Chicken and Rice with "Mongolian Beef" Sauce

Add to instant pot:
1 1/2 cups rice
2 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes

Season 1 lb chicken breast (cut however you'd like) with:
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper

Add to instant pot then add sauce ingredients over the top:
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp ginger powder or fresh chopped ginger
1 garlic clove chopped
1/2 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup brown sugar
*optional - add red pepper flakes for a little spice


Cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. Let pressure release for 10 minutes and then quick release the rest of the pressure.

While it's cooking, chop 2 bell peppers and garlic clove. Saute on stovetop and add to chicken and rice when done.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

1-1 1/2 (ish) cups cooked, shredded chicken
1/2 can diced chilies
1 tsp cumin
4 oz cream cheese
3/4-1 cup shredded cheese
3/4 cup salsa verde

Mix together and roll inside of tortillas (4-6), place in 8x8 pan.

1/2 can green macayos enchilada sauce
1 cup half and half

Pour half the sauce over the top of enchiladas, pour half and half, pour rest of enchilada sauce. Top with 1/2 cup shredded cheese.

Bake at 350 F for 30-40 minutes.

Turkey Stuffing Casserole

I combined two recipes (Stove Top and All Recipes) and made a yummy casserole of Thanksgiving leftovers. I will make this again using chicken.

2 packages Stove Top stuffing -- mix with 2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cup cooked, chopped turkey (or chicken)
1 can cream of chicken soup + 1/2 can water
1 can cream of mushroom soup + 1/2 can water
1 bag frozen broccoli, thawed and drained (may want to chop smaller)
1 cup shredded cheese
1/4 cup butter (melted)

Preheat over to 425 F
Grease 9x13 pan

Put half of the stuffing (already mixed with broth) in the bottom of the pan.
Spread half of the chopped turkey and half of the broccoli over the stuffing.
Pour cream of chicken (already mixed with extra water) over the turkey and broccoli.
Top with cheese.
Spread the rest of the turkey and broccoli over the cheese.
Pour cream of mushroom (already mixed with water) over the turkey and broccoli.
Top with the rest of the stuffing (already mixed with broth).
Drizzle melted butter of the top of the stuffing.

Bake in oven for 30-45 minutes.

Memorial Day Spare Ribs

Preheat oven to 300 F.

Mix the following ingredients in a bowl:
8 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp Weber - Roasted Garlic & Herb seasoning

Rub on rack of spare ribs and wrap in foil. Ideally let it sit overnight, but still is delicious if done right before baking. Place the foil-wrapped ribs in a roasting pan or on a cookie sheet to catch any drips of juice. Bake at 300 F for 2-3 hours or until the meat temperature is close to 160 F.

Place rack of ribs on grill for 10-20 minutes (until charred to your liking), basting the leftover juices in the foil back onto the ribs. While it's on the grill you can also put barbecue sauce on it if you want to. We didn't and it was still delicious!

Chicken and Black Bean Burritos

We had lots of leftover rotisserie chicken that we had to use and I found this recipe. I didn't really measure the spices, but ours could have used a little more kick. I put some salsa on top and that made it yummy! Here is the simplified version of the already simple recipe with a few tweaks.

Bring to a boil:
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Add to the pot and stir until heated :
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup refrigerated fresh salsa

Spread out four flour tortillas and put filling down the middle. Top with shredded cheese (omit cheese if making it dairy-free).

Fold the ends, roll up like a burrito and heat for 2-3 minutes on a nonstick pan with a heavy pan on top to squish it. Flip and heat for another 2-3 minutes.

Enjoy!

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

These baked taquitos from Our Best Bites are delicious! My friend Jill made them for me after I had Leila and mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm... And, if there is a Chuy's within 50 miles of you, it is worth your time to go buy a gallon of their amazing Creamy Jalapeno Dip to dunk these in. I could drink that sauce.

I inserted my own comments to their recipe below.

