One Pot, One Pan, Balsamic Chicken

One Pot, One Pan Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach and Couscous


This is probably one of the fastest "real" meals you could possibly make. Seriously, it can be done in about 15-20 mins and is super easy. Also, it only takes up one pot and one pan. You cook the couscous in a separate pot, and everything else gets cooked in a large skillet, so very little cleanup. I took/stole this from a recipe book called, "The Food You Crave" and it contains less than 500 calories, leaving you plenty of calories left over for wine :) I would serve with Merlot or Cab Sav.

Ingredients:
olive oil (enough to heat up in the pan, about 3 Tablespoons)
2-4 chicken breasts, pounded and thin enough to brown on both sides
1/4 teaspoon of salt, and more for taste
1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper and more for taste
Tablespoon of minced garlic (or for the true foodie, 3 cloves minced)
8 cups of baby spinach (or roughly one package)
2 Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon of sugar
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup canned chopped tomatoes (I like the ones with garlic, oregano already added)
1 package of whole wheat couscous (I like the Mediterranean olive oil option), about 2 cups cooked
*leftover red wine or whatever you plan on drinking that night (optional)
*a few teaspoons of flour (optional for thickness)

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in large skillet at med. heat. Season the chicken with pepper and salt (and some cayenne or paprika if its around). Add to the pan and brown on both sides or else have a pretty boy do it for you :P (about 6 mins). When finished put on plate and cover with tin foil to keep warm
2. Put 1 Tablespoon of olive oil back in pan and throw in the garlic to brown (about 1 min). After garlic is browned, throw in the baby spinach and cook until slightly wilted (about 1-2 mins), but be careful because if it wilts too much it will be soggy. Season with salt and pepper, put in bowl and set aside.
3. Make the couscous from the package in a separate pot.
4. Add the vinegar, broth, and tomatoes to the pan and stir making sure to get the bits of flavor off the bottom. Add in the sugar (it cuts the acidity of the tomatoes and vinegar, but if you liek it acidy, then no sugar for you!). Let bubble a min or two, then bring down to a simmer while occasionally stirring. Let the sauce thicken for a bit, about 5 mins. If it is too runny for you, throw in some flour until desired thickness is reached.
5. Put 1/2-1 cup of couscous on bottom of plate, cover with some spinach, then top with the chicken. Spoon the sauce over the whole thing and ta da, dinner!

No soundtrack for tonight, but if I could have chosen it would have been Better than Ezra for sure!

Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

This is one of those recipes my mother would kill me if she found out I shared. I don't know why, but there are only a handful of recipes my mother has deemed "not shareable," yet luckily for you, I don't ever abide by this rule. This is one of those, the weather is cool, its almost thanksgiving/the holiday season, and I need to start making things to bring as treats to various work/school functions. Its simple, you can make a ton of loaves at once, and if you get one of those intricate loaf pans with the ivy and holly over it, everyone will be amazed at your baking capabilities.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice (OR 1/2 nutmeg, 2 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup veggie oil (my mother uses Mazola right blend, but I have no idea what this consists of, nor where to get it, but if you see it, get it)
1 cup solid pack pumpkin (DO NOT use pumpkin pie filling. Its not the same). You can also make your own from scratch by cooking the pumpkin meat in the over on a low heat, then putting it in the food processor, but its very time consuming.
1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped (by a machine, don't chop yourself, its exhausting and unnecessary)
powdered sugar (optional)
*intricately laced bread loaves (also optional)

Directions: (preheating at 350)
1. In a large mixing bowl, mix flour baking soda, salt & spice (until everything's nice...hehehe). Set aside.
2. In a small mixing bowl, mix eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin
3. Make a well (that's right, a volcano crater, if you will) in the flour mix & pour wet ingredients into well. Stir until dry ingredients are moistened.
4. Fold in the cranberries
5. Spoon batter in 2 greased & floured loaf pans (or one bunt pan)
6. Bake in preheated over at 350 for 50-60 mins, or as my mother calls it, "its toothpick clean." For those unaware, if you slide a knife or toothpick in the center of the bread it should come out clean, if not, it isn't done yet)
7. Let cool for 10 mins before taking out of the pan, BUT when it is still warm so it can slide out easily.
8. Sift powdered sugar over the top, and viola!

