Chicken Take-Out Fake-Out (WINTER IS OVER! sort of)

I got so excited this past week. We took the Cave Toddler to the park a few days in a row, went on walks, wore shorts and short sleeve shirts! It was incredible. Then it snowed yesterday. I reverted back to winter hibernation, oops. At least this gives me hope that it will be getting warmer and it will be soon. Warmer weather brings gardens and fresh produce which also means lots and lots of new recipes. Winter sucks all my inspiration but summer? Summer and I are good friends when it comes to cooking.

On one of the first warm days, I had an intense stir fry craving. This recipe was the result. The sauce didn't thicken as much as I wanted originally but the flavor, oh man, that flavor was amazing. If you eat white rice then this can be served over it. If you are totally grain free, serve it over cauli "rice."


Sweet and Spicy Chicken Stir-Fry

Ingredients
2 2/3 c chicken stock, divided
1/3 c Sweet chili sauce
Juice from 2 oranges
1 tsp garlic powder
Sriracha to taste
1 lb chicken, cooked and shredded (I used home canned)
2 tbsp cooking fat
4-5 c assorted veggies (I personally used green beans, onions, broccoli, and sliced carrots)

Combine 2 c chicken stock and juice from the oranges in a small sauce pan, simmer to reduce by about 2/3. You want maybe 1/2 - 3/4 c left.

While the stock is reducing, melt the butter in a large cast iron skillet. If using onions, add them diced first to saute until translucent. Add in remaining veggies and saute until softened but not cooked all the way. Add the chicken and garlic powder, stir to combine.

When the sauce is reduced sufficiently, add the 2/3 c chicken stock and sweet chili sauce and simmer to make sure everything combines well. Pour over chicken and veggie mixture. Add sriracha to desired spice level and simmer as low as it can go until the veggies are tender, you don't want to lose too much liquid. Serve over rice or cauli "rice."

Best Ever Broccoli Soup

We occasionally babysit the son of a friend. He is several years older than the Cave Toddler. As we were making dinner tonight we realized we had him tonight but didn't know if he would be here during dinner so we tried to add volume to the broccoli soup we planned on tonight. This recipe was the result. It is so inexpensive and easy and results in a decent volume of soup. It feels like velvet in my mouth. I love broccoli soup so much and this has, honestly, been the best recipe I have made this far.

Creamy Broccoli Soup

1 lb frozen broccoli florets
1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4-5 tbsp melted butter
salt and pepper to taste
4-5 c chicken stock
1-2 oz cream cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Toss broccoli and cauliflower in butter and salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes or until tender.

Puree with stock and cream cheese, if using. I like to heat a little more over the stove but it is ready to serve as is.

The cauliflower and cream cheese add a nice creaminess to it that I absolutely LOVE. It is almost like broccoli velvet in my mouth. I don't know. Just the best broccoli soup I have ever had. Give a shot, so easy, so yummy.

Chicken Soup - The Ultimate Comfort Food

Chicken Soup

2 tblsp cooking fat

2 cloves garlic

1 onion

1-1 1/2 quart chicken stock/broth

2 c celery (about 4 stalks)

2 c carrots (about 3-4 carrots)

A few shakes of dried parsley (optional)

1-2 lbs chicken meat, cooked and shredded (sometimes we just chop and cook it)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Heat a large pot of medium head and add in the cooking fat. When hot, stir in garlic and onions and saute. When onions are slightly translucent add the stock, celery, carrots, parsley, and chicken. Sprinkle salt and pepper and give one good stir. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer for 1 hour stirring occasionally.

Roasted Tomato Soup

Thought you could never have a velvety, creamy, smooth tomato soup after giving up dairy? Think again! The other vegetables help give this soup the creamy goodness we have come to know and love from tomato soups without any of that pesky dairy.

Roasted Creamy Tomato Soup

2 onions, roughly chopped

3 carrots, roughly diced

2 stalks of celery, roughly diced

3 cloves garlic, peeled

6 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped

1/4 cooking fat, melted (we used lard)

3+ c chicken stock

3 tblsp fresh herbs of choice (we used basil, marjoram, and thyme) minced

Preheat oven to 400F. On a baking sheet, add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic and tomatoes. Drizzle with melted cooking fat and salt and pepper to taste. Roast the vegetables in the oven until the carrots are tender, about 25 minutes.

While the vegetables are roasting, add the herbs to the stock in a large pot and simmer.

Once vegetables are done roasting, puree using a blender, food processor, or immersion blender adding in the stock. Depending on how think you like your soup you may need more stock to thin it out. You can either serve it now or let it simmer a little longer to get the herbs infusing with the blended vegetables.