I must admit I do not keep this blog updated as much as I should. I got married last month and prior to the wedding I was a crazy woman trying to make sure everything was done.
Well, I am still trying to avoid dairy and gluten as much as possible as those appear to be the root cause of my health issues, but there are some foods that I just love and really don't want to give up, like Chicken Pot Pie! I love chicken pot pie! So I was determined to make one that was both gluten and dairy free.
I put together three different recipes to make this happen. I found a recipe online for a dairy free "cream of chicken" soup which I used for the base in my filling. I then used another recipe for biscuit mix that was gluten free from another recipe and lastly I used a chicken pot pie recipe on Rachael Ray's website to bring everything together. I will try to get the recipe together that I ended up "creating" and post it here. Needless to say this recipe came together quite quickly and was very delicious!
My husband loved it as did I! The only thing I would do differently next time is add a little more biscuit mix for the topping.
Happy eating!
Showing posts with label easy dinner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label easy dinner. Show all posts
Friday, August 24, 2012
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Day 16: Late Night Dinner Sucks!
So my evening last night did no go according to plan. I was going to go home, make dinner, and then do a little shopping, but that is not what happened.
My boyfriend wasn't feeling well yesterday so I went and took him some nasal spray and a hug per his request after work. I spent a couple of hours with him, and then I returned home and was hungry. I really didn't want to make dinner, so I meandered over to Burger King. It's really hard to order food at fast food establishments when they hardly have anything you can eat. I managed, though and ordered the tendergrill chicken sandwich (which looks twice the size on the menu than it really is, btw). And I had it with lettuce only and my water.
I would really like to be able to order whatever I want some days when I go out to eat but I don't. Today our company brought in Wendys for their cafe here and I have been watching people walk by with their food and today I realized I don't eat very much apparently. I have seen both men and women walking by with two or three burgers or more. Even when I was eating whatever I never ordered more than one burger at any restaurant because I always felt that was more than sufficient. But what do I know?
Today I am hoping to get some groceries for dinner and get the rest of my Christmas shopping done as well. So this way I won't be tempted by all of the gazillion fast food places I live near. Within less than a half a mile I live by a Wendys, a McDonalds, a Burger Kind, a Taco Bell, a Subway, and about three other Mexican places and two other sandwich shops as well. See why it is so easy to just go and get dinner instead of make it?
Well, I have only five days to go and for the most part I feel like I have done well. Yes I have slipped a little bit, but there hasn't been a day where I have completely blown it, so I am thinking that overall I have been successful.
My boyfriend wasn't feeling well yesterday so I went and took him some nasal spray and a hug per his request after work. I spent a couple of hours with him, and then I returned home and was hungry. I really didn't want to make dinner, so I meandered over to Burger King. It's really hard to order food at fast food establishments when they hardly have anything you can eat. I managed, though and ordered the tendergrill chicken sandwich (which looks twice the size on the menu than it really is, btw). And I had it with lettuce only and my water.
I would really like to be able to order whatever I want some days when I go out to eat but I don't. Today our company brought in Wendys for their cafe here and I have been watching people walk by with their food and today I realized I don't eat very much apparently. I have seen both men and women walking by with two or three burgers or more. Even when I was eating whatever I never ordered more than one burger at any restaurant because I always felt that was more than sufficient. But what do I know?
Today I am hoping to get some groceries for dinner and get the rest of my Christmas shopping done as well. So this way I won't be tempted by all of the gazillion fast food places I live near. Within less than a half a mile I live by a Wendys, a McDonalds, a Burger Kind, a Taco Bell, a Subway, and about three other Mexican places and two other sandwich shops as well. See why it is so easy to just go and get dinner instead of make it?
Well, I have only five days to go and for the most part I feel like I have done well. Yes I have slipped a little bit, but there hasn't been a day where I have completely blown it, so I am thinking that overall I have been successful.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Fall Apart Chicken
Today at work we had a potluck and in honor of Cinco De Mayo we had "Mexican" food. I signed up to bring meat and so I decided to bring shredded chicken. Everyone loved the chicken and wanted the recipe, so I decided to post it here. This recipe is painfully easy and the results are fall apart, tender chicken breast. This recipe can easily be modified for any types of marinades, seasonings, or anything else you would like in the chicken. I like this shredded chicken recipe for a variety of dishes. Everything from casseroles to nachos! I think you will like this recipe too.
