Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry

From: Salt and Lavendar

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• Pepper to taste
• 3 Tbsp cornstarch 
• 3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1/2 medium onion
• 2 cups broccoli florets 
• 1/2 red bell pepper

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup chicken broth 
• 3 Tbsp mirin
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 2 cloves minced garlic 

1. Prep the ingredients before you start cooking. Once the recipe is started, it goes quickly. Cut the veggies into bite-size pieces so they cook at a similar rate.

2. Add the sauce ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk everything together.

3. Cut the chicken into one-inch pieces and add them to a bowl. Sprinkle the pieces with the garlic powder and some pepper. Stir to combine. Add the cornstarch and stir until the chicken is coated.

4. In a deep skillet, over medium-high heat, add 2 tbsp of the oil. Let the pan heat up for a few minutes.

5. Add the chicken pieces, shaking off the excess cornstarch prior to adding them to the pan. Cook for 4 minutes and then flip and cook another 3 to 4 minutes or so. Chicken should be browned and cooked through. For the second batch (there should be enough chicken to need to do 2+ batches), I add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Transfer each batch of the chicken to a plate once it's done.

6. If the pan is dry, add a small splash of olive oil, and then add the onions. Cook for 1 minute, stirring a few times.

7. Add in the broccoli and peppers, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often. Veggies should be tender-crisp. Give it a little longer if you want them softer.

8. Add the chicken back to the pan and stir in the sauce. ( Whisk it again quickly prior to pouring it in.) Let it bubble until thickened, stirring constantly so everything is coated. Take the pan off the heat and serve immediately.

Verdict:

Thumbs up! Oh my gosh, the flavor on this was ON POINT. The whole family really enjoyed it!

What I did differently (or would do in the future):

I cooked about 2lbs of chicken because I knew just two chicken breasts wouldn't be enough for us. And I left some out of the sauce so people could do half and half. I should have used more broccoli - all of us love broccoli so much that we went through that really quickly. I left out the bell pepper because I'm the only one who enjoys it, but I cooked my onions separately, so in hindsight, I should have just done the bell pepper separately as well. I used coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. 

Please note - it does say once the recipe is started, it goes quickly, and that's semi-true. It took me about an hour and 15 minutes to make this from start to finish, but that's most likely because of how much chicken I was cooking! If I was only cooking for two, it would probably have gone much faster.

We added rice and it went together perfectly!

Skillet Pork Chops

From: Taste of Home

Ingredients:
4 pork chops
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
2-3 Tbsp grape jelly
1/4 tsp ground ginger
4 1/2 tsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp cold water
Rice

In a skillet over medium heat, brown pork chops in oil; drain.

Add onion; cook until tender.

Pour broth around chops; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover simmer for 12-16 minutes or until the meat is tender. Remove chops and keep warm.

Stir jelly and ginger into broth. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; add to broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Serve over pork chops and rice.

Verdict:
I liked the simplicity of this recipe. I loved that I didn't have to go to the store for any ingredients! But it wasn't my favorite pork chop recipe. I think would like it to be a little sweeter. The sauce didn't have quite as much flavor as I'd hoped. I think you could add more grape jelly and ginger and solve that problem. The consistency was great and it was very good over hot rice!

Chicken and Rice Soup

From: A Pinterest Pin 

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp butter
3 carrots, sliced
3 celery ribs, sliced
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 Tbsp minced garlic
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup cooked chicken
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup rice, cooked
2-3 cups water

In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Saute the celery and onion for about five minutes. Add the minced garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add all of the remaining ingredients into the pot and heat through. Can be frozen for up to two months.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! The instructions didn't say when to add the carrots, so I added them with the garlic and cooked them a bit longer with some broth from when I boiled the chicken. This was a very easy, quick recipe to make, and quite tasty! A "comfort food" as my parents would say!

