cilantro spinach chickpea salad {by laurie}

hi everyone!  i'm laurie, one of jenn's friends from way back in the day.  (believe it or not, jenn and i have known each other since fifth grade!)  for as long as i can remember, jenn and i have loved to eat . . . really, who doesn't?  so, i was so excited when she told me she was starting a collaborative food blog.  i am trilled to join the team and to be able to share some recipes here!

i absolutely love cooking and baking.  for as long as i can remember back, i have been helping my mom in the kitchen.  my mom is absolutely amazing when it comes to food, and i definitely get my love of being in the kitchen from her.  now that i'm married, i love being able to cook and bake with my husband too.  we have so much fun creating recipes together for our family and friends.

i share tons of recipes as well as snapshots of my daily life over on my blog love, laurie so be sure to stop by and say hi sometime.

so . . . let's get down to business.  the real reason that i'm here is to tell you about this salad.  since it has been so hot the past few days, i haven't been in the mood for heavy meals.  so the other day for dinner i made this chickpea salad with cilantro and spinach.  it was so light and refreshing (and healthy too)!  ryan has already requested that i make it again soon.  i have a feeling that this salad is going to be a staple in our house over the summer!

cilantro spinach chickpea salad
prep time: 10 minutes
yields: 4 servings

ingredients:
2 15-ounce cans of chickpeas
4 cups of fresh spinach
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1 small sweet onion, chopped
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
dash of salt
dash of pepper

directions:
drain and rinse the chickpeas.  place the chickpeas in a bowl and set aside.  in a food processor, add the spinach and pulse until finely chopped.  add the chopped spinach to the bowl with the chickpeas.
in the food processor, add the cilantro, onion, lime juice, sugar, olive oil, garlic powder, and onion powder.  pulse until smooth.  pour the cilantro dressing over the spinach and chickpeas.  stir well.  season with salt and pepper to taste.

*you can see my original post of this recipe here on my blog.

enjoy!

love, laurie

Bob's Red Mill Bean & Grain Soup

I can't take much credit for this, as Bob's Red Mill created it and Grandma Ruth shared it with me, but I can say it was worth the wait and I wish I'd made more at once. Many types of beans, grains, and water boiled then simmered for about an hour and a half. Then I added in some onion and shredded some Jennie-O turkey bacon at the end as a topping. Such a great mix, I'll definitely be making more soon :)

Amazing leftovers, and great with potato timbales/sweet potatoes. Mmm!

Mashed Potato Timbales

Let me just start by saying that I'm really glad I brought our mini muffin tins along to Florida. I've used them so many times, for actual muffins and a number of non-muffin recipes, and have found that anything in a mini-muffin shape is 1) the perfect size and 2) so much more fun to eat (despite being a little bit more time-consuming to create).

I found the recipe for Mashed Potato Timbales (What is a timbale? Click here to find out!) and pinned it awhile back on my 'Recipes I Want to Make' board on Pinterest. Then I made it, and these turned out delicious :)

Note: See pics at the bottom and forgive their fuzziness. These were taken in the stage of our Florida time when I didn't have a working digital camera. Thanks, iPhone for taking some decent pics, but I'm SO happy that I have a new camera now! Look for newer, lighter, clearer pics soon!!

Here's the recipe I followed:



Yield: 12 Servings muffin-size (or 36 for minis)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds potatoes (about 6 potatoes), peeled and cubed
8 ounces ricotta cheese (reduced fat)
8 ounces sour cream (reduced fat)
2 egg whites (I used 2 whole eggs)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp grated onion
2 tbsp dry breadcrumbs (I used Panko crumbs)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed (I crushed it myself! Put some dried rosemary in a baggie, folded in a dish towel, and rolled a glass bottle over it! A rolling pin would work, too! This releases the flavor and breaks up the rosemary. Mmm)
1/4 tsp pepper (skipped)


How to Make 'Em:
Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Drain. Mash potatoes with butter and onion until small lumps of potato remain; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat ricotta cheese, sour cream, salt, garlic powder, rosemary and pepper until smooth. In a small bowl, beat eggsuntil frothy; fold into cheese mixture. Fold or beat into potato mixture.

Generously coat muffin cups with nonstick spray; evenly sprinkle muffin cups with bread crumbs. Fill with potato mixture; smooth tops.