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic, or garlic powder
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken (for extra yumminess, use grilled taco chicken!) Left over rotisserie chicken is perfect for this
1 C grated pepperjack cheese We only had the shredded Mexican/Colby Jack mix.
small corn tortillas (and actually, flour ones are really good as well) Why waste time with corn tortillas when we all know flour tortillas taste so much better?! Although, corn tortillas can make this a soy-free meal.
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.No need to line with foil. Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it’s soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Don't worry about any of this if you are using flour tortillas... Just on other reason to choose flour over corn. Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or are coming unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.  Roll up tortillas and place seam down on a baking sheet, not touching one another.  Spray lightly with cooking spray, or lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.  Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.  Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.  Dip in sour cream, or our favorite: Creamy Lime-Cilantro Ranch. If you have the option, always stick with Chuy's Creamy Jalapeno Ranch, you won't regret it.

Nikki's Chili

In a large soup pot:

2 Tbsp canola oil (butter if not going dairy free)
3 cloves garlic
1 large sweet onion

Saute until the onion is beginning to become transparent.
Then add:

1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1-2 cups of pre-cooked ground beef
1 can tomato paste
1 can water
1 can kidney beans
1 can pinto beans

In separate cup: stir 1/4 cup harina masa (corn flour) into 1/2 cup of water. Then add to pot.

Add water, if too thick. Add more corn flour if too runny.

1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp oregano
1 Tbsp ground cumin
2-3 Tbsp chili powder*
1/2-1 tsp cayenne pepper*
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

*Add more for extra spice. Can also add chipotle chili powder for a little different flavor and spice.

Let simmer for 1-2 hours. 6-8 large servings. Tastes delicious with cornbread!

-Nikki

Vegetable and Sausage Lasagna

Ingredients (in the order I added them to the pan):

3 Tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 large onion, diced
1 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
salt and pepper

1 tomato, diced (optional, I had one that needed to be used and figured it would be good in here)
1 can of diced tomatoes (mine was Hunt's, seasoned with basil and oregano)
2 cups fresh, washed spinach
1 jar spaghetti sauce (make sure it is dairy-free and soy-free, most are dairy free unless they are cheesy kinds. But Prego is not so free, I'm not sure about Ragu... I used Kroger's Private Selection sauce and it was delicious!)

1 tsp sugar
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp oregano

1/3-ish lb ground Italian sausage, cooked (I would recommend going with mild OR if you don't like the flavor of sausage, you can use ground beef OR omit it completely for a vegetarian lasagna)

Lasagna noodles (I used Barilla, and cooked the whole package but only needed probably 2/3 of the noodles)
Mozzarella cheese *I added this only to my husband's non-dairy lasagna 

Instructions:
Saute garlic and onion in olive oil. When garlic is starting to brown and onion is starting to go clear, add mushrooms and saute until the mushrooms start to look like you want to eat them. Add some salt and pepper.

At this point, you have a couple of options. I did not want to use all of the sausage I bought but wanted to cook it all to freeze and use the next time I make this... SO, you can cook the sausage in a separate pan and add to the recipe later (that's what I did and how I will explain in the rest of the recipe) OR add the raw sausage to cook with your garlic and onion. 

Add spinach and fresh tomato, cook for a minute or two, then add can of tomatoes. Let simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles in separate pot. Boil water and add noodles (should take 8-10 minutes depending on the type of noodle).

Back to the sauce: add spaghetti sauce, sugar, basil and oregano. Stir well and then add sausage. Allow to continue simmering until your noodles are cooked (or longer, doesn't matter).

In a 9x13 pan (or in my case, I used two 8x8 pans so I broke my noodles in half before cooking), layer sauce, noodles, sauce, noodles and sauce until you have used all your sauce. If it doesn't need to be dairy-free, add cheese in the layers and top with cheese.

Our oven was broken so I just heated it up to melt the cheese in the microwave (I used Pyrex since it is microwave-safe). If you use cheese, putting it in the oven will let it get the nice golden top... 
-Nikki Adams

Red Coconut Curry

2 Tbsp canola oil
2 chicken breasts, bite-size pieces

Heat oil and add chicken breasts. Cook until halfway done and put on a plate.

