Easy Chicken and Rice Soup

When Bill was sick last week, he was eating a lot of soup.  While he didn't mind eating the canned soup, I wanted to make something a little healthier and more hearty.  I found this recipe with a quick search and it looked pretty simple to make.  It was quite simple and was outstanding!  It was very flavorful, while still not being too exotic of flavors for someone who is sick.  It was very hearty and I think will now be my new go to for when we are sick (or sometimes even when we aren't)!

Easy Chicken and Rice Soup
From: Two Peas and Their Pod
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 min

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices
2 celery rips, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 quarts chicken stock or broth
1 cup of water
1 cup long grain white rice
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts
kosher salt and freshly ground blank pepper

Directions:
1. Place a soup pot over medium heat and add the olive oil.  Add onions, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf.  Cook and stir for about 6 minutes, until vegetables are softened and not browned.

2. Pour in the chicken broth and water - bring the liquid to a boil.

3. Add in the rice and chicken, season with salt and pepper.

4. Cook on medium-low heat until the rice is tender- about 30 minutes.  Serve Hot.

Crock Pot Baked Potato Soup

My friend Jorie made this soup for our small group a couple weeks ago and it hit the spot on a cool fall day.  So I got the recipe from her and gave it a shot.  My cream cheese took a lot longer to melt than I thought (I even used the regular as directed, not low fat), so next time I will try bringing the cream cheese to room temperature before adding it instead of straight from the fridge.  Everyone really liked it, but I do have to say that the toppings really make the soup, so make sure you have some!

Crock Pot Baked Potato Soup
From: Jorie Meyer
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 6-8 hrs
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
1 30 oz bag of frozen, shredded hash browns
3 14oz cans of chicken broth
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 onion, chopped
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 pkg cream cheese (do not use fat free, it won't melt)

Directions:
1. In a crock pot, combine everything except for the cream cheese.  Cook for 6-8 hours on low.

2. About an hour before serving stir and add the cream cheese and turn to high until thoroughly melted (it will melt faster if it is already softened and not straight out of the fridge).

3.  Serve with shredded cheese, bacon bits, sour cream, and green onions.

BBQ Chopped Chicken, Chick Pea, and Avocado Salad

I saw this salad on Pinterest and was intrigued by the use of BBQ sauce as a dressing.  It includes all the toppings I really like to use in my salads and the BBQ gave it a bit of a different flavor than my usual dressing.  The recipe called for goat cheese, but we used feta because Bill isn't a fan of goat cheese (although I love it and would have preferred to use goat cheese).  This was good to make for dinner and then have the leftovers for lunch the next day, you just need to keep the bbq sauce on the side.

What's for Lunch Wednesday:
BBQ Chopped Chicken, Chick Pea, and Avocado Salad
From: Ambitious Kitchen
Prep Time: 15 min

Ingredients:
Romain Lettuce Hearts, washed and chopped
1 cup pulled cooked chicken
1 (15oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
3/4 cup sweet corn (I used canned)
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese or feta
1/3 cup cilantro, washed and chopped
1 small avocado, diced
1/2 cup BBQ dressing/sauce, if desired

Directions:
1. In a large bowl and lettuce, top with all ingredients except for avocado and bbq sauce.  Toss salad gently

2.  Place into salad bowls.  Garnish with diced avocado and drizzle with bbq sauce. Serve with tortilla chips if desired.

Crock Pot Beef & Broccoli

Whenever we get Chinese food, Bill almost always orders Beef and Broccoli.  When I saw this easy recipe that could be done in the slow cooker, I knew I had to make it.  It turned out really good.  The red pepper flakes give it a little spice that you don't expect, but if you aren't into spice you could easily leave that out and it would still be really flavorful.  I'm sure I will be making this again soon!

Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli
From: A Year of Slow Cooking
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 6-8 hrs on low

Ingredients:
1 lb thin beef
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp white wine
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 bag frozen broccoli florets, thawed

Directions:
1. Add the liquid to the crockpot. Add garlic and spices to mixture.

2.  Slice meat into thin strips, toss in liquid and spices.

3. Cook on low fro 6-8 hours.

4.  A 1/2 hr to an hour before hand, add bag of broccoli and cook on high for 1/2 hr to an hour until warm.

5. Serve over white or brown rice.

Quinoa Vegetable Salad with Lemon-Basil Dressing

This was an easy to make and good for several days of lunches.  Any combination of quinoa and veggies is usually good with me though!

