Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

 Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 5 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 small yellow onion, diced (1 cup; 140g)
• 1 large carrot, diced (3/4 cup; 95g)
• 2 stalks celery, diced (3/4 cup; 80g)
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons finely minced garlic (~2 cloves)
• 1/3 cup (40g) white all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon EACH: dried thyme, Italian seasoning, chicken bouillon powder
• 1/2 teaspoon EACH: dried basil, dried oregano
• Fine sea salt and freshly cracked pepper
• 4 and 1/2 cups (970g) chicken broth (or stock)
• 3 cups (715g) milk (about ½ 2% and ½ whole)
• 1 cup (148g) frozen corn
• 1 cup (143g) frozen sweet peas
•  10-12 ounces (170g) egg noodles
• 1 cup (135g) shredded or grilled chicken

Instructions

1. VEGGIES: In a large pot over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the diced onion, carrots, celery, and bell pepper and sauté 7-9 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds more.
2. SEASONINGS: Add the seasonings -- dried thyme, Italian seasoning, chicken bouillon powder, dried basil, and dried oregano. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir seasonings for 30 seconds.
3. THICKEN: Move the veggies to the sides of the pot. Increase the heat to medium high. Add the remaining 4 tablespoon butter to the pot and stir until melted. Once melted, sprinkle in the flour. Briskly mix to incorporate the flour and then stir for 1 minute to cook off the raw flavor of the flour. Pour in 1 cup of chicken broth and whisk until it starts to thicken (~1 minute); then gradually pour in the remaining broth while mixing constantly. Stir until it thickens (~2-3 minutes) and then gradually add in the milk, 1/2 cup at a time. **DON’T ADD MILK IF YOU PLAN TO SIMMER THE SOUP FOR LONGER THAN ABOUT 10 MINUTES – ADD IT AT THE END SO IT DOESN’T CURDLE. Slightly reduce the heat, cook stirring constantly, until mixture begins to gently boil and thicken (another ~4-6 minutes).
4. PASTA: Once soup is boiling, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Add egg noodles. Cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes or until noodles are al dente. Add in the frozen corn and rotisserie chicken. Stir to warm through (If the soup has thickened too much for your liking, add in some additional chicken broth).
5. SERVE: Remove from heat. Season soup to taste with additional salt and pepper if needed. Add in optional parsley.

https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/crockpot-creamy-chicken-noodle-soup/

Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

 Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients

• 1-2 boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 cup (175g) uncooked wild rice blend 
• 1/2 cup (65g) finely diced yellow onion (1 small onion)
• 3/4 cup (97g) finely diced carrot (1 large carrot)
• 3/4 cup (86g) finely diced celery (2 stalks celery)
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 6 cups (1346 chicken stock or chicken broth
• 1/2 cup (8 tbsp.; 113g) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (77g) white flour
• 2 cups (458g) whole milk
• Optional: fresh thyme, fresh parsley

Seasonings

• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon EACH: dried parsley, dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon EACH: dried oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, dried sage
• 1 teaspoon EACH: Italian seasoning, poultry/chicken seasoning
• Salt and Pepper

Instructions

1.                 SLOW COOKER: Place the chicken then uncooked wild rice blend, finely diced onion, finely diced carrot, finely diced celery, and minced garlic, in the slow cooker with the chicken. Add all of the seasonings. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I add 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper here). Pour chicken broth/stock over everything.

2.                 COOK: Stir, cover and cook on low for 5-8 hours or high for 3-1/2 to 5 hours-- until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through and shreds easily.

3.                 CREAM MIXTURE: About 30 minutes before the soup is done, heat the butter in a small pot over medium heat. Heat until melted and then slowly whisk in the flour. Allow to bubble and cook, whisking constantly for 1 minute. Gradually pour in 2 cups of the milk, whisking constantly as it is added. Allow mixture to simmer over medium-low heat until thickened, stirring occasionally.

4.                 SHRED CHICKEN: Once the soup is finished, remove the chicken to a small bowl and shred with two forks. Add back to the slow cooker. Stir in the cream mixture. Add up to add an additional cup of milk if the soup is too thick for your preference.

5.                 ENJOY: Remove the bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasonings ( I typically add an extra 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper). If desired, top soup with freshly chopped parsley or fresh thyme. Serve with crusty bread.

 

 

Whole wheat DOUBLE CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI MUFFINS

YIELD: 12-16 MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS

·         3/4 cup (5.5 ounces) granulated sugar

·         1/2 cup buttermilk (or half milk/half sour cream)

·         1/4 cup neutral-flavored oil or melted butter

·         2 large eggs

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         1 cup (5 ounces) whole wheat flour

·         1/2 cup (1.5 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder

·         1 teaspoon baking soda

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1/4 teaspoon baking powder

·         1 1/2 cups (10 ounces) shredded zucchini

·         1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

1.      Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (If using dark coated muffin tins, preheat to 325 degrees F.) Add liners to 12-cup muffin tin or spray muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

2.      In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, buttermilk (or sour cream/milk), oil or butter, eggs, and vanilla until well-combined. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Stir until just combined and a few dry streaks remain.

