Brown Rice Pilaf

Brown Rice Pilaf

Ingredients:

• 1/2 celery rib, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 1/4 medium onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon butter (or olive oil)
• 1 cup orzo
• 1 cup brown rice
• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
• salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Lightly spray a pan with non-stick spray and pre-heat over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, carrot, and garlic. Saute until onion and celery are translucent. Transfer veggies to a pot.

Melt the butter (or oil) in the pan. Add the orzo and stir constantly until the butter is absorbed and orzo starts to turn a light brown. (Do not burn the orzo! Stirring constantly will help make sure it does not burn and does not stick to the bottom of the pan.)

Add the orzo to the pot with the sauteed veggies. Add the remainder of the ingredients to the pot. Stir well. Cover and bring contents of the pot to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until rice is cooked until desired consistency (approximately 30-40 minutes). 

Lentil Taco Filling

We're still LOCO FOR LENTILS!!!  :)

Lentil Taco Filling

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon*
• 3 cups water*
• 1 cup dried lentils
• 1 tablespoon mild chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 1/2 cups salsa
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

Saute onion and garlic in the olive oil until softened.

Wash and sort lentils. Place in a large pot and add the water, bouillon, onions, garlic, spices and salsa. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until lentils are softened. Remove lid and cook uncovered until desired consistency.

Serve up your Lentil Taco Filling in taco shells (or in a taco salad) topped with your favorite toppings!

Makes 12 servings

* You can use 3 cups prepared chicken broth instead of the 2 teaspoons bouillon and 3 cups water. (I just went the lesser expensive route.)

Crockpot Lentil Sloppy Joes

Lentils are budget-friendly and a great meat-subsitite in many recipes. Even if you're not looking to give up meat altogether, but you are looking to save money ... consider going LOCO FOR LENTILS!

Lentil Sloppy Joes

 Ingredients

• 2 cups dry lentils
• 8 cups water 
• 1 tablespoon chicken stock base
• 15 ounces tomato sauce
• 6 ounces tomato paste
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce, Bragg's aminos, or coconut aminos
• 3 carrots, shredded

Directions

Place 2 cups of dried lentils into a large microwave safe bowl. Add the 8 cups of water and chicken stock base. Microwave for 25 minutes. Water should (almost) completely absorbed into the lentils. For a stovetop method --add the 2 cups dried lentils, 8 cups water, and 1 tablespoon chicken stock base to a stockpot. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook until almost all of the water is absorbed (about 15-20 minutes). Do not drain remaining water from the lentils!

Spray a skillet with non-stick spray. Add the garlic and onion and cook on medium-high until onion is translucent. Add the cooked lentils, onion and garlic, and remaining ingredients to a crockpot. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.

Creamy Broccoli Soup

Creamy Broccoli Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds broccoli florets
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 can coconut milk
• salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Add a pat of coconut oil to a soup pot. When the coconut oil melts, add the onion and the garlic and sauté until the onion is translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the broccoli. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low and cook 10 minutes.

Next you'll puree the soup by either 1) using an immersion blender in the soup pot; or 2) CAREFULLY placing the soup into a blender. Puree ingredients to desired consistency. (We used our Vita-Mix.)

Return soup to the pot and add in the can of coconut milk. Simmer on low for 10 minutes.

Options:
-- For a chunkier soup, keep some of the cooked broccoli florets in the pot while you puree the rest of the soup then mix together back into the pot.
-- For some heartiness, add some chopped chicken or you can top with cheese.

Enjoy!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup enchilada sauce
• 1 cup canned diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Cover and bring contents to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Garnish with your favorites -- green onion, sour cream, avocado, tortilla chips, etc.

Makes 4 servings.

Enchilada Sauce

Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients:

• 6 ounce can tomato paste
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon granulated onion
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder (more or less, depending on your preference)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

Stove-top Method: Combine tomato paste and chicken broth in a pot. Turn burner on high and wisk until broth and tomato paste are well blended (no lumps). Add remaining ingredients. Simmer on low for 20 minutes.

Crock-pot Method: Add all ingredients into a small crock-pot and mix until combined. Cover. Cook on low for 4-6 hours, or high 2-4 hours. 

Recipe makes 2 1/2 cups of sauce (5 servings).

1 serving = a scant 1/2 cup

Not only can you use this recipe for enchiladas ... try an enchilada-style meatloaf! or Mix it with some shredded chicken and add it on top of a mexi-style salad!  

Curried Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Curried Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces uncooked boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 7 ounces cooked and lightly shredded)
• 6 cups water or chicken broth
• 2 ounces (roughly 1/2 cup) onion, chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger root
• 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 4 ounces (approximately 2 cups) daikon radish, julienned
• 2 ounces (approximately 2 cups) fresh spinach leaves
• green onions, for garnish

Preparation:

Add chicken, water, onion, garlic, black pepper, salt, ginger, curry and basil to a pot. Cover and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until chicken is cooked through (approximately 30 minutes). 