Liquid Smokin' Turkey Burgers

This is named after a quote from one of the recipes I pillaged from which stated, "if you don't have mesquite seasoning, go ahead and use liquid smoke," as if liquid smoke is so plentiful in all our kitchens, specifically in a kitchen that is so sparse as to not have any kind of BBQ seasons in it, that we can substitute accordingly. This is fast, easy and you can pretty much sub out any of the main ingredients and still be ok (except the meat. That part is somewhat vital to the burger process).

Here is my man cooking over the hot stove. He's very excited about our endeavor, if you couldn't tell. Since I actually refuse to touch any form of raw meat, therefore Ry is put in charge of the cutting, mushing, and grilling of said meat. So credit given to one, Ryan H. A 9 rating by the way. I'm a little proud.



Ingredients:
1 lb of ground turkey (or chicken if you like)
1 jalepeno or red pepper, de-seeded and chopped
1/4 red onion diced
red pepper flakes to taste
1 Tablespoon of minced onion
1 Tablespoon of garlic powder
1 egg
2 Tablespoons of BBQ sauce
1 packet of mesquite seasoning (or if you happen to magically have liquid smoke in the cupboard, I am impressed, go ahead and use that and give yourself a gold star from me!)
1/2 cup of breadcrumbs (optional)
salt and pepper to taste (I like a LOT of crushed black pepper)
4-5 leaves of garlic chives (optional. I had them in the garden, so I used it)
2-4 slices of pepper jack cheese (or packet of shredded cheddar if you don't like pepper jack)

The fixins:
tomato
lettuce
BBQ sauce
...and don't forget the buns, or you'll be like me and have to send your angel of a boyfriend out to get some

Directions, and here's the easy part:
1. Dump everything into a bowl and mush together (with the exception of the jack cheese, unless you wish to tear up in pieces and have melt in the meat, which also is good)! There's probably a right order, but seeing as I don't have time or patience for it, I don't bother so you shouldn't either.

2. Throw on the grill and cook until done. I would guess about 5 mins on each side. When you are 2-3 mins from done, toss the cheese on there so it gets all melty and nice. That's it! Piece of cake! Speaking of which...


****DESSERT BONUS*******

Drunken Strawberries

This is kind of cheap since I am going to make it, but haven't made it yet, but I'll write and let you know how it is!

Ingredients:
1/2 bar Dark chocolate (I mean the real stuff with 70% cocoa)
Leftover wine (doesn't matter if its red or white, depends on your mood). I would recommend a Merlot or a Zinfendel.
Fresh strawberries (or peaches, or whatever is in season)
Vanilla bean ice cream (again, the good stuff with the beans inside! no cheating!)

Directions:
1. Slice up some strawberries and let chill in the freezer while you make the sauce.
2. Melt the chocolate in the pan on low/med heat. make sure to use a chocolate melter or a nonstick pan because cleanup will be awful otherwise.
3. When the chocolate is done melting but before it starts to bubble, pour in the wine. I don't know the exact measurement, but until you reach the thickness you desire. I would say no more than about 1/2-1 cup. You want it to be creamy, not liquid.
4. Take off heat and let cool until it reaches just a touch warmer than room temp.
5. Place cooled strawberries over ice cream, then spoon sauce over everything. Drink rest of wine and watch strawberries become complacent with life :)

My Mom's Chicken Enchiladas (with a little of my own flair!)

Earlier this week, I asked Jamie what she wanted for dinner this week. Without any hesitation, she told me, "Chicken Enchiladas!" I made my mom's chicken enchiladas for her a few years back, and every since then, they have been one of her absolute favorite meals I make. My mom's enchiladas are different from most enchilada recipes because they have a sour cream sauce instead of a chili powder based sauce. The flavors of the chicken, onions, cheese, and sour cream marry so well in this dish. And of course, it is very fast and easy to make!