Shredded Chicken With Taco Seasoning
Shredded Chicken With Taco Seasoning
Boneless Chicken Breasts (today I used about 3.5 lbs. of chicken, but you can use more or less depending on how many people you are feeding and if you want leftovers)
Taco Seasoning of choice – 1 packet per pound, plus one extra
Water
Put the chicken in the crock pot, dump the taco seasoning on top (reserve the extra packet), add enough water until the chicken is covered.
Cook on low for 8-12 hours, until chicken is cooked through. Strain the liquid off into a bowl or another pot as you will need it.
Stab a fork in the chicken and shred it until desired consistency. The chicken will be so tender, it will take about two minutes to shred the chicken.
Add the extra taco seasoning and add some of the taco liquid back into the chicken until the chicken is well covered and is to a desired look and taste.
Serve as desired – refrigerate leftovers, if any.
Tips: If you want a little sweeter chicken flavor (like they have at Bajio or Café Rio), add a few teaspoons of honey to the crock pot before cooking. If you want it a little spicier, add some chili powder, cayenne pepper, or hot sauce before cooking as well. This chicken also refrigerates well for up to two weeks. I use it in everything – tacos, burritos, salads, quesadillas, and nachos and anything else that sounds good.
You can also omit the taco seasoning and just cook the chicken and water in the crock pot for shredded chicken for other recipes, but if you do leave out the taco seasoning, make sure you salt and pepper the chicken so the flavor of the chicken is enhanced.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Crock Pot Chicken and Veggies!
Sometimes I am surprised by what you see in the grocery store ads. A few days ago I was looking at the sales in the local ad for the grocery store here. In the ad there was a recipe for a crock pot recipe. I love cooking in the crock pot because you can throw in all of your ingredients in it and then turn it on and walk away and a few hours later you have a delicious meal and you didn't have to babysit it.
So, I decided to try the recipe that was in the ad. It was a recipe for Chicken and Vegetables. I went to the grocery store and bought the little meal pack you could get. The only thing I switched up was the Cream of Mushroom soup that was in the recipe. I substituted a can of Cream of Asparagus soup instead. I put all of the ingredients in the crockpot and turned it on and went to work. When I came home a little over eight hours later, I had a delicious meal. The chicken was so tender I could barely get it out of the crock pot without it falling apart. This was by far one of the best meals I have had in a long time. The recipe below feeds six people. I modified it a little because I am only one person. I cut the recipe in half. I still have enough for another batch. But this recipe is perfect for a family. In fact, my sister made a similar meal from this idea. I will post her idea below as well. So, if you want a healthy, easy meal this is my suggestion!
Crock Pot Chicken and Veggies
6 Boneless chicken breasts
10 Red Potatoes, cut into chunks
1 lb. bag of baby carrots
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can Cream of Mushroom (or another Cream of Vegetable soup if you aren't a fan of fungus)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (for another level, I used one garlic clove)
Salt and Pepper
Directions:
Add the potatoes to the crock pot. Cover with the carrots. Top with the chicken breasts. Combine the soups and add the garlic. Pour over the chicken and veggies. Turn on crock pot on low and cook for eight hours. Salt and pepper to taste upon serving. Serve with rolls if preferred.
Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pies:
Follow the recipe above, but add some additional vegetables such as frozen peas, corn, or whatever you prefer. You may also want to cut up the chicken into smaller pieces. Bake some of the pop can biscuits (such as Pillsbury). When the chicken is done, spoon some of the chicken and veggies over one half biscuit and top with the other half biscuit. Instant "pot pie." You could even make this more pie like if you have a ramekin. You could split one biscuit and put it in the bottom of the ramekin and then scoop the mixture over and then put the top on it!