2 Tbsp canola oil
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, diced
2 red potatoes, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
ginger
red pepper flakes
coconut milk (13.5 fl oz)
red pepper paste (we have Thai Kitchen and we think it isn't very spicy)

Heat oil, saute garlic and onion (and ginger if it is real ginger, if it's ginger powder add when you add the curry paste) for a few minutes on medium heat. Add 3 Tbsp red curry paste. Add potatoes and coconut milk. Sprinkle red pepper flakes (amount depends on how hot you want it) in. Add chicken. Let simmer for a few minutes. Add bell pepper. Continue to simmer for about 10 minutes.

Serve over rice.

Sweet and Sour Chicken (non-battered)

2 tablespoons canola oil
2 chicken breasts, diced into chunks
salt and pepper
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 onion
1 bell pepper (any color, I used red)

Cook chicken, onion and garlic in the oil. While cooking chicken, prepare the sauce. When chicken is almost cooked through, add the peppers.

Sauce:
In a small sauce pan, combine all of these ingredients and bring to a boil.

1/2 cup pineapple juice
3 Tbsp light brown sugar
3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 chicken boullion cubes
1 tsp ginger (if using fresh minced ginger, cook with the chicken, garlic and onions)
4 tsp cornstarch mixed with 4 tsp water

Add 1 cup of diced pineapple to the chicken mixture and pour sauce over top. Allow to simmer, stirring occasionally for 5-10 minutes. Serve over rice.

(Can add food coloring or ketchup for the red/orange color associated with sweet and sour.)

Sweet Pulled Pork

Put pork loin or pork chops in crockpot.
Add 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 cup salsa. (adjust if bigger pork loin)
Cook all day.
Shred pork with forks.
Add water if needed.

Delicious!!

from Jeremy

Loaded Potato Soup

 

 

Minutes to Prepare: 15

Minutes to Cook: 40

Number of Servings: 8

Ingredients

Soup:
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
5 Russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 quart homemade or low sodium chicken or vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1 ear corn cooked or 1/2 cup frozen kernels
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Toppings:
8 cherry tomatoes, diced
2 Tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

This is not your traditional potato soup recipe. This soup is loaded down--with nutrition not fat! A loaded baked potato can have 460 calories each, and potato soup has gobs of salt. 

Heat a saucepan to medium-low, add the oil, then add the onions once the oil warms. Sweat the onions for 3-4 minutes (to soften them; you don't want them to brown). Add the garlic, celery and bell pepper and cook another 3-4 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the flour using a wooden spoon, and cook for 1 minute to remove the raw flour taste. Add the pepper, bay leaf and thyme, then slowly pour in the stock and the potatoes, stir and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove the bay leaf and add the corn and cayenne pepper. Using an immersion blender or food processor, puree the soup until smooth.
If you want a thinner soup, add more stock.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish each one cup serving with 1 cherry tomato chopped, 1 teaspoon sharp cheese.

Serving Size: Makes 8 one-cup servings.
 
Nutritional Info
• Servings Per Recipe: 8
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 167.9
• Total Fat: 2.1 g
• Cholesterol: 2.0 mg
• Sodium: 49.9 mg
• Total Carbs: 32.0 g
• Dietary Fiber: 4.5 g
• Protein: 4.9 g
    Sparkpeople: Chef Meg

Creamy Chicken Tomato Soup

Creamy Chicken Tomato Soup

 

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

3 stalks celery

2 cups bell peppers (any color)

3 cups baby carrots

3 cups cooked, shredded chicken

6 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes

2 cans (12 oz) tomato paste

Cholula Hot Sauce

Cajun Seasoning

Salt

Pepper

Cheese

Sour Cream

 

Saute onion, garlic, celery, bell peppers until tender.

Steam carrots in microwave about 5 minutes until soft.

Blend everything carefully and return to pan.

Blend tomatoes and tomato paste and add to pan.

Add shredded chicken.

Season with salt, pepper, Cajun Seasoning, and Cholula Hot Sauce.

Heat and serve in bread bowls.

 

Garnish with cheese and sour cream.