Chicken Enchiladas



2 cans cooked chicken, drained (or 2 chicken breasts cooked and shredded)
1 small vidalia onion, finely chopped (or whatever onion is your favorite)
minced garlic
cumin
chili powder
butter
flour
can of chicken broth
8 oz container sour cream
tortillas (the larger variety)
bag of shredded cheese, mexican blend



1. Warm up a medium or large skillet over medium high. Throw in your onion and garlic, sauteing a little. Add in the chicken, and then throw in some spices to taste. Saute until onions are tender and all meat is covered in spice. Remove from heat and let cool.



2. Start a roux in a medium saucepan. I can never remember the exact measurements my mom gave me, so last night I just melted 2 tablespoons of butter and then added 1 tablespoon of flour. Let that cook for a minute or two to cook out the flour flavor, and then pour in the can of chicken broth. Lower heat to medium and allow mixture to simmer, stirring continuously. The sauce will begin to thicken as you stir. After about 5 minutes or until it seems like your sauce is not getting any thicker, remove from heat and add in the container of sour cream. Whisk the sour cream into the sauce until the sauce is smooth.




3. Preheat oven to 350. Drizzle a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a 13x9x2 casserole dish. Add almost the whole bag of cheese to the chicken mixture, saving enough to sprinkle on top of the enchiladas later. Now, its time to get messy! Lay a tortilla in the casserole dish. Add a substantial amount of the chicken and cheese mixture down the center of the tortilla, roll up the tortilla, add push it all the way to one side of your dish. Repeat this process until you run out of chicken (last night I was able to make 8 enchiladas). Once you are done rolling your enchiladas, pour the rest of the sour cream sauce over the enchiladas, cover with aluminum foil, and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes. Pull out the enchiladas, take off the foil, sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top, and put back in the oven for 5 minutes. Let the enchiladas sit for about 5 minutes after they are done, and then enjoy!!

9.5 Chicken Parm

This is not necessarily my most coveted (its no Summer Chili), but it has been ranked 9.5 on a 10-point scale by 2nd Lt. Heilmann himself. I like it because it is easy and if you happen to have the Italian staples most kitchens have like tomatoes, chicken, bread crumbs, etc. its easy. It's also really easy to mix with your personality. I'm personally not a creamy sauce person, I'm a tomato person (at some point I will post the are you a cream or tomato person quiz on here, but for now I bet you can guess what you are), but this can be altered no matter what you like. I must give a warning, I couldn't remember exactly how I made it the first time because I tend to use whatever ingredient is in the cupboard, regardless of the directions, so feel free to tweak and tell me what worked!

Takes about an hr to make (If choosing baking option, do the chicken first and make the sauce while the chicken is baking to save time).

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts (hopefully from more than one chicken)
2 eggs (or egg whites if you want to be healthy)
2 cups (really an estimate, whatever you need to cover the chicken) of Italian bread crumbs
1 jar of Diablo pasta sauce (or whatever you happen to have leftover in the fridge)
small package of high end mozzarella cheese, the soft, solid kind (optional for the cheesy types)
package of shredded Parmesan cheese
container of fresh powdery, grated Parmesan cheese
1 can of diced tomatoes (I like the one with oregano, onion, and garlic)
1 red onion
small container of heavy cream (REAL cream, people! also optional for creamy people)
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
1 Tablespoon of oregano
*any other generic Italian seasonings you can find in your spice rack

Directions: This recipes comes with two options. One for baking and one for frying. Option A I like infinitely better, but like I said its all about personal taste, so if you like baking (and or didn't go to the gym today), go for baking.

1. Melt butter in sauce pan on medium heat. Stir in garlic and onion until garlic is browned and onion in translucent (about 3 mins). Pour in diced tomatoes and sugar and let simmer. Add in some tomato sauce (amount varies on how thick or thin you want the sauce, I would say a few oz. should be good). Continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Creamy people should add in a few tablespoons of the cream until desired creaminess has occurred. DON'T use the whole container, only a few oz at the most or you won't taste the tomato anymore. Put top on and keep warm while prepping the chicken.
2. Stir together bread crumbs, oregano, Italian spices, grated Parmesan in dipping bowl
3. Different dipping bowl fork the eggs and a bit of milk if you have it.
4. Pound the chicken and cut off excess fat. Dip the chicken breasts in the egg mixture to coat, then in the bread crumb mixture until fully coated.

