes a long way.)  Roll and place seam side down in dish.  Repeat with the rest of your noodles.

Pour sauce over the top of your rolls and sprinkle with mozzarella.  Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes, then remove foil and cook for 5 more minutes.

The rolls make it easy to divvy up individual portions at the table and the leftovers made great lunches for the week.  In fact, I bet these lasagna rolls would work perfectly for a freezer meal...I'll have to give it a try!

lemon chicken...

We eat chicken ALL. THE. TIME.

I try to mix it up with different sauces, marinades, veggies, etc., so I'm always happy when I find a new take on classics that we already like.

Thanks to Pinterest, I came across Ina Garten's Lemon Chicken Breast recipe.  It sounded delicious, so I tried to come up with an adaptation with ingredients that we generally use (like skinless tenderloins).  And it turned out dang good!

It might not look like much...  (Ina's is much prettier with that browned skin.)

...But the chicken was so moist and flavorful.  

The pan juices make such a great sauce. Mmm.

Lemon Chicken

adapted from Barefoot Contessa

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons minced garlic

1/3 cup chicken stock (or broth)

zest of 1 lemon

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 6-8 tenderloins)

1 lemon sliced into wedges

salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Remove pan from heat and add stock, zest, and spices.

Lay out chicken in a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Pour sauce mixture over the top.  Salt & pepper to taste and add lemon wedges.

Bake for 15-30 minutes depending on the size of the chicken.  (Or use a digital thermometer that alerts you when the your meat reaches the correct internal temperature...best kitchen gadget EVER!)  Serve hot with pan juices.

steak stroganoff...

Oh man.
I haven't posted a recipe in awhile, but I've got a whole slew coming up this week.  (I hope you're all hungry!)

I have had this recipe sitting in my drafts for a month...

I don't know why I haven't finished this post before now because it's one of our favorites!

It's a great take on stroganoff--you can use different cuts of meat depending on what's on sale or what you have on hand.  And the sour cream is added as a garnish rather than cooked into the sauce, which adds a freshness that I love.

Steak Stroganoff 

1 lb. sirloin (or london broil, strip steak, round steak...etc.)

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 cup water

1 cube beef bouillon

2 tablespoons dehydrated onion

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1/2 tablespoon dried parsley

1 small can cream of mushroom soup

1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet

Sliced mushrooms (which I always leave out because I don't do mushroom textures.)

Salt & pepper to taste

Cooked rice or wide noodles

Sour Cream  (I HEART sour cream.  Big time.  And Naturally Yours Fat-free Sour Cream is the best...I prefer it to full fat sour cream, hands down.  You should try it.)

Cut meat into short strips and brown in saucepan.  Add onion and garlic and saute until tender.

Add water, mushroom soup, bouillon, dehydrated onion, parsley, Kitchen Bouquet, mushrooms, salt, and pepper.  Stir well and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes - 2 hours, stirring occasionally. (The longer you let it simmer, the more tender the meat. Add a little more water if necessary.)

Serve over noodles or rice, topped with a dallop of sour cream.  

Mmm...hot beef and noodles, cool sour cream.  The temperature contrast makes it all the more delicious.  You'll never go back to ground beef stroganoff, so consider yourself warned.  And this recipe is easy to double or alter to your tastes.  I often don't even measure.  I just throw in whatever looks good, so don't be scared to add a little more of this or a little less of that.

thai-inspired noodles...

We looooove thai food at our house, but it can get pricey eating out whenever that Thai craving hits.  This dish is a great recipe to make at home.  It has some great Thai-inspired flavors, but is made with everyday ingredients that you probably already use on a regular basis.

I like to boil and shred lots of chicken at the same time, then freeze it in usable portions to cut down on prep time when I'm making dinner.  My freezer chicken worked perfectly for this recipe.

We thought it had a good level of spice without being too hot.  Plus, it got two thumbs up from the hubby...which is always a good sign!

I adapted my version from this Noodlehead recipe.

Thai-Inspired Noodles

Cook Time:  3o minutes

Ingredients:

1 carrot, peeled

3-5 green onions, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 garlic cloves, minced

Shredded cooked chicken

8 oz. linguine

Cilantro

dry-roasted peanuts, chopped

toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

1.        Shave carrot lengthwise into thin strips using a vegetable peeler.  Prep other veggies as well.

2.     Cook noodles according to package directions.

3.      Place chicken in a large saucepan with 2/3 cup of the chicken broth.  Bring to a simmer and add veggies.

4.      Combine 1/3 cup of the broth, peanut butter, ginger soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, pepper flakes, and garlic. Whisk until smooth.

5.      Combine peanut sauce, chicken & veggies, and noodles in a large bowl.  Toss to coat and sprinkle with cilantro to taste.  Garnish with chopped peanuts and toasted sesame seeds.  (Tip: I put my peanuts in a little baggie and smashed them with a hammer.  Way faster than chopping or busting out a food processor.)

Servings:  4 servings

Variations/Substitutions:

Try adding other vegetables such as snow peas or bean sprouts.  Or use shrimp instead of chicken.

panko crusted shrimp...

To. Die. For.
and easy to make!
Don't judge from my crappy photo. Trust me. Soooo GOOD.

Panko Crusted Shrimp
(adapted from this Pioneer Woman mozzarella stick recipe, oddly enough)

24 medium-large shrimp, tail on
1/2 cup flour
1 whole egg
2-3 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
garlic powder & parsley to taste
canola oil

Set up your breading station - Put flour in small bowl.  In another small bowl, beat the egg and milk.  In a third small bowl, mix breadcrumbs, garlic powder, and parsley. Coat each shrimp with flour, then egg mixture, then breadcrumb. Set aside on plate. Repeat until all shrimp are coated.