So, I decided to try the recipe that was in the ad. It was a recipe for Chicken and Vegetables. I went to the grocery store and bought the little meal pack you could get. The only thing I switched up was the Cream of Mushroom soup that was in the recipe. I substituted a can of Cream of Asparagus soup instead. I put all of the ingredients in the crockpot and turned it on and went to work. When I came home a little over eight hours later, I had a delicious meal. The chicken was so tender I could barely get it out of the crock pot without it falling apart. This was by far one of the best meals I have had in a long time. The recipe below feeds six people. I modified it a little because I am only one person. I cut the recipe in half. I still have enough for another batch. But this recipe is perfect for a family. In fact, my sister made a similar meal from this idea. I will post her idea below as well. So, if you want a healthy, easy meal this is my suggestion!
Crock Pot Chicken and Veggies
6 Boneless chicken breasts
10 Red Potatoes, cut into chunks
1 lb. bag of baby carrots
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can Cream of Mushroom (or another Cream of Vegetable soup if you aren't a fan of fungus)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (for another level, I used one garlic clove)
Salt and Pepper
Directions:
Add the potatoes to the crock pot. Cover with the carrots. Top with the chicken breasts. Combine the soups and add the garlic. Pour over the chicken and veggies. Turn on crock pot on low and cook for eight hours. Salt and pepper to taste upon serving. Serve with rolls if preferred.
Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pies:
Follow the recipe above, but add some additional vegetables such as frozen peas, corn, or whatever you prefer. You may also want to cut up the chicken into smaller pieces. Bake some of the pop can biscuits (such as Pillsbury). When the chicken is done, spoon some of the chicken and veggies over one half biscuit and top with the other half biscuit. Instant "pot pie." You could even make this more pie like if you have a ramekin. You could split one biscuit and put it in the bottom of the ramekin and then scoop the mixture over and then put the top on it!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Here Fishy, Fishy, Fishy, Fishy!
So I made this for dinner quite some time ago. As I mentioned in an earlier post, my cat had a freak accident and so I was dealing with that. He is all healed now, so now I blog.
I made Nut-Crusted Tilapia With Spinach and Carrots. This was so good! This was also a first for me in terms of cooking something I have never cooked before. I have grown up eating all kinds of fish, but I have never cooked it myself unless you count frozen fish sticks. The tilapia was quite easy to cook. I ground up some bread and cashew nuts in my food processor and then coated the fish with some horseradish infused spicy grainy mustard and the nut mixture and then baked the fish. It turned out really well and was very tender and flaky! With the leftover fish I cooked it a few days later and "fried" the pieces. That was good too! I consider this a hit because my friend ate the fish with me and she isn't a big fan of having nuts in her food, but she didn't even know until I told her. So I think if you are someone who hates nuts in food because of texture, this is the perfect recipe because the nuts are ground up into a powder almost, so it eliminates the texture that nuts tend to have.
The recipe also had spinach and roasted carrots on the side. The carrots were roasted in the oven. They turned out really well. The only I would do different is double the carrots, because there wasn't that much after I was done cooking them. And hey, they are vegetables so there is no guilt in doubling up on them! The spinach was easy to cook. The recipe suggested adding a little bit of crushed red pepper flakes to the spinach, so I did -- won't do that next time! It definitely took the spinach up another level, but it was spicy! Next time I will omit the pepper flakes.
So, all in all, this was a great recipe and I think kids would love this recipe! It would expose them to something more than frozen fish sticks but still have that fish stick appeal with the nut crust. I am thankful that my parents didn't always have money for eating out and even store bought meat. My dad always went fishing and so we always had fish in the house, and so I grew up loving fish and still do to this day! If prepared right, fish is mighty tasty!
Nut-crusted tilapia with Spinach and Carrots:
I made Nut-Crusted Tilapia With Spinach and Carrots. This was so good! This was also a first for me in terms of cooking something I have never cooked before. I have grown up eating all kinds of fish, but I have never cooked it myself unless you count frozen fish sticks. The tilapia was quite easy to cook. I ground up some bread and cashew nuts in my food processor and then coated the fish with some horseradish infused spicy grainy mustard and the nut mixture and then baked the fish. It turned out really well and was very tender and flaky! With the leftover fish I cooked it a few days later and "fried" the pieces. That was good too! I consider this a hit because my friend ate the fish with me and she isn't a big fan of having nuts in her food, but she didn't even know until I told her. So I think if you are someone who hates nuts in food because of texture, this is the perfect recipe because the nuts are ground up into a powder almost, so it eliminates the texture that nuts tend to have.