Option A (frying):
5a. Heat oil in pan on medium-high heat. Add coated chicken and cook on both sides until brown (about 10 mins per side). Turn oven on to preheat at 350

Option B (baking):
5b. Place coated chicken in a baking dish and cook for 40 mins at 350 degrees

6. Put chicken in baking dish, if you haven't already, and cover liberally with warm sauce from stove. Top with shredded Parmesan, and mozzarella if you chose to use it. Let cook for 20 mins or until the cheese is melted.
7. (optional) serve with penne pasta on the side

Serve and enjoy!

Intro Part III

I never learned how to cook. Not really, anyway. It seems surprising considering my mother is probably one of the best cooks on the planet. She owned her own chocolate shop with my father for over a decade, and I was raised in the back of it until I was four or five. Yet, she has the issue of not allowing things to be done incorrectly, thus my entire childhood if we wanted to help, we would start something and she would subsequently take over. Nothing chopped, stirred, or blanched well enough because she could always do it better. This leads one to believe they have a certain amount of deficiencies in the kitchen area. Even if we wanted to make something for ourselves it was impossible because the kitchen was not kept in any kind of intuitive order. If you wanted to find the lemon extract or a strainer you would search in every cabinet for at least 10 minutes only to get pots and overstuffed cans dropped on your toes before giving up and asking Mom in the end anyway. She would then ask what you were making, then proceed to tell you how you didn't really need to the lemon extract, you really wanted almond and it was in the corner shelf behind the bread or possibly next to the milk in the fridge for some odd known reason. Then it would become a treasure hunt with Mom and eventually she would be using a completely different set of ingredients (usually of the things that we found along the way that "would work") and ultimately she would be making an alteration of whatever recipe you began with. Grilled cheese would turn into grilled provolone with tomatoes and mustard seed. Plain brownies would become chocolate chip ganache cake. So eventually, my brother and I took the hint and got out of the kitchen, however we became wonderful table setters and can clean any dish no matter the grime!

Then I moved away to college and kept within my small realm of George Foreman grill and crock pot cooking. I didn't eat meat so there was no need to learn, and salad is pretty self-explanatory. Then I had an earth-shattering, soul-searching breakdown and moved to Ireland. I just so happened to end up in a house of 5 lovely housemates with the following background: a culinary student, a botinist with access to thousands of herbs and flowers, a worldwide traveler who lived on her own organic farm, and a Frenchie. Over the next few months I learned how to do the simplest dishes like pancakes and chicken to more complex and exotic cooking like Indian spiced curry, Jamaican cook, and finally, meat. It was a lovely time to be able to screw up, mix stuff together and learn with friends, so I came home finding more fun and life in the kitchen.

Now, I usually have the confidence to stick to my guns when cooking in my mother's kitchen. Since I still live at home its sometimes a struggle, but I find it fun to share recipes and make stuff up as you go along. I have learned that nearly everything can be salvaged (at the very least with some ketchup or hot sauce), and there's no ingredient that goes unused in a kitchen. One day I hope to have my own kitchen to work in, but for now, cooking with the girls is going to be the best!

Super Easy Chicken and Roasted Garlic Risotto

I've been meaning to post this recipe for a while, but life got in the way. Now, it's a great follow up to Mel's last recipe. You can slave away making fabulous asparagus risotto, complete with music and wine, and then make this super easy, but equally delicious fake risotto meal. Jamie (my adopted sister and roommate, for those who do not know) nearly died when she had this meal, she loved it so much. And unlike real risotto, which you literally have to stand over and stir the entire time, this meal is great for one of those nights when things are crazy and you are running all over the place because you pretty much throw everything together and let it all simmer. And the added bonus is that its a one pan meal!