 

Christy Perkins

Viva la Chicken

6 Cans    Cream of Chicken soup  (10 3/4 oz.)
1 Jar       Salsa (4 lb)
4 Chicken Breasts (cooked and cubed)
2 Cans    Green Chili Enchilada Sauce (large)
1 Can (Enchilada)   Milk
Mix all together in pan.
Stir in to mixture, 2 bags (13 oz) crushed tortilla strips
Top with Cheese

Cook 1/2 hour at 350*

Christy Perkins

Oven Baked Chimichangas

2/3 c salsa

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp oregano

1 ½ c shredded chicken or beef

1 c cheese

2 green onions

6 flour tortillas

1 T melted butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix first 6 ingredients. Put about a ½ cup of mix on each tortilla. Fold in the sides and then roll up the tortillas from the bottom. Place seam side down on a cookie sheet and brush with the melted butter. Bake for 15 minutes. 

Marinated Turkey Breast

1 c oil

1 c soy sauce

1 can 7 up

¼ tsp garlic powder

2 turkey breasts (cut into ½ in. thick pieces)

Marinate in a refrigerator for 24hrs. in a 9x13 pan. Then grill (if you don’t have a BBQ’er then broil).

Tamale Pie

Mix:

2 c roast beef (8-10oz)

1 can chili (8oz)

1 can chopped green chilies (4oz)

¼ c sliced green onions (optional)

¼ tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp pepper

In a separate bowl mix one 8 1/2oz box corn mix with 1 c cold water. Pour into a greased 9x9 pan. Spook beef mixture on top, leaving the edges open. Bake @ 420 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese.

Chicken Lime Fajitas

2 large chicken breasts
2 bell peppers
1 onion
Fajita seasoning
Lime juice
Tortillas
Cheese
Sour cream
Avocado 
Salsa

Cut chicken into strips, place in bowl with ¾ packet fajita seasoning and 1-2 tbsp lime juice. Set aside.
Cut bell peppers and onion into strips.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in pan, pour chicken and all the juice/seasonings into the pan. Spread the chicken out so it is laying flat and not on top of other chicken. Cook for a few minutes and then flip.
When the chicken is almost done, remove and place on plate.
Add the rest of the fajita seasoning, bell peppers and onion to the oil/sauce. Add some water, place lid on pan and stir occasionally until they are cooked.
Add chicken and cook until chicken is hot again.
Serve on a tortilla with cheese, sliced avocado, sour cream and salsa. Mmm!
Nikki Adams
*Dairy-free without cheese and sour cream
**seasoning and tortillas most likely contain soy

Taco Pasta

1 pound ground beef or turkey
8-12 ounces medium pasta shells or other small dry pasta shapes
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, drained (if making this for kids you might want to use just plain diced tomatoes)
1 packet (4 tablespoons) taco seasoning
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground meat over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the meat is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the meat is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes.

Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit if it is still too thin.

Toss in the cilantro right before serving for some fresh color and flavor. Serve with a green salad.

From Fake Ginger

To make it easier, I have ziploc bags with pre-cooked and seasoned taco meat in the freezer. I also don't usually have sour cream on-hand. While I thaw the meat and boil the pasta, I saute the onion and garlic, then add tomatoes 6 oz of cream cheese and pre-cooked meat. Then add the pasta when it's done. This shortens prep and cook time a lot: it only takes maybe 5 minutes of chopping and 10-15 minutes of cooking (depending on what type of pasta you use). 

*Dairy-free- don't add sour cream or cream cheese to the whole dish, wait and add to individual bowls. It will be spicier without the sour cream/cream cheese.
**Taco seasoning most likely contains soy.

Red and White Pasta

1 lb tubular pasta (ziti, penne, etc), cooked and drained
1 jar alfredo sauce*
1 jar tomato sauce
3 cups mozzarella cheese

Spread a thin layer of red sauce at the bottom of a 9x13 pan, then layer half the pasta, half the white sauce, half the red sauce, half the cheese, half the pasta, half the white sauce, half the red sauce, half the cheese.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or stick in the microwave until the cheese is melted.

*It tastes much better if you pay the extra bit to get Classico sauce instead of Ragu or just buy it when it's on sale.

Shared with my friend, Kate, by her friend Kim...