What's for Lunch Wednesday:
Quinoa Vegetable Salad with Lemon-Basil Dressing
From: The Garden Grazer
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 15 min

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked quinoa
15oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
3 roma tomatoes, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 cups corn (canned or frozen and thawed)
5 green onions, sliced

Dressing:
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp basil (fresh if you have it)

Directions:
1. Rinse quinoa, and cook according to package directions

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, and basil. Set aside and prep vegetables.

3. When quino is done cooking, let cool.

4. Then place all salad ingredients in a large bowl.   Pour dressing over top and mix well to combine.  Eat immediately or chill before serving.

Chicken and Rice Casserole

This was one of my favorite meals when I was growing up.  It is super easy to make and good comfort food.  The only downside to it is that it cooks for an hour and a half, so it doesn't end up being a meal I can make on a week night very easily.

Chicken and Rice Casserole
From: My Mom
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients:
1 cup white rice
1 can french onion soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup water
1 - 2 lbs chicken breasts
Garlic powder
Paprika
Salt & Pepper

Directions:
1. In a 9x13 pan mix together 2 cans of soup and water until mixed.  Stir in rice.

2. Place chicken (either whole breasts or cut in half) on top of rice mixture.

3. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours.

Honey Soy Salmon

I wanted to use some salmon I had, but didn't want to go out to the grocery store for any ingredients and didn't have time to marinade the salmon, so of course I went to pinterest.  After a few busts, I found this recipe.  I had all the ingredients in the house and it was really quick to make.  We both enjoyed the flavor of this and I think I will keep it close at hand the next time I cook salmon.

Honey Soy Salmon
From: Smart and Sassy Mom
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10-15 minutes

Ingredients:
Salmon fillets (2)
2 Tbsp Honey
1 Tbsp soy sauce
Sea Salt
Pepper
1 garlic clove, minced

Directions:
1. Preheat broiler.  Combine honey with soy sauce in a small bowl.

2. Season the salmon filets with sea salt, pepper, and minced garlic.  Broil for 5 minutes.

3. Drizzle with honey-soy sauce and broil an additional 5-7 minutes.

Crock Pot Baked Potatoes

This recipe might be the easiest recipe I've ever made.  I like baked potatoes, but I don't really want to wait on a week night for them to cook in the oven, or I just don't want to heat the house up with the oven.  This is the perfect solution and the potatoes are cooked just perfectly!

Crock Pot Baked Potatoes
From: Skip to my Lou
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 8 hrs

Ingredients:
Potatoes
Aluminum foil

Directions:
1. Wash potatoes and wrap each potato in aluminum foil.

2.  Place potatoes in crock pot and cook on low for at least 8 hrs.

Easy Sauteed Kale

I bought some Kale at the farmer's market this week and wanted to saute some up.  I did a quick search and found this really easy recipe.  It was pretty tasty and nice and quick to whip up for a side.

Easy Sauteed Kale
From: Food.com
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5-7 min

Ingredients:
1 bunch of kale, coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp oive oil
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste (optional
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1/2 cup vegetable stock or water
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat

2. Add crushed red pepper flacks if using and let them heat in the oil  Add garlic and cook until soft, but not colored

3. Raise heat to high, add the stock and kale and toss to combine.

4. Cover and cook for 5 minutes

6.  Remove lid and continue to cook, stirring until all (most) of the liquid has evaporated.

7. Season with salt and pepper and add vinegar.  Toss and serve.

Easy Mexican Casserole

This casserole is pretty easy to make and is quite tasty and filling.  I loved it with black olives, but for those of you that don't like them, they could be easily left out. It also makes a lot so it is good for a crowd (or to have some leftovers)!

Easy Mexican Casserole
From: All Recipes
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 30 min

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef
2 cups salsa
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups tortilla chips, crushed
2 cups sour cream
1/2 can of black olives, sliced
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh tomato
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef until no longer pink.  Add salsa, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.  Stir in beans and heat through.

3. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.  Spread crushed tortilla chips in pan, and then spoon beef mixture over chips.

4. Spread sour cream over beef, and sprinkle olives, green onions, and tomato over the sour cream.  Top with Cheddar cheese.

5. Bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.