Chicken & Roasted Garlic Risotto

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (I just used 2 chicken breasts, but if you are making this for more than 2 people, go ahead and use the 4 halves)
1 tbsp butter or olive oil
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom with roasted garlic soup
2 cups water
2 cups uncooked instant white rice
1 cup frozen peas

1. Season the chicken as desired. Heat the buttter or oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until it's well browned on both sides. Remove chicken from the skillet.

2. Stir the soups and water in the skillet and heat to a boil. Stir in the rice and peas, and return chicken to the skillet. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 5-10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and the rice feels tender. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.

And in 30 minutes, you have delicious, full flavored chicken and risotto! This recipe is perfect for those nights when you really want risotto but don't want to slave over the stove all night. Enjoy!!

Asparagus Risotto

Risotto. Risotto is a bitch. I won't lie. It's intensive, must be coddled the entire time you're cooking, and can pretty much serve as the best reminder you'll ever have as to why you shouldn't go back to your clingy, but gorgeous ex-girlfriend from college. The results, however, can be pure ecstasy if all is done correctly. (Also like your clingy, but gorgeous ex from college. Great metaphor.)

So, you're going to need calming music to help you get through this process. I thought a mixture of Wilco, The Album Leaf, and Joseph Arthur would do nicely.

http://8tracks.com/ihla/bring-it-down

For the risotto you will need:

1 cup arborio rice

1 lb. Peruvian asparagus, chopped

1/2 Vidalia sweet onion, chopped

1 cup of fresh grated parmesan

2-3 tbsp. butter or butter substitute

Extra virgin olive oil

About 6-8 cups of chicken broth/ stock (This generally equals out to 3/4 of a box of broth...)

You should start by cooking the vegetables first. This isn't a time sucking procedure, but you're going to be too busy with your risotto to do anything else once you start it.

Rinse, peel, and chop half of a sweet Vidalia onion, and add it to a shallow skillet. Rinse and chop your asparagus into 1/2 inch to an inch pieces. Add those pieces to your onion in the skillet, and drizzle the mixture with olive oil. Saute the mixture for about 15 minutes, or until the onion becomes translucent and the asparagus takes on a bright, vivid green. Turn the heat off, and set the mixture to the side. You will add it with the last of your chicken broth to your risotto.

And, now, we come to the risotto. Deep breaths, you should be at "Honey and the Moon" by now. Start by melting the butter over medium heat in a deep skillet. Add your arborio rice, mix, and brown for about 10 minutes with constant stirring so you don't burn the rice. Turn down your stove to about medium low, and add 1/2 cup of chicken broth (it should be warm, or, at the very least, room temperature) and stir consistently until the broth is almost fully taken up by the rice. That's the trick with risotto, you never want it to be completely dry, but you also don't want to overwhelm the rice with liquid, either. Repeat this procedure until the risotto has taken on a creamy consistency and the rice itself is al dente. Add a 1/4 cup of chicken broth with your vegetables to the risotto, mix well, and turn the heat off. Add 1 cup of fresh grated parmesan to the risotto, mix well, and serve. You now have a perfectly respectable side dish.

Depending on what you use for a main dish (i.e., your meat) you can go either way with wine pairings. I generally pair this side dish with chicken marsala, so I go for a red zinfandel (7 Deadly Zins is out of control amazing). It's a bit heady, but the flavors remain bold and pop nicely.

Chicken Noodle Soup in Under Three Hours

Whenever I don't feel well, I start to crave things my mother used to cook for me when I didn't feel well as a child. (To be fair, if I ever asked her to cook something now, she'd probably make enough for twenty and just tell me to, "Freeze what you can't eat, honey. It'll keep for months in the freezer." Yes, in fact, my mother is amazing.)

Tonight was one of those nights where I felt like crap, and actually had a crazy craving for chicken noodle soup. I don't think Progresso is real food, and I've grown out of Campbell's, so it was time to hit the kitchen, even in my weakened state.

