Broccoli Cheese Soup

2 1/2 cups Chicken Broth

1 1/2 Tablespoons Butter

1 teaspoon Salt

1 1/2 cups Jasmin Rice

8 Cups Water

1 head Broccoli, chopped
1 Pkg Cheddar Broccoli Soup Mix

           (found at Walmart in a bag)

2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese

1/2 cup Sour Cream

2 cups Shredded Chicken

            (about half a rotisserie chicken)

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a medium sauce pan bring broth, butter, and salt to a boil until butter is melted.  Stir in rice.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover, and fluff with a fork.

In a large spaghetti pot bring 8 cups of water to a rolling boil.  Add broccoli and cook for 2 minutes.  Remove broccoli with a wire strainer and place in a bowl.  

Wisk in soup mix to the water that you cooked the broccoli in.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When soup is made stir in cheese and sour cream.  Then add Chicken, broccoli.  In individual bowls add and rice and spoon soup on top.  Salt and pepper to taste. 

Note:  Soup will last better if rice is left out and added to bowls separately. 

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Chicken:

2 lb. skinless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper

1 cup cornstarch

2 large eggs, beaten

1/4 cup canola, vegetable or coconut oil

Sauce:

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup ketchup

1 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoon garlic salt

Rice:

1 3/4 cup Chicken Broth or Water

1 Tablespoon Butter

3/4 teaspoon Salt

1 cup Jasmin Rice

Preheat oven to 325.

Cut the chicken into 1 inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the cornstarch in a gallon ziplock bag. Put the chicken into the bag and seal, tossing to coat the chicken.

Whisk the eggs together in a shallow pie plate.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until very hot and rippling.

Dip the coated chicken pieces in the egg and place them carefully in a single layer in the hot skillet.

Cook for 20-30 seconds on each side until the crust is golden but the chicken is not all the way cooked through (This is where it's really important to have a hot skillet with oil)

Place the chicken pieces in a single layer in a 9/13 pan and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.

Mix the sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl.

Pour half the sauce over the chicken. Bake for 1 hour, turning chicken once or twice while cooking to coat evenly with sauce.

For the rice, bring the broth, butter, and salt to a boil until butter is melted. Stir in rice.

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove from heat, uncover, and fluff with fork.

In the last 15 minutes of the chicken cooking pour the other half of the sauce into a small saucepan and cook on the stovetop at a simmer for 8-10 minutes until it reduces and thickens.

Serve chicken over rice with extra sauce if needed.

Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Shells

1 red bell pepper

18 jumbo pasta shells

1/2 rotisserie chicken, shredded, ~2 cups.

1 Tbl. taco seasoning, or to taste

3/4 c. sour cream

2 Tbl. chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish

1 Tbl. chopped green onion, plus more for garnish

1 large tomato, diced, divided

2 c. grated Monterey or Pepper Jack cheese, divided

White Enchilada Sauce:

3 Tbl. unsalted butter

3-4 Tbl. flour

1 (14.5 oz.) can chicken broth

1/3 c. green salsa

1/4 c. sour cream

Preheat oven to 350.

Preheat the toaster oven to 500.

Cut the red bell pepper into quarters. Remove the seeds and the membranes. Roast the pepper in the toaster oven until the skin blisters and turns black. Remove from the oven and cover with plastic until cool. The skins should peel away off of the peppers easily when cooled. Chop up the roasted bell pepper.

Cook shells according to package directions.

In a medium bowl, combine shredded chicken, taco seasoning, sour cream, chopped red pepper, chopped cilantro, chopped green onion, 1/2 of the diced tomato and 1 cup of grated cheese.

Divide filling between the cooked jumbo shells and place in a greased 8x8-inch casserole dish; set aside.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour, one Tablespoon at a time, until a thick paste forms. Cook for two minutes, stirring occasionally. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and continue whisking until smooth and sauce reaches desired creamy thickness. Stir in the green salsa and sour cream.

Pour sauce over stuffed shells. Top with remaining cheese.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Broil for a few minutes until cheese is browned.

Garnish with additional chopped cilantro, chopped green onions and remaining chopped tomato.

Quinoa Bowls

Quinoa 4 cups cooked

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 can black beans, rinsed

4 oz Feta cheese, crumbled

1 red onion, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1 cup tortilla chips, crushed

3/4 cup Red Pepper Dressing

Make Quinoa according to package directions.

Add tomatoes, black beans, feta, and red onions to quinoa in a large bowl.

In individual bowls sprinkle on top a bit of cilantro and broken up tortillas chips for crunch.

Top with red pepper dressing.