Bake, uncovered, at 425 degrees F for 27-30 minutes or until edges of potatoes are lightly browned. Cool for 15 minutes. Loosen timbales from sides of muffin cups; invert onto a baking sheet to remove.

These are so delicious and made about 3 dozen, so I froze some for later and we've been enjoying them for a few weeks. Just ate the last one yesterday with some bean and grain soup. Yum!

I did find that the Panko crumbs didn't hang on as well as I would've liked, and that after they were frozen and unfrozen, then warmed up, they fell apart a little more easily. They were still so yummy and a fun way to enjoy potatoes, but I might modify this a bit next time!

Next Up- Lemon Garlic Tuna Burgers: Easy, Peasy, Lemon Squeezy (mmm)

Inspired by Rachael's Pinterest also, I made this recipe from Can You Stay For Dinner? It can be found here. It was easy to make, made many meals, and is absolutely scrumptious. I've since made these again and stocked up on tuna to make it once again in the near future. The recipe says that it makes 4 patties, but I thought they were too big, so the 2nd time, I made them smaller (which is how I got about 8 patties instead of 4, and they were perfect)

Ingredients: (Note: I love how Andie prices everything out on her blog)
2, 6 oz cans tuna fish, drained and flaked 1.98
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs 0.30
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions 0.20 (I used a yellow onion)
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 0.20 (I used spinach)
2 cloves garlic, minced 0.10
1/4 teaspoon each, salt and pepper 0.02 (Skipped the pepper)
juice of half a lemon 0.35 (Didn't skip this!)
3 tablespoons sour cream 0.30
1 egg 0.15
4 English muffins 1.25
4 leaves romaine 0.50
1 small tomato, sliced 0.99
___________________________
Total: $6.34, or $1.59 per burger

Combine tuna, bread crumbs, green onion, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, lemon, sour cream, and egg, and mix well with your hands. Form into 4 patties (they will be wet), place on a greased baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F. Serve the burgers on toasted English muffins with romaine and sliced tomato. Spread additional sour cream on each burger, if desired. Note: I also served this with avocado, and it was spectacular.

Nutrition info for 1 burger (not including bun):

Calories: 175.3, Fat: 3.7g, Sodium: 323.4mg, Carb: 9.7g, Fiber 0.4g, Sugars: 0.4g, Protein: 24.2g

Italian Wedding Soup

Per Jason's Request (and quite delicious)

1/2 lb lean ground beef
1 egg slightly beaten
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon parm. cheese
1 teaspoon italian seasonings (basil, oregano, etc whatever you have)
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup chopped spinach
1/2 cup orzo pasta
grated parm. cheese (for garnish)

1. In a medium bowl combine beef, egg, breadcrumbs, cheese, and seasonings. Shape into 3/4 inch balls (I tried to make mine a little smaller even).
2. In a bowl bring broth, spinach and pasta to a boil. Slowly drop in meatballs and stir gently so they don't break apart. Bring to a gentle boil for about 10 minutes.
3. Serve with parm cheese sprinkled on top if desired. Makes about 4 servings, took about 25 minutes to make. And it was great!

Tortellini Tuscan Stew

Yummy! And a crock pot recipe, so easy and delicious!

1 (2-pound) butternut squash, peeled and seeded, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 large zucchini, cut in 1-inch chunks
1 large yellow summer squash, cut in 1-inch chunks
1 large onion, diced
1 large red bell pepper, cut in 1/2-inch dice
4 ounce(s) thin green beans, trimmed and cut in 2-inch lengths
1 can(s) (28-ounce ) crushed tomatoes
1 can(s) (14 1/2-ounce) vegetable broth
2 tablespoon(s) fresh oregano, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) chopped garlic
3/4 teaspoon(s) salt
1 package(s) (9-ounce) fresh cheese tortellini
1 bag(s) (5-ounce) baby spinach
3 tablespoon(s) grated Parmesan cheese

Combine all ingredients, except tortellini, spinach, and Parmesan cheese, in a large slow cooker. Cover and cook on high 3 hours or low 6 hours. Uncover; turn slow cooker to high and stir in tortellini. Cover: continue to cook 15 minutes, or until pasta is almost tender. Uncover; gently stir in spinach and Parmesan. Cover; cook 5 minutes until spinach is cooked down and tortellini is tender. Smile and enjoy :)

