Tag: chicken

Main Dishes, Recipes, Soups

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Sarah
chicken and wild rice soup
soup's up!

So, Panera’s Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice has always been one of my favorite soups. In fact, I would plan my Panera trips based around the soup schedule as much as possible. Considering that I’ve traditionally been iffy about soups, that’s saying a lot. And my senior year of college, I spent a lot of time at Panera working on my thesis so I ate this soup all. the. time. I don’t even want to think about how much moolah I invested in the growth of Panera and Coffee Expressions that year… I blame my thesis. 100%.

Now that I’m a married grad student who has a little more self-restraint and a little more care as to her budget, I have had to make some changes. Instead of $4 lattes during a busy school session, I make my own coffee at home. Instead of Panera’s smooth, rich, and creamy soup, I make my own Chicken and Wild Rice Soup. And let me say… I think it is just as good, if not better than Panera’s version since it is lighter and less salty without compromising on the flavor at all. Next time I make this I think I’ll plan ahead and get some extra veggies–maybe carrots?–to add to the mix, and perhaps some fresh herbs for texture too. But even without, this soup is phenomenal… this was one recipe that I didn’t pawn all the leftovers off on Ben!

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup [adapted from Whole Foods and Taste of Home]

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup brown rice
  • 1/2 cup wild rice
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized cubes
  • 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 cup onions, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • olive oil
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon sage
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 12 ounces fat free evaporated milk
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions:

In a saucepan, cook brown and wild rice according to package directions. I didn’t want to use two separate pots even though the cooking directions varied slightly so I just added 3 cups of water to the rices, brought everything to a boil, and then simmered for about 45 minutes until all the water absorbed.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat up a little olive oil and then saute the chicken, mushrooms, onions and garlic until the chicken is cooked through and everything else is soft. Remove mixture from heat.

In a large stockpot, combine the chicken broth, parsley, thyme, sage, and pepper. Whisk to combine. Gently stir in chicken mixture, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. In a small bowl, stir together evaporated milk and cornstarch until smooth.

By this point, the rice should be about done. When it is, add the rice and milk to the stockpot and stir until fully incorporated. Return to a boil and cook for about 10-15 minutes or until soup is thickened to desired consistency. Enjoy!

Click here for the printable version: Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Question of the Day: What are some restaurant foods you like to recreate at home?

Chicken, One Tablespoon Testosterone, Recipes

OTT: Lime-Soy Chicken

Sarah

A delightfully easy, flavorful chicken dish… it’s always a hit!

Lime Soy Chicken | thepajamachef.comThis has become one of my favorite dishes.  My wife first made it early in our marriage and it’s one of those recipes that’s stuck like oatmeal scone batter to a mixing bowl.  It’s got three of my favorite flavors in it.  I love citrus, so you’ve got lime.  I love Asian flavors and soy sauce is excellent.  And it’s got red pepper flakes for some kick, and I do love spicy food.  But this isn’t too spicy, so don’t let that scare you off.  Plus, you can always tweak it to your tastes.  But anyhow, this is a rich in strong flavor dish that delights your sense of taste.  Unfortunately, my latest attempt at it hardly delighted the sense of sight so there’s room for improvement.  Presentation is perhaps my greatest culinary flaw.  I suspect my wife would agree.

Lime-Soy Chicken

  • Servings: 4
  • Print

adapted from an unknown magazine

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 c lime juice
  • 1/4 c soy sauce
  • 1/4 c olive oil
  • 1 t crushed red pepper
  • 1/2 t cumin
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (unless for some reason you enjoy boning and skinning the chicken breasts yourself…which would make you weird)

