Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

I got this recipe from my friend Holly, a fellow food-loving mom. This soup has a yummy homemade taste without a lot of "homemade" effort. Easy and delicious.



Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

1 cup or more cooked, shredded chicken
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can chicken broth
2 cups milk
1 cup wild rice mix, cooked

~Saute celery, carrots, and onion in butter until onions are golden and veggies have lost their crispness. Add flour and stir-cook for a few minutes to soften the flour "taste". Add everything else and heat through. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes.

This recipe is totally adaptable too. For example, I didn't have any milk when I made this soup the other night so I just used extra chicken stock.

For the bread I used about 1/2 loaf of Italian bread and sliced it down the middle. I mixed equal parts butter and mayonnaise together along with some chopped green onions. I spread it on the bread and then topped with an Italian blend shredded cheese. Then I sprinkled with a little bit of garlic salt and basil. I baked it at 350 until it looked done...I don't know the exact time. It was really, really yummy.

Orange Chicken

Umm...all I can say is, holy crap this is good!!! This recipe was very easy but sadly, pretty time consuming. It was so worth it though. (Probably just making the chicken wouldn't be too time consuming, but adding the lo mein to it added a lot of extra time. Next time I might just try making it with steamed white rice.) In my opinion, this beats Panda Express...and I don't say that lightly. I got this recipe from "America's Test Kitchen" that airs on PBS. This recipe has made me a test kitchen fan.



Since I am kind of lazy, I'm just going to put the link for you to follow to the actual site...hey, give me a break, I just spent like an hour in the kitchen making this delectable dinner. Seriously, go to the site and try it!

Orange Flavored Chicken

BBQ Pulled Pork

Holly, since you are quite possibly my only reader...:)...this one is for you. I still can't find my camera (much to my husband's disappointment...and mine), so no pictures again. Sorry. This dinner was really yummy. My husband ranted and raved about it, and if you know Todd, you know that he is not one who usually rants and raves. This recipe is courtesy of Paula Deen. I sure love that woman!

BBQ Pulled Pork

Dry Rub
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp pepper
1 Tbsp dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp paprika
1/4 Tbsp cayenne pepper

4-lbs shoulder pork roast

~Press dry rub all over the pork roast; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2-hours.

2 cups apple juice
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp worcestershire
3/4 Tbsp liquid smoke
1/2 Tbsp garlic powder

~Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Combine liquid ingredients; put roast in a roasting pan with a lid, pour liquid over it, cover with aluminum foil and then the lid; bake for 4-hours. When cooked through, shred the pork.

I ate these on really yummy soft hamburger buns with plenty of mayo, a dollop of BBQ sauce, and a spoon full of coleslaw. It was so good that my mouth is watering just thinking about it. The only thing missing for me was a nice, crisp Clausen pickle!

Fiesta Dinner

This dinner is sure to earn raves from your family and friends. Yummy!!! Sorry that there are no pictures with this one. I was too excited to eat to remember to take any.

Creamy Enchiladas

2-cans green chile enchilada sauce
1-8 oz cube cream cheese
2-chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
8-10 flour tortillas
Cheese of your choice-I use monterey jack cheese

~In a small saucepan, melt cream cheese with enchilada sauce. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Coat bottom of dish with a thin layer of cream cheese mixture. Get your flour tortillas and fill with chicken, cream cheese mix, and shredded cheese. Roll up and put into pan. When pan in full, top with remaining cream cheese mixture and more cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30-minutes. Take off foil and bake an additional 15-20 minutes.

Hot Bean Dip

1-can of refried beans
1-8oz cube of cream cheese
Taco seasoning
Ranch seasoning
Hot sauce
Green chiles
Shredded cheese

~In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add beans and mix. Add taco and ranch seasoning to taste, several dashes of hot sauce to taste, and 1/2 of a small can of green chiles; mix. Add 1 1/2 to 2 cups of shredded cheese; mix. Put in a baking dish and cover with more shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-minutes. Get your favorite chips and dig in. Yum!

Tomato Salsa

2 14.5 oz cans of stewed tomatoes
1/2 onion finely diced
1 tsp garlic, minced
juice from 1/2 lime
1 tsp salt
1/3-1/2 can green chiles
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

~Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend on low until you reach desired consistency. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour before serving.

Mango Avocado Salsa

1 mango - peeled, seeded and diced
1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and diced
4 medium tomatoes, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 can of corn
1/2 can of black beans
2 tablespoons olive oil

~In a medium bowl, combine the mango, avocado, tomatoes, jalapeño, cilantro, and garlic. Stir in the salt, lime juice, red onion, corn, beans, and olive oil. To blend the flavors, refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving.