Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Soup

Ree's never steered me in the wrong direction so far...  Just another one of the reasons I love her 😍

This recipe was so easy... and so delicious...  Brent could prep it if he wanted to!  But, I really like cooking and putting things together so I'd prefer he didn't 😀

Here's what you'll need for this recipe:

3 whole, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
28 oz diced tomatoes
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
10 oz can of tomatoes and chilis, like Rotel (I use the 14 oz generic can that you can find at the grocery store)
4 oz tomato paste
1 medium onion, diced (I used probably 1/2 cup of diced yellow onion)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 chipotle pepper (from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - - I used 2 ... LOVE these things)
juice from 1/2 of a lime

(top with sour cream, cheese, avocado, tortilla chips...)

 Put the chicken in a slow cooker. Sprinkle on the chili powder, cumin and some salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes, beans, tomatoes with chiles, tomato paste, onion, chipotle pepper and red and yellow peppers, finally putting the broth in last. Stir gently, place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 5 hours on high or 8 hours on low.

Remove the chicken to a plate and use 2 forks to break it into chunks (or shred it finely). Return the chicken to the pot, add the lime juice, taste and add more seasoning if necessary.

 Serve this amazing stuff up in a bowl and top with sour cream, cheese, avocado, cilantro leaves and tortilla chips!

Summer Shrimp Stirfry

Another recipe from my lady crush, Ree Drummond.  This shrimp stirfry I had to modify a little bit, which is fine.  That's the beauty of cooking versus baking :). I couldn't find any yellow grape tomatoes, so I just doubled the red and corn is not in season so I used canned corn.

We tried out something new, too...  Cauliflower "rice".  I'm definitely not a fan of cauliflower.  I never have been; the only way I'll eat it is in aloo gobi (an Indian dish).  This actually wasn't that bad.  

Here's what you'll need for the ingredients:

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

2 lbs jumbo shrimp, (raw, peeled and deveined)

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 large zucchini, diced

2 large ears of corn, kernels removed (or one can of sweet corn, drained well)

3/4 cup red grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise

3/4 cup yellow grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise

salt and pepper

6-12 fresh basil leaves, cut in chiffonade

1/4 cup Parmesan

juice of one lemon

rice or pasta for serving (this is where our cauliflower rice came in)

Above I am "ricing" the cauliflower with a box grater on the side you use to grate cheese.  I'm thinking that next time I'll try to chop it up in a food processor as this was really time consuming doing it with the box grater.

Above, you load your cauliflower rice into some paper towels and squeeze the excess liquid out - if you don't your "rice" will turn out mushy.

Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and garlic, then saute until the shrimp are opaque, about 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp to a plate.

Increase the heat to high, then throw in the zucchini. Stir it around for about 45 seconds, then scoot the zucchini to the edges of the pan. 

 Throw in the corn and cook it for a minute, then push it to the edges of the pan. 

Throw in the grape tomatoes, stir them around for a minute, then sprinkle on some salt and pepper to taste.

 Put your "rice" into a skillet and let it heat through.

Then throw the shrimp back in. Stir everything around for about 45 seconds, or until it's all combined and hot. Then pour it onto a big platter.

Sprinkle on the fresh basil and some Parmesan shavings then squeeze the lemon all over the top.

Divide your cauliflower rice among your bowls then top with your stirfry.

Lemon Garlic Shrimp with Vegetables

Chicken, shrimp, salmon, turkey..  We've been eating pretty well.  Our biggest fear was that things were going to get boring but so far so good.

This recipe was really easy and it was really delicious.  The leftovers were awesome, too!

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 large red bell peppers, diced
2 lbs asparagus, washed, ends trimmed, then cut into 1 inches pieces
2 teaspoons fresh grated lemon zest (I used all of the zest from one lemon)
1/2 tsp salt, divided
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (26-30 shrimp per pound)
1 cup low sodium chicken broth or stock
2-1/2 teaspoons corn starch
juice from the lemon you just zested
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, asparagus, lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to soften, about 6 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl; cover with tin foil to keep warm.

Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add shrimp and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. 

Whisk broth and cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth and add to the pan along with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. 

Cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the shrimp are pink and just cooked through, about 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat. Stir in lemon juice and parsley. Serve the shrimp and sauce over the vegetables.

I served this with a side of Steamfresh Protein Blends, the California Style mix.

Zoodles with Creamy Red Pepper-Feta Sauce

Originally this recipe was supposed to be made with whole wheat fettuccini noodles, but Brent and I have been doing REALLY well at eating good foods since we got back from our vacation to Phoenix for the Christmas holiday.  I decided to make this one with zucchini 'noodles'.  It actually turned out really well!  Also, this gal has some really great recipes.

You'll need:

4-4 oz chicken breasts

Italian seasoning

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, minced

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

1-16 oz jar of roasted red bell peppers, drained and chopped

1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth or stock (I'd probably use 1/3 cup the next time I make it)

1 cup crumbled feta cheese, or approximately at 6 oz block

3 large zucchinis or 4-5 small/medium ones

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle your chicken breasts with salt and pepper and Italian seasoning and layer your chicken breasts so all of them are laid in the pan, not over lapping.  Cook until browned, turn, and cook until browned.

In another large pan over medium-high heat heat up the rest of the oil.  Saute onion and garlic until soft, about 10 minutes. Add roasted peppers and saute until heated through. 

Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Place mixture in the bowl of a food processor with stock and all but 2 tablespoons of the feta. Process until combined and smooth, about 30 seconds. Use a Vegetti or other kitchen tool to cut your zucchini into ribbons.  

Heat the zoodles in the pan and drain off any excess liquid (I didn't do this the first time I made this and it made the sauce watery). Toss zoodles with sauce. Sauce should cling nicely to the zucchini noodles. 

Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Divide among pasta bowls. Cut your chicken breasts into slices and lay on top of the zucchini noodles and sauce.  Sprinkle with parsley and remaining feta cheese.

Enjoy! :)

Chipotle Chicken Chili

I'm not sure if I've ever told you guys, but...

I love Ree Drummond! I love her!  I can't get enough of her and her show and her recipes and and and... I.  Just.  Love.  Her.

Brent and I were looking to find a different spin on chili - the same ol' beef and tomatoes and beans just..  It doesn't always do it for me, however this stuff DOES do it for me.  Chipotle Chicken Chili.  Ugh.  It's so good.

Here's what you're going to need to make this amazing recipe:

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 whole onion, diced (I use the cute, little, tiny onions you find at the store, about 1/4 - 1/2 cup)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into a large dice
1-12 oz bottle of good beer (I've been using Kona Brewing's Longboard Lager, and YES you do need the beer - it totally adds to the taste)
1-14 oz can diced tomatoes
3 whole chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
1-14 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1-14 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1-14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin (I use maybe a rounded 1/2 Tbsp)
1 tsp of salt, or to taste
1/4 cup Masa Harina (corn flour - we cheated and ground up Fritos (ha))
1 lime, juiced

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and add the onion and the garlic.  Cook for a few minutes until the onions soften.

Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned.

Add 3/4 of the beer, reserving the rest (sorry, you can't drink it, but maybe go and grab another bottle to enjoy while whippin' this up!) and allow this to cook down for a couple of minutes to reduce.

Add the tomatoes, chipotles, beans, chili powder, cumin and salt.  Stir to combine then cover the pot and allow to cook for an hour.

Combine the masa harina with the remaining beer and stir to make a paste.  If you cheated like me and used ground up Fritros and you allow the beer and chip crumbs to sit it'll turn into a paste in a couple of minutes.

Add this to the chili along with the lime juice.  Stir and cook for another 10 minutes or so, until it thickens.

Serve this with sour cream, cheese, more Fritos and another squeeze of lime if you'd like.

I really hope you guys enjoy this as much as we have - it's totally addicting and is actually not that bad for you!!  :)

Delayed Thanksgiving Post

This year Brent and I decided to stray from our "tradition" of going to the Ramada here in Fargo for thanksgiving day's feast (tasty, filling, no clean up).  Our friends, Aaron and Marcy, were staying in town and she had to work so we planned our Friendsgiving feast and had it ready (or almost ready) by the time Marcy got home from work.

My hands were full of raw meat so I really didn't get many pictures, however, I do have several websites that we got our ideas from.

FIRST!  The potatoes!!  

Brent found a recipe from his girlfriend, Giada De Laurentiis for baked mashed potatoes.  These things.  were.  amazing.

Here's what you'll need:

1 tablespoon butter
4 lbs russet potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup of whole milk (we used 1%)
1/2 cup (one stick) of butter, melted
1-1/2 cup mozzarella, grated
1 cup grated parmesan
2 tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs
salt and pepper, to taste

First up, preheat your oven to 400˚F and coat a 9x13x2 pan with the 1 tablespoon of butter and set aside.  Then, dice up your potatoes and bring them to a boil in salted water.  You want them all to be similar sized to allow for even cooking.  Cook for about 15 minutes until very tender.

After your potatoes are soft, drain them and return to the pot (if you're like me, you DO NOT use your pots and pans to mix in, so I used a separate bowl) and mash up the potatoes.  