3.      Lightly squeeze zucchini over the sink by handfuls to wring out excess water. Add to the bowl with the chocolate chips. Stir until the zucchini and chocolate chips are evenly mixed (but try not to over mix or the muffins might be dense instead of light and fluffy).

4.      Portion the batter evenly into the muffin tin, filling the cups about 2/3 full. Depending on the size of the muffin tin, you may need to bake a second batch (the recipe makes between 12-16 muffins).

5.      Bake for 17-19 minutes until the tops spring back lightly to the touch. Let the muffins cool for 2-3 minutes in the pan before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cocoa Powder: I've also made these with Dutch-process cocoa. They are darker and slightly richer in chocolate flavor. If doing so, swap the baking soda and baking powder amounts (1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of baking powder).

HTTPS://WWW.MELSKITCHENCAFE.COM/DOUBLE-CHOCOLATE-ZUCCHINI-MUFFINS/

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN PHILLY SANDWICHES

INGREDIENTS

·         1 teaspoon paprika (regular or smoked)

·         1/2 teaspoon black pepper

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

·         1/2 teaspoon coriander

·         1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

·         1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

·         2 green peppers, cored and sliced

·         1 large white or yellow onion, peeled and sliced into half moons

·         2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs

·         1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

·         Sliced provolone

·         Whole wheat hoagie buns (I use this Whole Wheat Dinner Roll recipe) but shape the rolls into longer hoagie buns.

INSTRUCTIONS

1.      Lightly grease a 5-quart (or similar sized) slow cooker insert with nonstick cooking spray.

2.      In a small bowl, combine the paprika, pepper, salt, garlic powder, coriander, red pepper flakes and thyme.

3.      Place the green peppers and onions in the bottom of the slow cooker. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the seasoning mixture over the top.

4.      Toss the chicken with the rest of the seasoning mixture. Layer the chicken on the top of the green peppers and onions.

5.      Pour the chicken broth inside around the edges of the crockpot.

6.      Cook on low for 5-7 hours until the chicken is tender (over cooking the chicken may make it a bit dry so only cook it until the chicken is cooked through and tender). Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred into pieces. Set aside.

7.      Using a slotted spoon, remove the peppers and onions to a plate. Pour out all the liquid into a bowl or liquid measure.

8.      Place the chicken, peppers and onions back in the slow cooker and toss. Pour in enough liquid to keep the chicken moist (but not soggy) - about 1/4 cup to start and add as needed. Keep the slow cooker on warm or low until ready to serve.

9.      Toast the buns under the oven broiler. Place chicken and peppers on each half of a bun and top with Provolone cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted and slightly bubbly. Serve warm.

  https://www.melskitchencafe.com/slow-cooker-chicken-philly-sandwiches/

STICKY COCONUT CHICKEN WITH COCONUT RICE

 STICKY COCONUT CHICKEN with coconut rice

INGREDIENTS

·         2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders (about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds)

·        Coconut rice (4 C white rice (rinse until water is mostly clear), 1 can coconut milk, fill to 4 C line in rice cooker)

MARINADE:

·         1 cup canned coconut milk, light or regular

·         1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger or ginger paste (see note)

·         1/2 teaspoon salt (I use coarse, kosher salt)

·         1/4 teaspoon black pepper (I use coarsely ground)

·         1/4 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (see note)

GLAZE (SEE NOTE ABOUT DOUBLING):

·         3/4 cup rice vinegar

·         1/2 cup granulated sugar

·         1/4 cup soy sauce

·         1/4 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

INSTRUCTIONS

1.     Whisk together the marinade ingredients (or blend until smooth).

2.     Cut chicken into strips. Pour the marinade over the chicken, tossing to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour or up to eight hours (any longer and the texture of the chicken can soften and get a little mushy).

3.     Toward the end of marinading time, bring the vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and red pepper flakes to a boil over medium heat. Simmer vigorously until the mixture is reduced by about half and is slightly thickened, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat. If it doesn't seem to be thickening, just keep an eye on the reduction level, and keep in mind that it may still look a bit thin on the stove but will thicken as it cools.

4.     Grill the chicken over medium heat (or bake in the oven at 375 degrees on a greased, foil-lined pan), 4-5 minutes per side. The exact time will depend on type of chicken and thickness of the pieces - chicken thighs will take longer to cook than chicken breasts.

5.     The last few minutes of grilling or baking, brush the chicken with the glaze (repeat if you want a thicker coating). Serve with leftover glaze and rice, if desired.

HTTPS://WWW.MELSKITCHENCAFE.COM/STICKY-COCONUT-CHICKEN/