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl (except the chicken of course).  Then marinate the chicken in it for at least 30 minutes to an hour, although I’m a big fan of overnight marinating.  The more the time those flavors have to absorb into the meat, the better.  Now it’s time to fire up your grill (or you could just broil it in the oven).  When it’s ready, place your flavor-infused chicken breasts on the grill and cook.  Unless you’re using a George Foreman (which at this time of year you should be…unless you live in the south or west in which case you can use the time waiting for your outside grill to fire up to contemplate what it would be like to experience the weather phenomenon most of us call “seasons”), turn the chicken after several minutes.  When the sweet sweet juices run clear, your chicken is done.  Remove from grill and enjoy.  It can be served with any tasty vegetable such as fresh green beans or roasted potatoes.  I served it most recently with a cilantro lime barley.  This was basically just barley cooked in chicken broth, with lime juice and cilantro added.  Also try adding bacon.  I haven’t tried this, but bacon makes everything better so I don’t see how it could hinder this either.

Question of the Day: With Thanksgiving just around the corner, what’s your favorite Thanksgiving dish? Mine is turkey, covered in gravy. Mmmm… or really, anything covered in gravy, except cranberry sauce; that would just be gross. Side note: my wife hates gravy. I don’t know what’s wrong with her.

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

Hawaiian Chicken

Sarah

Hawaiian chicken When my husband and I first got married about a year and a half ago, I wasn’t a bad cook. I grew up cooking and baking a lot at home with my family, and living on my own for two years post-college gave me time to experiment with new recipes and figure out things in a grown-up kitchen. Problem was, I married a meat-lover and so in the early days of our marriage, I quickly realized I needed to expand my cooking repertoire to make Ben happy. Because I did want to make him happy… and I still do. 🙂

That first summer of marriage, I wasn’t yet working or in school so I had a lot of spare time [after all the wedding gifts were unpacked, I was settled into our new apartment, thank you notes written, etc.]. One day, I was flipping through one of my new cookbooks looking for some recipes I could try out. I knew Ben liked meat and Asian food, and when I saw the recipe for Hawaiian Baked Chicken, I was sold. It wasn’t exactly Chinese food, but it had a bit of Asian undertones, if only in the fact that it was chicken and veggies with a sauce served with rice. We didn’t have all the ingredients, but I improvised and by the time Ben arrived home that night, had dinner prepared.

wedding day
5/23/09--I love you, Benny.

This sweet and savory chicken dinner was a winner and was quickly proclaimed a keeper. There’s some mustard and spice for a savory, tangy kick, and honey and pineapple for sweetness. Served atop a bed of rice, this will make any hungry man happy. Now, it was what I make for my husband when I know he’s had a hard week or to celebrate an accomplishment at work. I like to make it for him when we haven’t had it in awhile just so he knows I remember how much he enjoyed it. I look forward to making it for my Ben in the years to come, so we can be in our 60s and look back to remember our early days of marriage in our tiny apartment in Bloomington, Indiana.

Hawaiian Chicken [from The Taste of Home Cookbook]

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound raw chicken breasts, cut into bite size chunks
  • 16 ounces pineapple chunks in pineapple juice, undrained
  • 1 cup green pepper, chopped
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • cooked rice prepared with chicken broth instead of water
  • cooking spray

Directions:

Grease a shallow baking dish with cooking spray and then place chicken in dish. Pour green pepper and pineapple [and its juice] over chicken. In a large measuring cup, whisk together chicken broth, mustard, honey, olive oil, and paprika. Pour mixture over chicken and pineapple, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours for best results. Bake uncovered in a 400 degree oven for about 40-45 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked. Serve over rice.

Notes:

I’ve also used Dijon mustard and chili powder in lieu of brown mustard and paprika with excellent results. I’ve also added carrots before, but would recommend very small pieces so they cook and/or pre-cooking the carrots prior to baking. Also, this dish doesn’t have to marinate over a long period of time but it does get more flavorful the longer it sits. I like to prepare this the night before or morning of, but do what works best for you.

Click here for the printable version: Hawaiian Chicken

Question of the Day: What dish do you like to make for a special person in your life?