I rarely deal in exact amounts and, I'm always experimenting with little things, but here's the basics of what you'll need:

3-4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3-4 Tablespoons of minced garlic

4 stalks of celery, chopped

1/2 of a Sweet Vidalia onion, chopped

4 carrots (or 1/2 bag of baby carrots), chopped

1/2 a bag of medium width egg noodles, cooked

Chicken broth (which can be made from bouillon or you can buy pre-made. I use both.)

Lemon juice (no more than a few tablespoons)

Extra virgin olive oil

The spice rack tonight:

Grinder pepper

Grinder sea salt

Basil

Oregano

Tarragon

Rosemary

Roasted garlic (Granules or powder will work, but I like to have mine set-up in a grinder.)

First, we'll start out with the chicken. Pre-heat your oven to 415 degrees Fahrenheit. Set-up your chicken breasts in an oven safe baking dish side by side, and stab them with a fork several times. This can be as violent or as normal as possible. (This is an excellent time to note that cooking can be very therapeutic.) Squirt lemon juice over the breasts, until you feel like they all have a nice sheen of lemon, but not to the point where juice pools largely in your dish. Drizzle about a tsp. of extra virgin olive oil over each chicken breast and spread the oil around over the tops. Now you can start seasoning the chicken, with the oil acting as a great glue for your seasonings. Tonight, I topped my chicken with fresh cracked pepper, oregano, basil, rosemary, roasted garlic, and just the lightest amount of fresh cracked sea salt. Leave your dish uncovered and throw it in the oven for 30-45 minutes, or until the tops of the chicken look nicely browned.

While the chicken is cooking, chop and cook your veggies. I stick with the 1:1 ratio between the carrots and the celery as well as only using 1/2 a Vidalia onion. Add the chopped vegetables to a deep skillet, drizzle some olive oil over them, and spice them with tarragon (You don't need a lot of tarragon. It's a very potent herb, so about 5-6 pinches will do), fresh ground pepper, basil, oregano, and finish it off with a dash of salt. Mix it all up, so that the oil and the spices really cover your vegetables.

Turn your stove to 'sauté' (on a gas stove this is about medium), and saute the vegetables for about 15 minutes, or until they cook down to a suitable volume. At this point, you can add about a cup of chicken broth, turn the heat down a bit (medium low), and let the veggies simmer while it also forms the base of your stock. About every 10 minutes add another cup of broth until you've added 6 cups.

Your chicken should be done cooking by now and needs to be sliced and diced, quite literally. Cut up your chicken into chunks, and add the chicken to your vegetables and broth, turning down the whole mixture to low. Your pan should be pretty full by now.

The final step is to cook the egg noodles. Once the noodles are cooked to your liking, drain them, and add them to your chicken, vegetables, and broth. You now have chicken noodle soup. I like to add fresh grated parmesan to the top.

Tonight, I gave over the soundtracking reigns to Cameron Crowe, "Elizabethtown", and comfort movies, and because I was a bit sick, I went with Gatorade instead of chardonnay. (If you were to pair it with a chardonnay, try the Smoking Loon. It's light and won't overpower the soup or your wallet.) Curl up in your favorite place, and enjoy.

I like to cook, create. Most of the time this process leads to disaster in my kitchen. (My exes can attest to the types of things I've made them try with, "What about this is, you know, off?" Men, I've realized, will eat almost anything. This does not qualify that something as 'tasty' or even a 'good idea', it just makes them better testers than me. ) However, I have garnered a collection of tried and true things that I love, that actually look great on a plate, and taste even better. If you can't cook pasta, I can't help you. Having said that, I also can't make homemade iced tea, so maybe we're a perfect fit.

I like to combine music, food, and wine, so I will also do my best to pair the food with wine (when applicable) and, of course, music. You must always set the mood when you're in the kitchen, whether it's seductive, red, and amped-up Italian ("I've Got to See You Again" - Norah Jones) or comfortable, soft whites, and gazpachos ("Nightswimming" - REM). And, of course, there's chili music ("La Petite Mort" - Erin McKeown).

So, you've got food, you've got music, you've got drinks. I'll try to make these things coalesce as well through words as they do in my kitchen... most of the time.