The recipe also had spinach and roasted carrots on the side. The carrots were roasted in the oven. They turned out really well. The only I would do different is double the carrots, because there wasn't that much after I was done cooking them. And hey, they are vegetables so there is no guilt in doubling up on them! The spinach was easy to cook. The recipe suggested adding a little bit of crushed red pepper flakes to the spinach, so I did -- won't do that next time! It definitely took the spinach up another level, but it was spicy! Next time I will omit the pepper flakes.
So, all in all, this was a great recipe and I think kids would love this recipe! It would expose them to something more than frozen fish sticks but still have that fish stick appeal with the nut crust. I am thankful that my parents didn't always have money for eating out and even store bought meat. My dad always went fishing and so we always had fish in the house, and so I grew up loving fish and still do to this day! If prepared right, fish is mighty tasty!
Nut-crusted tilapia with Spinach and Carrots:
Friday, January 21, 2011
Pork and Beans But Different Like!
Last night I was a little on the ill side and just wanted something very comforting for dinner. My friend also came over too so this was the perfect opportunity to cook something warm and delicious.
I made Pork Chops with Stewed Cannelinni Beans (aka White Kidney Beans). Delicious it was! I really love new kitchen toys and last night I got to use two of new toys. This recipe had sliced onions and as you all know by now, onions and I are mortal enemies or were. I peeled the onion and through into my food processor -- all sliced in like four seconds! It was most awesome! I also got to use my new indoor grill for the pork chops. I loved that I was able to put them on the grill and didn't have to keep flipping them or what not. This allowed me to focus on making the beans.
The stewed beans actually had more in them than just the beans. There was also kale, onions, canned diced tomatoes, carrots, and garlic. This was very easy to make. I basically just heated some oil, added the garlic, and then the onions. I cooked the onions for about five minutes and then added the chopped kale, carrots, tomatoes and beans with about 1/4 cup of water and cooked them for about ten minutes until the kale was wilted through. After you serve the vegetables, you can season them with salt and pepper or you can do it while they are still cooking. What I love about these recipes is that you can mix things up, so this recipe would work well with just about any vegetable -- so long as you cut the pieces up small enough to cook all the way through or you can used canned vegetables too.
I will be posting links to all of these recipes next week, so hang tight if you have been wanting to try them! I just found out they will be available next week. Also, in the coming weeks I am going to try my hand at recipes that are designed for people with diabetes, heart issues, and other things like that as I have to change a few of my eating habits. So, I will be looking around for some new recipes to try that address those issues. Happy eating!
Pork Chop and Stewed Cannelinni Beans:
I made Pork Chops with Stewed Cannelinni Beans (aka White Kidney Beans). Delicious it was! I really love new kitchen toys and last night I got to use two of new toys. This recipe had sliced onions and as you all know by now, onions and I are mortal enemies or were. I peeled the onion and through into my food processor -- all sliced in like four seconds! It was most awesome! I also got to use my new indoor grill for the pork chops. I loved that I was able to put them on the grill and didn't have to keep flipping them or what not. This allowed me to focus on making the beans.
The stewed beans actually had more in them than just the beans. There was also kale, onions, canned diced tomatoes, carrots, and garlic. This was very easy to make. I basically just heated some oil, added the garlic, and then the onions. I cooked the onions for about five minutes and then added the chopped kale, carrots, tomatoes and beans with about 1/4 cup of water and cooked them for about ten minutes until the kale was wilted through. After you serve the vegetables, you can season them with salt and pepper or you can do it while they are still cooking. What I love about these recipes is that you can mix things up, so this recipe would work well with just about any vegetable -- so long as you cut the pieces up small enough to cook all the way through or you can used canned vegetables too.