Chicken & Noodles with Vegetables

Thanks to a cookbook I have called 'Fast Fix Family Food', I have found a delectable new dish to share. The gist: egg noodles, chicken, carrots, celery, onion, and cream of chicken soup. The result? The perfect lunch, dinner and source of leftovers for days. The recipe did say that you could make it in a slow cooker (on low for 8-9 hours or high for 4-5 hours), but I wanted to make it faster, so I did:

2 cups sliced carrots (4 medium)
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (3 medium)
1 cup sliced celery (2 stalks)
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
3 medium chicken legs (drumstick thigh portion)- about 2 pounds total, skinned
2 10.75-oz. cans reduced-fat and reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
10 ounces dried wide noodles (about 5 cups)
1 cup frozen peas

Note: I only had 1 onion, and didn't have any parsley, celery or peas. I made it anyway, and it was still delicious. Flexibility in the kitchen is okay (when cooking, anyway. I might not be so flexible if I was baking).

What to do: (if you're using a crock pot/slow cooker)

1) In a 3 1/2 or 4 quart slow cooker, stir together carrot, onion, celery, parsley and bay leaf. Place chicken on top of vegetables. In a bowl, stir together soup, 1/2 cup water, thyme and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Pour over chicken in the slow cooker.
2) Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 9 hours on or on high-heat setting for 4 to 4 1/2 hours. Remove chicken from slow cooker; cool slightly. Discard bay leaf.
3) Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Remove chicken from bones and shred or chop; discard bones. Stir chicken and peas into mixture in slow cooker. To serve, spoon over noodles. Makes 6 servings.

On the stove: I steamed the veggies in a saucepan, added the soup and a little water, added the spices and added the (chopped up) chicken to boil/cook. Then I started the noodles in a large pot and let the 1st mixture (with chicken) continue bubbling throughout the noodles' cooking time. I made sure to store the noodles and the chicken/sauce separately so that it didn't get too mushy. This is definitely a keeper and was pretty easy.

Beans & Franks

When I was little and spent many Summer weekends on Long Beach Island, NJ with family, many memories were made around the breakfast and dinner table (most lunches were packed up and eaten on the beach). One dinner that always comes to mind when I think of the shore is beans and franks (sliced hot dogs) and recently I decided to make them myself. I'm sure you could get any variety of baked beans, but I went for a vegetarian option (without bacon) with a maple flavoring, cut up hot dogs and warmed everything up in a saucepan together. Then I toasted a piece of an italian roll and enjoyed a nostalgic trip back in time. Mmm beans & franks, easy and delicious.

Ranch Chicken

1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I used Italian seasoned)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning (I omitted since my breadcrumbs were seasoned)
4 pounds chicken pieces (legs, thighs, whatever you like)
1/2 cup ranch dressing

In a large bowl put the chicken and ranch dressing, toss with your hands to get chicken coated. Let marinate in the refrigerator for about an hour. In a bowl mix together breadcrumbs, cheese, cornmeal, and seasonings. When chicken in finished marinating coat with breadcrumb mixture and put in a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

The Verdict? I was hoping for more ranch flavor, there was lots of crunch and the chicken stayed very moist. Jason loved it, he thought you could definitely taste the ranch and it was delicious. I'll make this again!

Lasagna

I'm astounded that we haven't posted a lasagna recipe yet, given that it's one of our favorites and something that I've made more times than just about anything else (aside from scrambled eggs and smoothies) in my cooking/baking/kitchen-semi-savvy lifetime. I usually make it pretty much the same way, although once in awhile, I'll switch it up a bit. This time, I put ground meat (beef) into half of it, since I know Kyle grew up with meat lasagna and prefers it, and I like to have the option between the 2 (Note: I would never make the meat lasagna if my sister and her husband- who both keep kosher- came over for dinner. Check out kosher dietary laws here to find out why). So here's the lasagna recipe that I follow- 10 minute prep and no boiling pasta, and I don't think it's lacking in any way:

2 containers (15 oz. each) ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (about 8 oz.)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
2 jars (26 oz. each) pasta sauce (I usually use Prego, which is funny because the recipe that I have in my kitchen is a copy of a Ragu sauce ad I found in a magazine when I was about 12)
12 uncooked lasagna noodles (I usually get the oven-ready kind)
**optional: basil, garlic, oregano, rosemary, parsley, thyme, etc. (I actually have a seasoning blend called Mrs. Dash- Italian Medley- which I love!)