AMAZING Semi-Homemade Broccoli Chese Soup

I LOVE Broccoli Cheese soup, and I've always wanted to make it at home. Everytime I would go to Barnes and Noble or Borders, I would go to the cookbook section and search in vain for a recipe. Or, if I ever did find a recipe, the soup would never come out quite as it should. I have a recipe for broccoli cheese soup for the crockpot that is good, but just way too watery. I had pretty much given up hope of every finding a truly perfect recipe to make broccoli cheese soup at home.

Well, one day I was at Publix, and I'm not sure if you two have discovered this yet, but Publix has these amazing recipes that you can get for free there for fast and easy meals. I always go to the little kiosk and grab any recipe I don't already have. One day, I found a recipe for Broccoli Cheese Soup and figured I would try it just to see how it was. OH MY GOD! It was the best Broccoli Cheese soup I've ever had. It's thick and cheesy and so full of flavor. It was perfect. And the best part about the recipe: It's so fast and easy!! It took me no time at all to make the soup, because it's made from a lot of already pre-made soup! This recipe was a great find for me, and I hope you guys like it, too!


Broccoli Cheese Soup with Pasta

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup fresh pre-diced onions
2 (14 oz) cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (14 oz) box deluxe macaroni and cheese dinner (the kind with the cheese sauce pouch)
12 oz fresh broccoli florets
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

1. Preheat large saucepan on medium heat 2-3 minutes. Swirl oil in pan and add onions; cook 2-3 minutes or until tender. Add broth and bring to a boil for pasta. Measure 1 cup of the macaroni pasta from dinner kit and stir into boiling broth. Boil for 9 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally.
2. Microwave broccoli (in bag or in microwave-safe bowl) on HIGH 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender.
3. Whisk the soups and cheese sauce from dinner kit together in a medium bowl.
4. When pasta is tender, stir soup mixture into the pasta and broth. Reduce heat to medium-low and add in the broccoli. Cook 7-10 more minutes, stirring occasionally, or until soup is heated through. Serve and sprinkle with shredded cheese if desired.

Et voila! Fantastic Broccoli Cheese soup in no time! Since this is a Publix recipe, everything can be found there, down to the pre-chopped onions and the broccoli florets in a microwave bag. Steaming the broccoli in a steamer is acceptable, as well, it will just take a little bit longer. I hope you guys enjoy this amazing and simple recipe! Happy cooking!

My Most Coveted Recipe

In honor of our brand new blog and the idea of sharing, my first recipe post will be my highly coveted Summer Chili Recipe. Yes, Mel, THE Summer Chili recipe. You can do a little dance now. This chili is a turkey based chili which is perfect for the summertime, as the name alludes, but it's so fantastic, I eat it any time. It's not your basic white chili either. It is hard to describe, but it is pure heaven. It's quick and easy to make, and one batch can feed an army, or you for about a week.

Summer Chili

1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 tbsp minced garlic
3 tsp ground cumin
1 can chicken broth
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
10 oz bag frozen corn
1/2 cup white rice (not instant)
1/2 cup salsa verde
1 cup chopped sweet onion
1 tsp lime juice
4 oz sour cream
chopped cilantro (optional)

1. Brown meat in large pot with garlic. Add cumin and stir.
2. Add broth, beans, corn, rice, and salsa. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until rice is tender.
3. Remove chili from heat, stir in onion, lime juice, and sour cream. Add cilantro if desired.

And that's it! So easy, and yet so delicious. You can also add salsa to the chili at the end, as Mel loves to do. All the ingredients are easy to find, too. Just look in the Mexican section in your grocery store for the salsa Verde. This recipe is one of those meals that is great to come home after a long day, throw everything together, and have a fantastic meal. Enjoy!

ps- Carly, you'll have to try this with tofu or some alternative to turkey and let us know how it is!

It's Alive!!

Finally! After several weeks of talking about the possibility of creating a blog, and then deciding to write a blog, and then debating over the name of said blog, it has finally come together and been created!! Yay for our first blog and the three of us working together!!

I am very excited about the recipes and kitchen stories that we are going to share. Hopefully this will lessen the amount of space between the three of us just a little.

Happy Cooking!!