Posted on

Thai Chicken Vegetable Soup

 

Thai Chicken Vegetable Soup
Thai chicken vegetable soup is delicious!

Thai chicken vegetable soup is delicious! A couple of weeks ago I saw this Thai Ginger broth on the clearance rack at Publix. I found a wonderful recipe on the back for Thai Chicken Vegetable Soup! So I am sharing it with you right off the back of the box because I wouldn’t want you to miss out! It is very simple and quick to make. The broth is a bit spicier than I anticipated but suited our family very well. To accompany our soup we made rice. Using our homemade bone broth for the liquid in the rice adds a lot of flavors. I had a bit of onion and zucchini left from other cooking so I sauteed them in a bit of olive oil and then added the bone broth and the rice and covered it until it was done. Some of us ate ours over the rice and some ate the rice separately. Either way, it was all good.

Swanson’s Thai Chicken Vegetable Soup

1 Tablespoon cooking oil

1 medium carrot, cut into 2-inch matchstick-thin strips

1 medium red pepper  cut into 2-inch matchstick-thin strips

1 cup mushrooms ( I used baby Bella)

1 quart Swanson’s Thai Ginger Flavor Infused Broth

2 cups shredded chicken

1 can unsweetened coconut milk

2 Tablespoons of lime juice

2 Tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro

Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add carrot and pepper and cook 5 minutes until slightly tender. Stir in mushrooms. Add broth to the saucepan and heat to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in chicken, cook 5 minutes until it is hot. Stir in coconut milk and cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling. Stir in lime juice and cilantro.

Thank you, Swanson’s for making a great broth meal starter!

Swanson's Thai Chicken Vegetable Soup
Swanson’s Thai Chicken Vegetable Soup
Swanson's Thai Chicken Vegetable Soup
Swanson’s Thai Chicken Vegetable Soup

 

Posted on

Chicken Enchiladas

 

My First Chicken Enchilada Recipe from the 90’s

1 whole chicken, cooked and cubed (or to save time and maybe money buy a rotisserie chicken already cooked)
4 ounce can of chopped green chilies                                                                                         1 teaspoon salt
20 ounces green enchilada sauce
6 ounces of evaporated milk
1 can cream chicken soup
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar, grated
12-24 flour tortillas or gluten-free tortillas(SEE NOTE)
Rotel tomatoes, chopped

Mix chicken, chilies, salt, enchilada sauce, evaporated milk, soup and 1 cup of cheese. Warm tortillas. Fill with 1/4 c. chicken mixture. Roll up, seam down and place in baking dish sprayed lightly with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper. Pour Rotel tomatoes into the remaining mixture (if there is any); pour over enchiladas. Sprinkle with 2 cups of cheese. Bake in preheated oven 425° for 20 minutes, until bubbly. It is best to put them in the oven immediately to avoid the bottoms becoming soggy.

Enjoy!

GLUTEN-FREE:

Since several family members have become gluten intolerant I tried a batch with Mission’s gluten-free tortillas they were a bit too soft on the bottom. Two ideas for making this better.  One would be to lightly char them or two to make the filling in a casserole dish or slow cooker and let each one fill their own tortilla shell.

Posted on

Rice Noodle Bowl

I really wanted some type of Asian influenced food tonight. I haven’t cooked a lot of Asian food but I love to eat it! I had several things to create a dish with, on hand. This is what I created.

Rice Noodle Bowl

4 cloves of garlic

2 teaspoons of ginger minced

1 purple onion chopped

1 lime – zested and juiced

2  pounds of cabbage slaw mix

4 chicken breasts (I will add 1-2 more next time) cooked and cubed

1 cup of chopped broccoli (I had frozen so I steamed it a bit and added it when I added the chicken) Raw could be chopped and sauteed with the onions.

gluten free soy sauce

2 teaspoons of sesame oil

Rice noodles  8 oz. box ( I used Annie Chun’s Maifun Rice Noodles) The box says 4 servings but for me, it was easily 6-8 servings of noodles.

Cilantro a small handful

Bake or fry your chicken breasts. Cube the chicken. Start your water to boil. Saute´ the garlic and onions in the sesame oil and then add the cabbage and lime zest and juice and cook this until it is soft. If it is too dry add a couple of Tablespoons of the chicken broth from cooking the chicken.  Add the chicken.  Cook the rice noodles 1-2 minutes. Mix it all together in a large bowl and add the cilantro and soy sauce to taste. 6-8 Servings. Enjoy!

 

Posted on

Tacos for a Crowd

When my kids call and tell me that they are bringing 20 friends over for dinner (or for the weekend) this is what I make! I have two very fast meals I could cook. Today,  I will share one of them.

Tacos, Taco Salad, or Taco Bar is the fasted thing I can make to satisfy a hungry crowd and leave me with energy enough to visit with my company. One of the things I like about making a taco bar is that everyone can make their own plates. If they are vegetarian or meat eaters, if they are dairy or gluten-free they can all eat.