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Combine ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup Parmesan and eggs
2. In a 13x9" baking dish or pan, spread 1 cup of sauce. Layer 4 uncooked noodles, 1 cup of sauce, and 1/2 of the ricotta mixture.
3. Repeat step 2.
4. Top with 4 uncooked noodles and 2 cups of sauce. Reserve remaining sauce; heat and serve with lasagna.
5. Cover with foil; bake 1 hour. Remove foil; sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake uncovered 10 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes.

We served our recent lasagna with garlic bread (which I'd love to say I made myself, but I actually bought it at Giant- already spread with garlic butter- and it was just perfect). If we'd waited a little longer to serve it, it might not have fallen apart like the piece in the picture, but the good thing about lasagna is it doesn't have to look perfect- it just has to taste good...and somehow, it always does.

Happy layering!

Really really really easy homemade pizza

This pizza dough is easy to make, very versatile, and delicious. Don't be scared if you don't know too much about yeast and dough rising, I promise it's not that tough.

1 1/2 teaspoons of yeast
3/4 cup WARM water
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 1/4 cup white flour
1 cup wheat flour

Dissolve the yeast into the warm water (not boiling water, you want to wake the yeast up from it's dried state not kill it!) Add oil and salt to the mixture, next add the flours, and mix together/knead till combined (maybe 5 minutes). Put dough into a safe place so it can rise for 30-40 minutes, I've let mine rise for much longer and that's fine. I usually put it in the microwave to rise just so it's off the counter.

After the dough has risen roll it out with a rolling pin or just use your hands till it's the size/crust thickness that you want. Put the crust on a baking sheet/pizza pan/baking stone/whatever you have on hand that is oven safe and add your toppings. Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is crisp. I usually make thin crust so it's done in about 15 minutes. Call me if you have any problems (like eating the leftovers, hehe).

Pizza Topping Combo Ideas:
- red sauce, mozz. cheese, sun dried tomatoes, sauteed onions and peppers, pepperoni, parm. cheese
- red sauce, mozz/Cheddar cheese, ham, onions, pineapple
- barbecue sauce, Cheddar cheese, bacon, red onion, garlic
- ranch dressing, mozz cheese, shredded baked chicken, red onions, diced tomatoes, peppers

Flounder, Vodka Spaghetti & Steamed Broccoli

Most amazing last-minute get-together ever :) Jenn and Jason came over for dinner last Friday and she had just stopped by Zern's (an indoor farmers/flea market in Boyertown) and picked up flounder and broccoli, among other things. I had just grabbed some vodka sauce and had some spaghetti in the kitchen (wish I'd had penne or something a little fancier, but it was fine) and applesauce, and-- voila-- instant delish dish :) Add some raspberry lemonade with a kick and we had a very nice dinner on the deck! Happy Summer to us! So here's what we had:

Flounder-
We cooked 5-6 pieces of flounder in a Corningware dish that was being neglected in a kitchen cabinet. We laid them out, drizzled them with a little vegetable oil and a little lime juice, then sprinkled on garlic powder and spread on a little minced garlic as well. Covered it up and put it into the oven at 350 for about 25-30 minutes. It came out AMAZING!

Pasta-
Easy enough, boiled water with some salt and a little veg. oil (to keep the pasta from sticking), added in spaghetti, stirred, boiled, threw a piece at the wall to test readiness (yes, I really do this once in awhile- it's too much fun to resist!) and warmed up a little vodka sauce, then mixed it all together. Yum.

Broccoli-
Boiled about an inch of water in a saucepan, washed, cut, and added broccoli, then covered and steamed for about 15 mins. Added salt to taste.

Applesauce-
While I have made my own applesauce once before, this particular applesauce recipe (with cinnamon, bc it's Kyle's favorite) can be credited to Mott's and was served right in the little plastic cups of perfection.

Raspberry Lemonade-
Ingredients:
- Raspberry Ginger Ale
- Sweet Carolina's Lemonade Vodka (or just lemonade, for the youngsters)
- Ice

A fabulous meal, thought up in about a minute and made in about a half hour. Oh, and then I went and made a batch of those incredible Ghirardelli double chocolate brownies (with extra chocolate chips and Diane Miller's peanut butter icing)- best brownies ever.

***Note: Another amazing treat to try this Summer- Turkey Hill's chocolate peanut butter ice cream. By far the best cool combo. of pb & chocolate- and I have tried many, as it's my favorite pairing of tastes. Try it, you won't be disappointed.