Remove the chicken from the pot and, using two forks, gently pull the chicken apart until it is in chunks of shreds. (You don't want to shred the chicken too much.) Return the chicken to the pot, add the daikon. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the spinach to the pot. Cover and cook until the spinach is wilted. Remove ginger root. Serve in bowls and garnish with green onions.

Serves 2.

Quick Tip: Simple Shredded Chicken

Shredded Chicken In the Crock-pot

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup water

Preparation:
Place the chicken in the bottom of the crockpot. Cover with water and seasonings. Put the lid on and let cook on low 6-8 hours, until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Remove chicken from crockpot. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken. It should fall apart very easy.

Variation: You can add chopped onion and 1 cup of salsa to create a more mexi-style chicken. 

Shredded Chicken on the Stove-top

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• about 4 cups of water

Preparation:
Place water and chicken in a pot on the stove-top. Cover. Turn burner on high and bring water to a boil. Turn heat down to  medium and let cook until chicken is done and no longer pink. Strain pot contents through a colander (reserving the strained liquid in a bowl). Remove chicken from colander and shred with 2 forks. Let the strained liquid cool. Use this liquid as you would chicken broth in any recipes. 

See Quick Tip: Chicken Broth for ideas on freezing your broth once it has cooled.

Quick Tip: Make Your Own Chicken Broth

There are a variety of ways to make chicken broth. These are our 2 preferred methods, depending what you have on hand and what your "intentions" are for the broth. The directions are the same for both methods. The only differences are the ingredients and how the broth turns out in the end.

• Method #1 would be a "leaner" and more watery broth when cooled (great for an easy quick-add to a recipe). You're basically infusing water with chicken and other "flavorings". 
• Method #2 is a great "leftover" method for when you have cooked a chicken and only the carcass is remaining. You could also do this with a whole uncooked chicken as well. This broth is very rich,  not as lean and has more of a "jello-like" consistency when cooled. When you add this broth to a recipe you can keep it as-is, or add a bit of water to thin it down.

Chicken Broth - Method 1

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds uncooked boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 8 cups water
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 4-5 garlic cloves (leave whole)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Chicken Broth - Method 2

Ingredients:

• Carcass of a whole, cooked chicken (only the bones and minimal remains) OR 1 whole uncooked chicken (gizzards, neck and all that stuff removed from the inside)
• Water (about 8 cups)

STOVE-TOP
Place all ingredients in a stockpot on the stove-top. Turn stove burner on high and bring to a boil. Cover and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer for roughly 1 1/2 - 2 hours .  Let the pot rest until contents are cool enough to handle.

If you are using a whole uncooked chicken, be sure to boil until the chicken is cooked through. This may take a bit longer than the suggested 2 hours, depending on the size of your chicken. Remove the chicken from the pot and place it on a plate until cool enough to handle. The meat should fall right off the bone. Use the meat in any recipe as you normally would. Discard the skin and carcass. Once the chicken has been removed from the pot, continue with the directions below.

Place a colander in /over a large bowl. Pour the pot contents through the strainer. The broth will be in the bowl, ready for your recipe or to freeze into broth cubes (see below). 


CROCK-POT:
Place all ingredients into a crock-pot. Cook on low setting for 8-10 hours, or high setting for 4-6 hours. Turn off the crock-pot and let it cool down. 

If you are using a whole uncooked chicken, be sure to cook in the crock-pot until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. This may potentially take longer than the suggested cook time, depending on the size of your chicken. When the whole chicken is done cooking, carefully remove it from the crock and place it on a plate until cool enough to handle. The meat should fall right off the bone. Use the meat in any recipe as you normally would. Discard the skin and carcass. Once the chicken has been removed from the pot, continue with the directions below.

Once the crock is cool enough to handle, place a colander over a large bowl. Strain the crock-pot contents through the colander. The broth will now be in the bowl. Remove the chicken from the colander and use in any recipe. Discard the carcass.




See Quick Tip: Shredded Chicken to learn how to shred your cooked chicken (Method #1) for use in other recipes.
 




To Make the Chicken Broth Cubes:
When the broth is cool, pour it into an ice cube tray and place tray in the freezer. When cubes are frozen, you can pop them out and store them in a freezer bag for future use!

Curried Chicken

Curried Chicken

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon basil
• 1/4 teaspoon granulated onion
• 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
• dash of salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:
Add chicken to a pre-heated wok or skillet. Cook until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Add remaining ingredients and cook on medium for 10 minutes. Garnish with green onion.

1 serving = 3 ounces cooked chicken and 1/4 cup sauce

Serves 2