I will be posting links to all of these recipes next week, so hang tight if you have been wanting to try them! I just found out they will be available next week. Also, in the coming weeks I am going to try my hand at recipes that are designed for people with diabetes, heart issues, and other things like that as I have to change a few of my eating habits. So, I will be looking around for some new recipes to try that address those issues. Happy eating!
Pork Chop and Stewed Cannelinni Beans:
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Easy Peasy Chili!
This time of year I tend to turn to foods like chili, soup, and really anything that is designed to warm you up! Chili is one of my favorite things to eat and it is a very easy thing to make. This post is more like a recipe post, but I have had people ask me how I make my chili.
I do know how to make chili from "scratch" but why when there are many more easier alternatives out there? There are brands of chili you can buy at the store that are really good and taste almost as good as homemade, but I have discovered a trick from my mother. With a few extra ingredients, you can disguise the store bought chili and make everyone think it is homemade.
So, this is what I do. I buy Stagg brand chili. Stagg brand is, in my humble opinion, one of the best brands of canned chili out there. It has chunks of meat and different kinds of beans and just the right amount of flavoring. I also recommend Nalley chili as well, but I prefer Stagg.
Depending on how many people you plan to serve depends on how many cans you need. I used two cans of Stagg chili for a group of about 12 or so. I put the chili in a crock-pot and then I added a can of diced tomatoes and I did not drain the tomatoes when I put them in so there was a little bit more moisture. I then added a can of drained red kidney beans. I mixed it all together and added some salt, pepper, and some chili powder. I like my chili a little on the spicy side, so I added quite of chili powder. Add the chili powder to your taste. I put the crock pot on low and the let all of the flavors combine and marry! When I served it, everyone thought it was homemade. Nope! It was dressed up, but not homemade.
To make this chili even more tasty, I would serve this along side some corn bread, and have some grated cheddar cheese and onions for mixing into the chili. I didn't add these things when I made it because it was being served along side other good things to eat. You could even do this chili for Navajo tacos, chili-dogs, or really anything that has chili in it. I have posted the "recipe" below.
Easy Peasy Chili:
2 Cans of any brand chili (recommended is Stagg or Nalley brand)
1 Can of red kidney beans, drained
1 Can of diced tomatoes, undrained
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Chili Powder, to taste
In a crock pot mix all ingredients together. Put on a low for a few hours. Check flavor after about an hour. Add more salt, pepper, and chili powder if needed. Serve immediately.
I do know how to make chili from "scratch" but why when there are many more easier alternatives out there? There are brands of chili you can buy at the store that are really good and taste almost as good as homemade, but I have discovered a trick from my mother. With a few extra ingredients, you can disguise the store bought chili and make everyone think it is homemade.
So, this is what I do. I buy Stagg brand chili. Stagg brand is, in my humble opinion, one of the best brands of canned chili out there. It has chunks of meat and different kinds of beans and just the right amount of flavoring. I also recommend Nalley chili as well, but I prefer Stagg.
Depending on how many people you plan to serve depends on how many cans you need. I used two cans of Stagg chili for a group of about 12 or so. I put the chili in a crock-pot and then I added a can of diced tomatoes and I did not drain the tomatoes when I put them in so there was a little bit more moisture. I then added a can of drained red kidney beans. I mixed it all together and added some salt, pepper, and some chili powder. I like my chili a little on the spicy side, so I added quite of chili powder. Add the chili powder to your taste. I put the crock pot on low and the let all of the flavors combine and marry! When I served it, everyone thought it was homemade. Nope! It was dressed up, but not homemade.
To make this chili even more tasty, I would serve this along side some corn bread, and have some grated cheddar cheese and onions for mixing into the chili. I didn't add these things when I made it because it was being served along side other good things to eat. You could even do this chili for Navajo tacos, chili-dogs, or really anything that has chili in it. I have posted the "recipe" below.
Easy Peasy Chili:
2 Cans of any brand chili (recommended is Stagg or Nalley brand)
1 Can of red kidney beans, drained
1 Can of diced tomatoes, undrained
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Chili Powder, to taste
In a crock pot mix all ingredients together. Put on a low for a few hours. Check flavor after about an hour. Add more salt, pepper, and chili powder if needed. Serve immediately.
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