Asparagus!

Jason and I love asparagus. I typically chop it up and stir fry it with any seasonings we have on hand or roast it in the oven with some olive oil. It's great! This weekend I was in the mood for something different and found a recipe for Asparagus Herb Lasagna! I didn't have the time to make lasagna (haha), but used the recipe I found to create a similar recipe-- it's more like Asparagus Herb Zitti :)

(Ingredients can be adjusted for how many people you'd like to feed, also depending on if the recipe is a side dish or main course, these proportions made about 4 main dish servings)

1/2 box of pasta (we used penne) cooked al dente
1 lb of asparagus (chopped into 1 inch pieces)
2 links of Italian sausage sliced (completely optional, just threw it in because we had it)
2 cloves chopped garlic
olive oil
6 sliced scallions
Any other herbs you have on hand/like (we used some basil, oregano, and parsley)

Put a few tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan and add in scallions and garlic. Once that gets sizzling add in chopped asparagus, sausage (if you're using it), and herbs. Stir fry until asparagus is getting tender and all the flavors are combined (maybe 10 minutes). Toss with cooked pasta and put in a oven safe dish.

Place aside and now for the sauce!

2 Tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of flour
2 cups of milk
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

In a saucepan heat up olive oil and than add in the 2 tablespoons of flour, stir and let the flour 'cook' for a minute or two. Add in milk and stir until mixture begins to simmer. Lower heat so it stays at a simmer and keep stirring until the sauce begins to thicken up. Once sauce starts to thicken add in Parmesan cheese and stir for about 5 more minutes. Pour sauce over pasta/asparagus mixture and mix so everything gets a coating of sauce. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees covered for 20 minutes and then 10 more minutes uncovered. Enjoy!

Cinco de Enchaladas!!!!

Really they are good anytime, but I just made them for a cinco de mayo party and I guess they were too good because we had no leftovers :( But I'm happy everyone enjoyed them :)

Start with:
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 onion chopped
1 green onion chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 can of tomato sauce
1 can black beans
1 packet taco seasoning

First cook the meat, onions, and peppers in a skillet until the vegis get soft, add in remaining ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes. Let cool so that you can comfortably handle the mixture.

You'll also need:
1 can enchilada sauce
1 cup salsa
8 (or so) flour tortillas (if you have less just stuff more filling into each one)
1 cup chopped Velveeta (you can use any cheese, but Velveeta really makes the dish!)

Coat a 9 x 13 (or so) oven pan with about 1/2 the can of enchilada sauce. Place about 1/2 cup of filling into each tortilla and roll up, place in pan seam side down. Top with salsa, remaining enchilada sauce, and cheese. Bake in 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. yummmm! I served this with Spanish rice, southwest salad, chips with salsa, guac, and queso, margaritas, and chocolate covered strawberries.

Sorry, no picture because I think it's very hard to make enchiladas look good in a picture, but I promise they are delicious! :)

Matzo Ball Soup- all for yum, and yum for all!

Whether it's Passover or not, and whether you're Jewish or not, you'll want to savor the Matzo Ball Soup experience. My family is Jewish, and since Passover was this past week, I was up for the challenge (*cough* I mean, happy to honor the celebration) of eating unleavened bread (matzo), fruit, veggies, meat and dairy (keeping the last 2 separate, of course) for 8 days. No bread, cake, cookies, crackers, etc. The good thing is, when the Jewish holidays come around, our brains automatically pull up mouth-watering recollections of past holiday meals, all of which are full of delicious-ness: tender, juicy brisket (recipe coming); strawberries and chocolate over meringue cookies (made by the amazing Martha Hochman); and of course, matzo ball soup.
Jenn and I were both planning to make some MB soup last week, so we decided to have a party and make it together. We threw carrots, celery, onions, chicken, a bay leaf (and soup mix) into a pot, let it boil while we mixed, chilled, rolled and dropped the little balls in with a splash, and waited with bated breath. When all was said and done, we had some awesome soup. Sadly, in my excitement and anticipation, I put two batches together (and added some more water, thinking the soup was a little too salty and we could use some more broth for all these matzo balls)...and between some of the matzo balls being forced to stay under water and not being able to fluff up, and the change in water temp while boiling, a number of my little friends couldn't show us their full potential. Thus, I had another matzo ball party of 1 (me) a few days later while making brisket and all was well with the world. So enough talk, let's get to the recipe.
As you've learned vicariously through my antics (and so you have no reason to repeat them), you should only make one batch of matzo balls at a time, even if you have a big pot. Also, you should follow the directions EXACTLY. If you don't, you can end up with toughy (as opposed to fluffy) matzo balls, which won't taste nearly as good. I'll also say now that while these matzo balls will be good, they are made from a mix which means they:

