Crock Pot Chicken Soup

Simple. Super yummy. A new family favorite.

Crock Pot Chicken Soup:

2 onions, chopped
2-3 carrots, cleaned and sliced
3 celery stalks, sliced
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
3 TBSP parsley
1 2-3 pound fryer chicken, cleaned
4 cups of water

Put all ingredients in Crock Pot in the order listed above. Cook on low for 8-10 hours (or high for 4-6). One hour prior to serving, remove chicken from Crock Pot and let cool slightly. Remove skin and discard and pull meat from carcass and return to Crock Pot. Serve hot with garlic bread and a salad.

Enjoy!

Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

Back when we lived in Boise, one of my favorite restaurants was this Thai place called (appropriately) "Thai Cuisine" lol. They have this coconut soup that I absolutely love, but I have never even considered trying it because it has ingredients like lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, and galangal. Not only would I not know where to find these ingredients here, I never would even try because I'd only use them for this one soup. So I've just been going without. Until last night. I saw someone using regular similarly-flavored ingredients in another Asian soup and I was like, "Hey, I could do that!" So I came up with the following, which was surprisingly CLOSE. It wasn't exactly the same, but the whole family loved it nonetheless and I will just keep working on the flavor balance to make it perfect.

Coconut Chicken Soup:

2 chicken breasts, cooked and cut-up into 1-inch pieces
2 cups chicken stock (I used homemade)
2 cups coconut milk
1 onion, cut in half and sliced into strips
3 cups button mushrooms, quartered
8 slices fresh ginger, peeled
1 tablespoon chili paste
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
juice of 1 lemon
olive oil

1) Drizzle a little olive oil in the bottom of a soup pot, heat over medium heat. Add the onions and cook about 2-3 minutes.
2) Add the stock, coconut milk, mushrooms, ginger, chili paste, basil and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes.
3) Add the chicken and simmer another 5 minutes.
4) Add the lemon juice and serve hot.

Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday: September 28th

Last week was kind of a crazy week and this one will be too as we continue to pack and organize things so we can go home. But here is part of a menu this week. I still need a few days, but we will probably end up eating out one day and maybe getting simple deli foods (salads, etc) another day.

Grilled Burgers, oven fries, mixed veggies

Chicken Milan, garlic pita chips, steamed broccoli

Grilled Chicken, Baked Beans, side salad, Garlic bread

Mushroom Cream Pasta, steamed artichokes with butter and mayo


For more meal ideas, check out Orgjunkie's Menu Plan Monday page.

Mushroom Cream Pasta

This recipe was inspired by Macaroni Grill's Mushroom Ravioli. That was the best sauce I've ever had and I set about to recreating the flavor. I didn't measure anything, so I'll just go through the process. All measurements are eyeballed.

Mushroom Cream Pasta:

Start with:

6 oz. button mushrooms, sliced

1 medium onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

In a little bit of olive oil, over medium-low heat, add the onions and saute until softened (5-7 minutes), add the mushrooms and cook until softened and then add the garlic and cook for 4 minutes, stirring often. Set mixture aside.

In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of flour and whisk together. Allow the flour to cook until golden brown, then slowly add in whole milk, whisking each 1/2 cup until the sauce has thickened. I add about 1/2 cup at a time until about 2 cups total have been added. I also added 1/2 cup chicken broth with 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar mixed into it during the thickening process.

Once the sauce has been thickened, add, to taste, about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the cinnamon slowly, but it is the key to the awesome flavor. Once the sauce is a sweetly savory yumminess, add the vegetable mixture back into the sauce and heat through. Add about 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan to the sauce and stir until it melts.

I served this over whole wheat spiral pasta, but my husband and I agreed it would have been perfect over linguine. Sprinkle some fresh grated Parmesan cheese on top and enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday: September 14th

Because I am going back to the States soon (and without my laptop) I plan to post many of our family favorite recipes in a hurry so I have access to them back home.

For now, here's our plan this week:

Shrimp Tacos with lettuce, avocado, tomatoes, cheese, onions, and sour cream
-I tossed the shrimp in a bowl with lime juice, a dash of salt, and some garlic powder them sauteed them in a little EVOO over medium-high heat for a few minutes. When they were sauteeing, I sprinkled them with a good amount of chili powder. That was it. Assemble them with the garnishes and enjoy. HUGE family favorite last night!

Easy Chicken Stuffing Bake

Swanson Pan-Sauteed Chicken with Vegetables and Herbs with steamed jasmine rice

Bean and Cheese Burritos with salsa and lettuce

Baked Chicken with Pea Salad

For more menu ideas, check out Orgjunkie's website.

Menu Plan Monday: September 7th

Here's what we're having this week:

Apple Chicken Quesadillas with lettuce, salsa, and sour cream

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup with homemade egg noodles, garlic toasts, and side salad

Shredded Chicken Burritos garnished with lettuce, tomato, avocado, and salsa

Funky Chicken with Sesame Noodles and steamed broccoli

Meat Loaf, Au Gratin Potatoes, steamed broccoli, and corn bread

Spinach and Mushroom Manicotti with garlic bread and a side salad


For more menu ideas, check out Orgjunkie.com.

Menu Plan Monday: August 31st (and Crab Dip recipe)

This week for lunch I am making Chimichangas with guacamole for me and Egg Salad for Stu to take to work. Here are our dinners:

Barbecue Chicken Burritos, fries, and steamed mixed vegetables

Chicken Milan, buttered noodles, and steamed broccoli

Crab Rangoon searved with sweet and sour sauce, fried rice

Broccoli Soup with dinner rolls and Ritz crackers


I will also be making this Crab Dip with the leftover crab:

1 package of cream cheese
4 oz. imitation crab meat, flaked
1/4 cup favorite salsa

Roughly chop the crab and then mix with the cream cheese and salsa. Serve with Wheat Thins. So yummy!

For more menu ideas, visit Orgjunkie.com.