Main Dishes, Recipes, Soups

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Sarah

I’m not entirely sure what is wrong with me. My tastes are a-changin’. I didn’t used to like peas, but now I made a dish and purposely bought peas to put in it. I didn’t used to really like soup, and since beginning this blog in July, have made soup at least twice [and that’s a LOT for me!]. I usually just tolerated it when it was on the menu, with the rare exception of a few varieties, but now I’m saving recipes for soup left and right!

Crcokpot Chicken Tortilla Soup... a hearty soup with tons of flavor!My latest soup creation was Chicken Tortilla Soup in the crock pot. It was so easy and I bet you even have most of the ingredients in your pantry/fridge already! You can just put everything in the crock pot in the morning and presto! Dinner is served. There’s just something really satisfying about getting home and having a ready-made, tasty dinner.

Rich in flavor and in spicy goodness, a steaming bowl of this Chicken Tortilla Soup is the perfect end to a blustery fall day. In each delicious bite the spices that absorbed into the broth and chicken during the hours of simmering can be tasted and savored. The soup is spicy with just enough zest and zing for the spice lover of your family [Benjamin!], but mild enough for a more delicate palate [me!]. Even the kitty wanted some too! You should probably make this over the weekend… it’s supposed to be on the chilly side!

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

  • Servings: 8-10
  • Print

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 15 ounce can diced tomatoes w/ green chilis
  • 12 ounces frozen corn
  • 2 cups black beans [drained and rinsed if from a can; I cooked some dried black beans up the night before but you can use either.]
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon tomato paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • couple dashes red pepper flakes
  • couple dashes cayenne pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • shredded cheddar cheese
  • sour cream
  • broken tortilla chips

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips in a crock pot and stir several times to combine. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Remove bay leaf and enjoy! Serves 8-10.

Note:

To make this without a crock pot, combine all the ingredients in a large stock pot and simmer, covered, for at least an hour to get the same effect.

Question of the Day: How have your tastes changed over the years?

Chicken, Main Dishes, One Tablespoon Testosterone, Recipes

OTT: Asian Chicken Bowls

Sarah

This is a guest post from my husband, Ben. Periodically, he has agreed to share some of his favorite recipes with you in a guest post column entitled One Tablespoon Testosterone, or OTT for short. Enjoy!

———-

Ah yes, some of my favorite food ever is Asian cuisine.  Or perhaps more accurately, Asian food that’s been Americanized into a fast food format.  Yum.  But this is my take on Asian-inspired food that’s simple and delicious.

Asian Chicken Bowls via thepajamachef.com >> so much flavor, yet so easy! #recipe #healthy #dinner

Asian Chicken Bowls

  • Servings: 3-4
  • Print

Ingredients:

  • Asian rice sticks (or another form of pasta or even rice)
  • 1 lb chicken
  • 1 bag frozen stir fry vegetables (or the same ones fresh-style that would probably cost a small fortune at your local grocery store)
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 T soy sauce
  • 3 T Szcehuan sauce
  • 1/4 t Chinese 5-spice
  • 1/2 t sesame seeds
  • dash of red pepper flakes

Directions:  Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces.  My bites may be larger than yours so adjust according to mouth size.  Heat the oil in a large skillet on the stove (or better yet, in a wok if you have one…I don’t…).  Place the chicken in the skillet and cook.  Flip after several minutes and cook until golden brown.  Add water, frozen vegetables, soy sauce, and szechaun sauce.  Cover and let cook for several minutes.  Meanwhile, begin making the rice sticks.  Back to the chicken mixture, add Chinese spice, sesame seeds and red pepper flakes.  Stir and let cook until vegetables are tender.  When rice sticks are finished cooking, drain and add to chicken/vegetable mixture.  Stir together and serve.  Obviously, the amounts of sauces and seasonings can be adjusted.  I used enough pepper flakes and szechuan to give it some kick.  But for a sweeter sauce, add more Chinese spice and less pepper flakes and szechuan.  If there isn’t much sauce at the end, add some more water.

Question of the Day:  Since Halloween is nearly here, what’s the best person/thing/whatever you’ve ever been for Halloween?