Stuffed Pepper Soup

From: Stuffed Pepper Soup - Cooking Classy

Ingredients:

• 1 lb lean ground beef
  
• 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small yellow onion chopped (1 cup)
• 3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper (a little over 1/2 of a medium)
• 3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans petite diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 (14.5) can beef broth
• 2 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1 cup uncooked long grain white or brown rice
• Cheddar or mozzarella cheese, for serving (optional) 

• In a large pot heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat, once hot add beef to pot and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally while breaking up beef, until browned. Drain beef and pour onto a plate lined with paper towels, set aside.
• Heat remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil in pot then add onions, red bell pepper, green bell pepper and saute 3 minutes, then add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer. Pour in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth and add parsley, basil, oregano and cooked beef, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring just to a light boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.
• While soup simmers, prepare rice according to directions listed on package, then once soup is done simmering stir in desired amount of cooked rice into soup*. Serve warm topped with optional cheese and garnish with fresh parsley.
• *For a thinner soup don't add all of the rice and for a thicker heartier soup add it all. Also, if you plan on having it for leftovers the next day then don't add the rice to the pot of soup, just add it to each individual bowl, then reserve the rice in a separate container in refrigerator to add to the soup the next day (otherwise it would turn into mush). 

Verdict:
Thumbs up! This was a really delicious, easy soup to make. We added cheddar cheese and some crackers on top and it gave it a bit of a chili flavor. I will definitely be making this again! 

  

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

From: Southern Living

Ingredients:
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup shredded carrots
5 cups water
1 (6.2 ounce) package fast-cooking long-grain and wild rice mix
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (8 ounce) loaf pasteurized prepared cheese product, cubed
1 (10 ounce) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted

Saute onion and carrots in a lightly greased Dutch oven over medium heat 5 minutes.

Add 5 cups water, seasoning packet from rice, broccoli, and chicken. Bring to a boil, and stir in rice; reduce heat, cover, and cook 5 minutes.

Add cheese and soup; cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve immediately.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! This was a delicious, filling soup. For the rice, I used a package of Uncle Ben's rice that was already cooked. I just threw it in a little later than what the recipe said. I used Velveeta for the cheese product. This was a really simple soup to make and the flavor was incredible. One of our new favorites!

Chicken Soup with Rice and Barley

From: Automatically Light! cookbook

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
1 cup carrots, coarsely chopped
2 cups onion, coarsely chopped
3 cups chicken broth, defatted
4 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup white rice
1/4 cup medium barley
1 tsp dried thyme

Place chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients through pepper. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or until a fork pierces meat easily. Remove chicken and vegetables. Puree vegetables in a blender. Skim all fat from broth. Cut chicken into small pieces.

Return broth and pureed vegetables to the slow cooker and add rice, barley and thyme. Cover and cook at high for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until rice and barley are very tender. Add chicken during the last 15 minutes.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! What a classic comfort food recipe. I didn't use the slow cooker. I used the stove instead. I put all ingredients through pepper in a soup pot and brought to a boil. I simmered for about an hour and a half. I removed the chicken and veggies but I did not blend them, because I thought that sounded kind of gross. I added rice and barley to the broth/water and cooked for about 45 minutes. I then added the chicken and vegetables back in and cooked another 10-15 minutes to make sure it was all warm. Voila!

Taco Rice

From: An old index card

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 chopped onion
1 1/2 cups medium salsa
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 1/2 cups rice

Brown the beef and onion in a skillet. Add the salsa, tomato sauce and bouillon cube. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 5 minutes.  Make the rice and serve the beef mixture over rice.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! Listen, I know the picture isn't pretty, but I loved this recipe. I used ground venison instead of beef, and pasta sauce instead of tomato sauce. Other than that I didn't change anything about the recipe. It was incredibly simple to toss together and had a great flavor! I'll definitely be making this again. I think it would even be great in burritos or tacos.