Heat 3/4" or so of canola oil in shallow pan on medium heat.  Cook shrimp for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown.  Drain on paper towel covered plate for a few moments before serving with dipping sauce of choice.

Makes 2 servings (12 shrimp each).

When I made this last week, I served them with crunchy asian salad and sweet & sour dipping sauce. Mmm Mmm. I might have to go make some more...

good eats (southwestern lasagna & white chicken chili)...

Earlier this week, I gave this southwestern lasagna a try (another Yummy Fun find). We ate it topped with sour cream and spanish rice on the side. It was really good fresh...I liked the crispiness of the baked tortillas on top. But the leftovers are good, too.

Southwestern Lasagna
8 small flour tortillas
3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can Rotel (diced tomatoes/green chilies)
1 can diced green chilies
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 cup frozen corn
1 can black beans
juice from 1/2 lime
3 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, grated
chopped cilantro to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Saute shredded chicken, onion, Rotel, chilies, and spices.  Simmer until slightly bubbly.  Add corn and black beans.

Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.  Cover bottom of dish with 2-3 tortillas.  Layer half of the chicken mixture on top, followed by half of the cheese.  Repeat layers, then top with cilantro and 2 tortillas cut into triangles.

Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes.  Remove foil and bake and additional 20-30 minutes.

Then tonight I made eatbetteramerica's version of white chicken chili.  Doesn't their pic look yummy?

White Chicken Chili
1 lb ground chicken (I used shredded instead.)
1 onion, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (or less to taste)
2 medium zucchini, chopped
2 cans great northern beans
1 can chopped green chilies
1/2 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

In a large saute pan, cook chicken, onion, and garlic over medium heat until chicken is no longer pink.  (If you substitute cooked shredded chicken, just cook until onions are translucent.)

Stir in all remaining ingredients, except cheese.  Heat to boiling, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until zucchini is tender.

Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted.

I used pepper jack rather than plain monterey, added a handful of finely minced spinach, and just threw all the ingredients in the crock pot for a couple of hours. It was definitely more like soup than chili. I thought the flavor was really good, kind of sweet with a little kick. We ate ours topped with sour cream and tortilla chips. It was very filling without being too heavy.

dinnertime (lemon herb chicken bake & more)...

Thanks to those of you who gave me some good new recipes and sources! I've been scouring blogs, websites, and cookbooks for dinner ideas...and tried a few new ones this week. It's been fun to be excited about cooking dinner again.
Bran's old friend Jessica suggested food blog Yummy Fun, which is where I found the recipe for this lemon herb chicken bake... Lemon Herb Chicken Bake
Main Ingredients:
6-7 chicken breasts
5-6 medium red potatoes, quartered
1 cup frozen peas

Sauce:
Combine the following in saucepan and simmer for 3-5 minutes...
1/4 cup butter
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
3 Tablespoons minced dried onion
1 Tablespoon rosemary
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon sugar 2/3 cup half & half

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place chicken in a 9 x 13 baking dish and cover with potatoes and peas.  Pour sauce over the top and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake uncovered for about 40 minutes until potatoes are browning and sauce is bubbly.
I really liked how it turned out. I halved the recipe (since i'm only cooking for two) with no problems. I even reduced the amount of butter and increased the amount of peas...and I wish I had added even more peas. They tasted so good with the onion and lemon, and the chicken stayed nice and moist. The leftovers were fantastic!
My only suggestion would be to either cut your potatoes even smaller or increase the cooking time a few minutes. Some of the bigger pieces of potato weren't quite as done as  like. Also, I had some grated Parmesan that I needed to use, but next time I'm using shredded...I bet it will be even better.
This past week, I also cracked open my Betty Crocker's Bridal Edition cookbook and got the idea for creamy tomato penne.
All I did was add 1/4 cup of half-and-half to tomato pasta sauce, mixed it with cooked penne, and topped it with a bit of shredded parmesan. The cream really cut the acidity of the tomato...I liked it. We had ours with spinach salads topped with our favorite veggies and Parmesan garlic bread (french bread drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with garlic powder and italian seasoning, topped with shredded parmesan, broiled until golden and bubbly). It was a simple meal, but so delicious. Bran and I just loved it.
More cooking adventures to come!

chicken pot pie...

I know I've blogged about this before, but eatbetteramerica is such an awesome site. I made their "healthified" chicken pot pie the other night and it was delicious!  Check out their photo...(mine didn't look nearly that pretty.)

I didn't have a round casserole, so I just used a square Pyrex and it worked fine.  I also used less chicken...4 cups seemed like a lot.  I opted for 2 cans of chunk chicken from my food storage and a larger (16 oz.) bag of veggies.  It turned out great - comfort food, for sure!

“Healthified” Chicken Pot Pie Preheat:  375° Cook Time:  1 hour, start to finish Ingredients: 1 bag (12-16 oz) frozen mixed vegetables 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 ¼  cups skim milk 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup 1/4 cup fat-free sour cream 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked, cut into bite-size pieces (about 4 cups) 1 refrigerated pie crust, softened as directed on box Directions: 1.        Cook and drain vegetables as directed on bag. 2.     Heat oven to 375°F. In 2-quart saucepan, mix flour, salt, poultry seasoning, pepper and milk with wire whisk until blended. Stir in onion. Cook over medium heat 4 to 6 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened. 3.      Stir in soup and sour cream. Add chicken and cooked vegetables; mix well. Cook, stirring frequently, until thoroughly heated. Pour into ungreased 2-quart round casserole. Unroll pie crust; place over hot filling. Seal edge and flute as desired. Cut slits in several places in crust. 4.       Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown and mixture is bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Servings:  4-6