1) probably aren't as good as a Jewish grandmother's homemade matzo balls would be.
2) probably aren't as good FOR you...We like them salty, but I'm sure we had more than our share of sodium this Passover.

You can always try out a homemade recipe when you're feeling bold, but for now, all you need is...(yes, I'm really getting to the recipe)

a box of Matzo Ball Mix
eggs
vegetable oil
stuff for chicken soup

You can find the MB mix in the ethnic section of the store (look for the Jewish stuff- matzo, gefilte fish, and anything that says 'Manischewitz'. You can buy a matzo ball mix, or (as I did this year), you can get a Matzo Ball AND SOUP mix in one with a little packet of salty, flavorful goodness to add into your soup.

Then bring everything home and follow the directions. Mix the matzo ball packet with 2 tbsp. vegetable oil and 2 eggs, refrigerate for 15-20 minutes, form into little balls (It helps if your hands are wet, but not TOO wet, and be sure to form the balls fast. You don't want to mess with them too much). I'm not trying to be dirty, btw- there are only so many ways to say 'don't over-handle the balls'.

Drop them in the boiling soup, cover tightly, and lower the heat to simmer for 20 minutes. Do not open it, do not add more water (that was dumb, I admit it), do not pass go, do not collect $200. Just wait and relax. After 20 minutes, the matzo balls should be nice and fluffy. I usually make a bunch, so I'll store matzo balls in one container and soup in another. If I'm really organized, I might make a couple little on-the-go bowls/containers for lunches right away. This year, we also shared some with Kyle's co-workers and a family I babysit, as well as our roommate Julie- all of whom were trying it for the first time and loved it. YAY!

So that's matzo ball soup. Enjoy it and please post any comments or questions you may have. Thanks for reading!!

White Bean Chicken Chili

We recently borrowed a crock pot from friends of ours (they have 2 and were so sweet to lend us one) and I was so excited to make my first crock pot recipe- white bean chicken chili! I found the recipe online at http://southernfood.about.com/od/crockpotchicken/r/bl118c19.htm and changed it a little bit- it turned out AMAZINGLY delicious. I will definitely make this again, and it was pretty easy. Here's how I made it:

Ingredients:
* 1 lb chicken, cut up into small chunks (I actually baked the chicken first and broke it into smaller pieces. It ended up pulling apart and being so flavorful by the end- just an option).
* 1 cup chopped onion (I used a whole onion and stuck it in my Tupperware Quick Chef to chop it up)
* 1 can chicken broth (I used a 15 oz. box of broth)
* 2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely (I used 2 tbsp. from a jar of minced garlic)
* 2 tsp Cumin seed- ground will not withstand long cooking as well (I didn't have any, so I skipped this)
* 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
* 3 -15oz cans white beans (great northern or cannellini), drained and rinsed (I used great northern beans)
* 1 or 2 chopped red, green or yellow bell peppers, or combination (Kyle and I aren't big pepper eaters, so I chopped up one yellow pepper)
* jalapeno chili peppers, fresh, jarred or canned, optional or 'to taste' (we used some chile peppers- not too hot- from a can. Didn't do a whole lot, but did add another flavor.

Prep:
In a 4 or 6 quart crock pot, combine the chicken, onions, broth, garlic, (cumin) and oregano.

Let cook awhile on low (approx. 3-5 hours, depending on your schedule)
Then add drained beans.

Add the bell peppers and jalapeno peppers no earlier than the last hour or hour and a half before serving or it'll get mushy.

Top each serving with shredded Monterey jack cheese and or broken tortilla chips if desired (we also put some sour cream on top).

Thanks to 'boathoff' for sharing online so that we could try out this awesome meal. Mmm mmm we'll be making this one again and hopefully you'll be able to try it, too!

Easy Quiche

This was a great quiche we made for a quick dinner, the best thing is that they are easy to make and can have endless combinations. Enjoy!