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken and Rice

From: Southern Plate

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 large onion, chopped
1 8-oz box Zatarain's yellow rice mix, cooked according to directions
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 10.5 oz can cream of chicken soup
1 15-oz can whole kernel corn, drained

Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker. Scatter chopped onion over top. Spoon cream soup over top of that. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours. A few minutes before serving, add in cooked rice, corn, and cheese. Stir to combine. Serve hot.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! What a simple, delicious, filling meal! I actually used chicken tenderloins instead of breasts and only cooked mine on high for about 5-6 hours. In the end, my 3-year old (who will eat anything) ate two servings, I ate two servings, and my 4-year old (who is pickier than my 3-year old) ate one bite of the rice/corn mixture and all of her chicken. Go figure. I love chicken and rice combinations and I love chicken and corn combinations, so I thought this was a great mixture of flavors and textures. I loved the slight crunchiness of the onion too. I loved this meal and I definitely recommend it.

Chicken and Rice Soup

From: My Mom

Ingredients:
2-4 skinless chicken breasts
1 chicken bouillon cube
1/2 cup chopped celery, as well as a few minced leaves
1 medium onion, minced
1/4 cup chopped carrots
1 can chicken broth
1/2 cup rice
dash of garlic salt
dash of seasoned salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder

Place chicken, seasonings, and bouillon cube in saucepan with enough water to cover. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is done. Remove chicken, debone, and slice into small chunks. Return to broth. Add vegetables and chicken broth and as much water as needed to cover. Cook for 45 minutes to one hour. You can add more bouillon cubes and a hint of hot sauce for more flavor. About 15 minutes before ready to serve, add rice and water as needed. If you want a thicker soup, make a paste of 2-3 tablespoons cornstarch or flour and 1/2 cup of water. Stir the mixture until it has no lumps. Add gradually to the soup, stirring as you do so. Work up to the consistency you want.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I used boneless chicken breasts so I didn't have to debone them. I used just one bouillon cube but my mom uses more usually (2-3 I think). We both add more of all the vegetables than the recipe calls for.

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! I love this soup when Mom makes it so I had to snag the recipe from her. It's such a comfort food, so delicious, and really simple. Highly recommend!!

(No pictures - it gets gone too fast!)   

Chicken Soup with Rice and Barley

From: Automatically Light cookbook
No pictures because I couldn't find my camera!

Ingredients:
4 (5-oz) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin removed
1 cup carrots, coarsely chopped
2 cups onion, coarsely chopped
3 cups chicken broth, defatted
4 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup long-grain white rice
1/4 cup medium barley
1 tsp dried thyme leaves

Place chicken breasts, bone side up, in the slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients through pepper. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or until a fork pierces meat easily. Remove chicken and vegetables. Puree vegetables in a blender or food processor. Skim all fat from broth. Bone chicken and cut into small pieces. Return broth and pureed vegetables to the slow cooker and add rice, barley and thyme. Cover and cook on high for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the rice and barley are very tender. Add chicken during the last 15 minutes.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I used boneless chicken breasts, but that's the only difference.

What I'll do differently next time:
I would probably add some more vegetables, probably either squash or zucchini at the very least.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! This was a very yummy recipe. The vegetables added a great subtle flavor, which is why I'd like to sneak extra vegetables in there the next time! This recipe is definitely a keeper.

Chicken Soup with Rice and Barley

Ingredients:
4 (5-oz) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin removed
1 cup carrots, coarsely chopped
2 cups onion, coarsely chopped
3 cups chicken broth, defatted
4 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup long-grain white rice
1/4 cup medium barley
1 tsp dried thyme leaves

Place chicken breasts, bone side up, in the slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients through pepper. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or until a fork pierces meat easily. Remove chicken and vegetables. Puree vegetables in a blender or food processor. Skim all fat from broth. Bone chicken and cut into small pieces. Return broth and pureed vegetables to the slow cooker and add rice, barley and thyme. Cover and cook on high for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the rice and barley are very tender. Add chicken during the last 15 minutes.

Pork Fried Rice

Ingredients:
1 (5 oz) boneless pork chop diced
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped broccoli
1/2 cup frozen tiny peas thawed
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 Tbsp butter
3 cups cooked long grain rice
2 eggs beaten
3-4 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp ginger

Saute first five ingredients in butter in skillet about 3-4 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Cook rice in skillet until heated. Push rice to sides of skillet. Pour eggs into middle and cook until set, stirring.

Stir rice into eggs, add veggies and remaining ingredients. Stir.