I brown the ground beef at least 5 lbs and/or start chicken breasts baking in the oven to be shredded and seasoned with taco seasoning or some herbs from your cabinet (chili powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper and red pepper flakes if you like it hot!) The beef takes me about 15 minutes to get it all browned, drained, and seasoned. The chicken breasts usually take 20 minutes to cook and then I either cut them up or put them through my food processor.

1 to 2 heads of Romaine lettuce ( I like it best, probably because it is greener) or bagged Romaine

A large jug of salsa, if we don’t have homemade in the fridge or two regular jars

Sour Cream at least 24 oz.

2 cans of black olives sliced if not presliced or diced

2 cans of pinto beans or black beans, drained if you do not have homemade beans on hand

One or two bunches of  green onions or any onions chopped in the food processor or chopper

A few tomatoes chopped, 2-4

A large bag of shredded cheese 2-4 lbs.

A couple of bags of tortilla chips, taco shells, or soft tortillas or a combination

If I am in a hurry the only thing I really have to cook is the meat. While the meat is cooking I open the other items and set up the bar. Giant bowls of chips, cheese, lettuce, and smaller bowls of sour cream, tomatoes, onions, and olives.

You may not need tacos for a crowd but hopefully, some of these suggestions will help you get dinner on the table fast whether you are feeding a crowd or just your family.

Now for my tips and shortcuts:

Buy bulk ground beef when it is on sale. Brown and season your ground beef and put it in freezer baggies in 3-4 cup packages. Then it is ready for making quick dinners during the week or for surprises.

Buy large bags of shredded cheese (at great prices of course) and divide it into freezer bags. I do bags with 2 cups each and freeze them.

Make your own taco seasonings. You have more control over what is in your food as well as saving money.

 

Posted on

My Chicken Curry Recipe

I used to make Chicken Curry in huge batches and freeze them. Lately, I haven’t been making it very much. When I did my menu plan this month I included this recipe. I no longer need the big batches. Yes, it is sad and happy. I miss having all my kids around the table. I am happy for them that they have their own adventures, though. Today my table only included 4 of us. We enjoyed a time of sharing what we are each working on and talking about complex math problems.

So here is my take on Chicken Curry! A big batch of 8-10 servings. Some to freeze for later or some to have for tomorrow’s lunch.

Chicken Curry

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 cups chopped onions

1 cup chopped green peppers

6 cups cooked chicken, chopped

2 Tablespoons of curry powder

salt to taste (1-1/2 teaspoons – 1 Tablespoon at my house)

1 cup water

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 cups  tomato sauce

4 cloves (not bulbs!) of garlic crushed or chopped finely

6-8 cups of cooked rice

Cook onion and green pepper in the oil until tender. Add the chicken. Sauté briefly. In a small bowl mix the salt and curry powder. Add tomato sauce and pour mixture over the chicken mixture. Mix. Heat a bit until hot and bubbly. Serve over rice.

Chicken Curry
Curry Chicken Skillet
Chicken Curry
Chicken Curry

Let me know what you think of this recipe. Please share your favorite curry recipe below or send me an email. I love to hear from you and I love to try new recipes.

 

Posted on

Chicken and Cabbage

Barbecued chicken
Chicken legs are on sale! So I bought some. I laid them out on a pan reversing each one to conserve space.  I brushed them with barbecue sauce (Sweet Baby Rays) and baked them for about 15 minutes at 350°until they started to look like they were beginning to brown. Then I drained the liquid from the pan and turned the legs over and brushed that side with sauce. I baked them 15 minutes more and checked the temp. I want the chicken to reach 165°. After the chicken reaches 165° if the top does not look slightly browned, then I place it under the broiler for the last 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, I sliced a head of cabbage and placed it in an oiled pan. I drizzled it with olive oil and salt and pepper and baked it in the oven for about 40 minutes.

You could, of course, cook the legs by using only the broiler if you prefer but then you couldn’t cook the cabbage at the same time. You can bake them at the same time. I place the chicken on the bottom rack.

Posted on

Leftovers

There are many ways to save time and money on groceries. One way is to cook the right amount! And throw away less. I hate throwing food away! But sometimes even with the best of intentions, you will end up with leftovers. Or maybe you save money by cooking ahead and having “planned overs”. I do both.

Today I looked into my refrigerator and realized I had leftover white beans. I knew I had to make something with these or freeze them. I decided to make my version of White Bean Chili. I did not measure anything. I heated the beans and I stirred a couple of spoonfuls of Better Than Bouillon into them as well as two cans of chiles. I had a couple of chicken breasts which I quickly boiled on top of the stove and chopped in my little Ninja. I stirred it all together and voila’ White Bean Chili!

I would like to encourage you to be creative with your cooking as well as with your use of leftovers! In all my years I only remember one creation from leftovers that we had to throw away! So as Miss Frizzle would say, “take chances, make mistakes, get messy!” You may discover something great!