Mix in the milk and melted butter.  Mix in the mozzarella and 3/4 cup of the parmesan cheese.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread your mashed potatoes evenly into the prepared baking dish and try not to sit and eat them all.  Stir the remaining 1/4 cup of parmesan and the 2 tablespoons of bread crumbs into a small dish and then evenly sprinkle over the potatoes.  Bake uncovered until the topping is golden brown, or about 20 minutes-ish.  

You can actually prepare this up to 6 hours ahead of time and just store it in the fridge (or on the deck if it's cold out 😉). 

No end result picture.  I'd like to blame Brent since he was in charge of taking pictures. 😉



NEXT!  Mom's stuffing!!

Ugh, seriously you guys.  Best.  Stuffing.  Ever.  

I bought a plain bag of dried, cubed bread from the bakery section in the grocery store.  That's how I roll.  If you're my amazing mother, though, you'll cut up your own bread and let it dry out for a couple days ahead of time.

You'll sprinkle your bread crumbs with sage dust (ground sage) or poultry seasoning.  Then you'll melt a stick of butter, and finely mince some onion and celery.  Mom always used the inside part of the celery hearts, with the leaves and stuff.  

Saute that up until everything is soft, adding a little water if it's getting a little too dry.  Then mix your butteronioncelerymix with your stuffing, mixing in a little bit of chicken broth to add more moisture if necessary.  You can either stuff your turkey with it or you can cook it in a tinfoil packet.  Don't put hot/warm stuffing in a cold bird.  Just a heads up, but that should be a given.

This was a spot where I didn't get an end picture of the goods ☹️, but they tasted great! 

SIDES!

I don't know about you guys, but I loves me some cranberry sauce.  I'll eat the stuff from a can, no problem, but I do love to make my own.

I got the recipe online, as I do most of my recipes and this stuff turned out perfectly.

You'll need:

1/4 cup freshly squeeze orange juice

the zest of one orange

1/2 cup of sugar, or more to taste

1-12 oz bag of fresh cranberries

3/4 cup water

In a medium sauce pan heat your water, orange juice, orange zest and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved.  Stir in your cranberries and bring to a boil.  Then reduce your heat and allow to simmer until it thickens.

NEXT STOP! TURKEY TOWN!

Preheat the oven to 350˚F and get ready...

We spatchcocked that turkey!  Basically, you cut the spine out of the bird, lay it flat, perform chest compressions, cracking the breast bone and then you bake it.  It will bake in HALF the time than the "normal" way of cooking it.  Spatchcocking the turkey allows it to cook more quickly and evenly and it also allows for juicier meat and crispier skin.  Let's be honest... Pretty much everything you want in a turkey. 

Here's a really great video to help you through the process of man handling your turkey.  The video suggests using poultry sheers, I just used some heavy duty kitchen shears that my lovely mama bought me.  I don't have that exact brand, however I do have some knives that are J.A. Henkels and they're the bomb.com.

We hacked our turkey in half and arranged him in a roasting pan and we made this really great herb rub for under the skin.  Here's what you'll need for the rub:

1 golfball sized chunk of onion

1 lemon, scrubbed clean

12 FRESH sage leaves

Large hand full of FRESH flat leaf parsley (about 1/2 cup)

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon of salt

6 FRESH bay leaves

4 tablespoons of butter

Put the onion into the bowl of a mini food processor. Zest your lemon, being careful not to cut into the bitter white pith and add the zest to the food processor and reserve the whole lemon for another use. Chop the onion and lemon zest until fine. Add the sage, parsley, olive oil, and 1 teaspoon salt and pulse until it forms a coarse paste.

Put 2 of the bay leaves and the butter into a small pan and heat over medium-low heat until the butter is bubbling. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Being careful not to poke holes in the skin rub your hands under the skin of the turkey and make pockets and then rub the fresh herb paste under the skin.  Brush the bay leaf butter onto the skin of the turkey and occasionally brush the skin throughout baking.  

As it turns out, I had a picture of my hands all up in that bird, Brent took the picture... On his phone... And deleted it.  Go figure.  So you'll just have to take my word for it.  It was pretty epic.

Cooking the bird...

Finished product!

The first time I ever made a turkey and I didn't get nearly enough pictures, more did I get a picture of my plate(s) of food!  Fail blog.

That turkey was so moist and the skin was so amazing.  The rub was seriously incredible.  It would be perfect for a summer feast, too.  Fresh and zesty and incredible.  Just awesome.

You're going to have some leftover turkey - go ahead and use this recipe for some turkey salad (yeah I made that... and, yeah it's super good)  and use some of that leftover cranberry sauce as a spread on the bread along with a little mayo and enjoy those Thanksgiving leftovers for a couple more days!