What I did differently from the recipe:
Normally I don't change this recipe. But for tonight, I changed several things. First of all, Stephen requested that I use our remaining filet mignon for this recipe, so I used that instead of pork chops. I sliced the steak and then made a dry rub of salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder and rubbed it all over the slices with my hands. I had frozen peas and carrots in my freezer, so I used those as well, sauteeing just the steak, peas and carrots in the beginning. I left out the broccoli because I didn't have any handy and I left out the onion because Stephen doesn't like onions to linger on his breath. I also cook the rice and then I put it in the skillet because otherwise I would be worried that it would still be crunchy at the end.

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing except change the meat to either pork or chicken.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! This is a classic, easy, great tasting recipe. Stephen always craves the food at Japanese steakhouses so this is a really easy way to get that taste at home. You can easily throw veggies on the grill and add them to the rice - I know those steakhouses normally do onion, zucchini and mushrooms. Those items can sometimes be found marked down in the produce section at your grocery store, so you can snag them and make a vegetarian version of this recipe as well!

Printable version:

Ingredients:
1 (5 oz) boneless pork chop diced
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped broccoli
1/2 cup frozen tiny peas thawed
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 Tbsp butter
3 cups cooked long grain rice
2 eggs beaten
3-4 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp ginger

Saute first five ingredients in butter in skillet about 3-4 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside. Cook rice in skillet until heated. Push rice to sides of skillet. Pour eggs into middle and cook until set, stirring. Stir rice into eggs, add veggies and remaining ingredients. Stir.

Thai Beef and Noodles

Ingredients:
2 pkg (4.4 oz each) Thai sesame noodles
12 oz boneless sirloin steak, cut in thin strips
1 bag (16 oz) California stir fry vegetables

Cook noodles as package directs. Remove from heat; cover. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet. Season beef with 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Add half to skillet and, turning once, cook 2 minutes until browned. Remove to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Cook remaining beef; add to bowl.

Add 1/2 cup water and vegetables to skillet. Cover and cook 4 minutes until crisp-tender. Remove from heat.

Add beef and noodles, toss to mix.

What I did differently from the recipe:
Everything. Seriously, I would love to know how this recipe is supposed to taste. I've made it for years, but only as a guide for the recipe I actually end up making. I omit noodles and make rice instead. Instead of sirloin steak, I use whatever is in the clearance bin at the grocery store. For example, today I was able to get boneless beef tips on sale for $1.68. Cha-ching! And California style vegetables were only $1.28, so this was a great cheap-o meal! When I spice the beef, I use one to five of the following ingredients (depending on my mood I mix and match): salt, pepper, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, and onion powder. SO tasty!!

What I'll do differently next time:
The same thing I do every time!

Verdict:
Thumbs up! This is such a simple recipe but Stephen says our house smells as good as Mt. Fuji (Japanese restaurant) when this is cooked. It's great as leftovers too.

$$:
This can be a really cheap meal if you get the meat on sale. Try different cuts of meat - they'll probably all taste similar but you can almost always get beef tips or western grillers for less than $2. Happy hunting!

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients:
2 T butter
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 carrot, sliced or shredded
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 T flour
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice
1 cup water
1 can (10 1/2 oz) chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted (optional)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 cups cubed chopped chicken (I used around 1.25 lbs)

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook celery, carrot, onion, and bell pepper in butter about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.

Stir in flour and pepper. Stir in wild rice, water, and broth. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in half-and-half, chicken, almonds and parsley. Heat just until hot. Don't boil it or it might curdle.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I used about three carrots instead of one, and didn't use any almonds at all. For the wild rice, I could NOT find any at the store, so I just bought Uncle Ben's pre-made wild rice and tossed it in there.

What I'll do differently next time:
I think I'd either lessen the vegetables or totally leave them out. I had never had chicken and wild rice soup with vegetables before, and although it was really good, I think I just prefer it without. It wasn't very salty, which is good for health reasons, but probably could have used some added to it.

Verdict:
Thumbs up. I may not make this all the time, but I'd use it again, especially to fiddle around with the ingredients.