1 frozen pie crust thawed

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups dairy (most recipes use heavy cream or half and half but I used 1% milk and it was great)

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated

2 cups or so of fillings (for the one in the picture we used a large sauteed onion, Swiss cheese, and American Cheese)

salt and pepper to taste (and a spur of the moment decision to add in some garlic powder)

In a mixing bowl beat eggs, parm cheese, and milk together, add in salt, pepper, and any other seasonings. Lay out the pie crust in the dish, place any fillings in the crust. I usually put meat at the bottom (if we use any), then vegis, then diced up cheese. Pour the egg and milk mixture over the fillings and bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Keep an eye towards the end of the time because you don't want the top to burn, but you want it to be cooked all the way through (test by inserting a fork and see if it comes out clean). Now some people put the cheese on top of the quiche and then bake it but I find that then sometimes the cheese burns before the egg is cooked through. Check out my golden crust... :)

Yummy Quiche Fillings

Meats- ham, bacon, steak-ums, sausage, tuna, ground beef

Vegis (I usually cook them a little first)- onions, peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, asparagus, spinach, zucchini, cauliflower,

Cheese- basically any... Swiss, American, cheddar, jack, Parmesan, goat, Gouda, cream cheese, Munster

Seasonings- salt, pepper, garlic powder, dill, thyme, basil, parsley, cumin, nutmeg, hot sauce, mustard, salsa,

Some people also add in home fries or breakfast potatoes!

Experiment with what you have on hand and post if you come up with anything good!

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

I failed on this one, as I found the recipe online, made it about a month ago, and didn't post it right away. Tonight, I went to find the recipe online again and couldn't find it...I do remember that we used about a pound of chicken, shredded/cut into smaller pieces. We also used chicken broth, water, noodles (we actually found chicken pot pie square noodles), veggies (potatoes, peas, green beans and carrots), and a little salt. It turned out yummy- a little more noodle-y than soupy, but still good :) Yum Yum

Creamy Italian Chicken

I got this recipe from Shayna who got it from someone she babysits for (Mary) who said it was one of their favorite crock pot recipes. Had to try it out and was not disappointed!

2 large chicken breasts (thats what we had in the freezer, the recipe called for 4 chicken breasts so use that if you can)
1 envelope Italian Salad Dressing mix
¼ cup water
8oz cream cheese softened
1 can condensed chicken soup (don't add the water)
2 cups mushrooms sliced thin

Put the chicken, water, and Italian seasonings into the crock pot and let it cook for 3-4 hours on low. Top with the sliced mushrooms and then place the cream cheese/soup mixture on top of the mushrooms and chicken (this looked gross... but don't worry!) Let it cook for another hour and then mix everything around. If you're hungry serve now or keep it on low till you're ready. Serve over rice or noodles (we used elbow macaroni). This meal was amazing! So many flavors, the chicken was super moist and could be cut with a fork, yumm yumm yumm! Thank you Shayna and Mary!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Two Ways

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole (the way I have always made it)- This recipe is super easy and great for warm ups all week. Got me through many weeks in college/student teaching :)

6-8 Chicken Breasts, cooked and cut into bite sized pieces
2 cans cream of chicken soup (mix it with the required water)
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
2 cups sliced ham (you can use less if you like less ham)
2 cups of bread crumbs
1 stick of butter

In a 9x13 inch pan spread out the chicken, top with the soup, then top with ham and the cheese. Melt the butter and mix with the breadcrumbs, put this mixture on top of the cheese layer. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees uncovered.

You can eat this as is or serve it on top of rice or pasta.

Chicken Cordon Bleu (a more grown up way)- Just tried this recipe this week and it was great and not as hard as I would have thought.

4 Chicken breasts “butterflied” (cut horizontally but not all the way through to make a bigger thinner piece of chicken)-- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqjfQP3Mp2k if you're confused
6 slices of swiss cheese
4 slices of ham
1 egg scrambled with a fork
1 ½ cup seasoned breadcrumbs

Start with the butterflied chicken, place it in between two pieces of wax paper and use a heavy bottomed frying pan to pound it so the chicken pieces are pretty thin and even. Top each piece of chicken with 1 and a half slices of swiss cheese and a piece of ham. Tightly roll up the chicken and dip it in the egg and then roll it in the breadcrumbs. Place it seam side in a lightly greased baking ban and cook at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until chicken is cooked.