Chicken Wild Rice Soup Recipe

Chicken Wild Rice Soup Recipe

Ingredients

2	quarts chicken broth
½	pound fresh mushrooms, chopped
1	cup finely chopped celery
1	cup shredded carrots
½	cup finely chopped onion
1	teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1	teaspoon dried parsley flakes
¼	teaspoon garlic powder
¼	teaspoon dried thyme
¼	cup butter, cubed
¼	cup all-purpose flour
1	can (10-¾ ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
½	cup dry white wine or additional chicken broth
3	cups cooked wild rice
2	cups cubed cooked chicken

Directions

In a large saucepan, combine the first nine ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes. In Dutch oven, melt butter; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in broth mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Whisk in soup and wine. Add rice and chicken; heat through. Yield: 14 s

Vanilla Coconut Rice Pudding

Vanilla Coconut Rice Pudding

1 1/2 cups of cold cooked rice
1 1/2 cups of coconut milk
2 cups of whole or 2% milk
1/3 cup of sugar
pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean, insides scraped out

Combine all the ingredients together in a saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat for 40 minutes. Allows to cool and serve.

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Stuffed Green Peppers with Brown Rice, Italian Sausage, and Parmesan

Stuffed Green Peppers with Brown Rice, Italian Sausage, and Parmesan

1 C long-grain brown rice (I used Uncle Ben's Brown Rice, but any long-grain rice will work.)
4 large green bell peppers, bottom trimmed, cap end cut off and diced, and seeds removed
1 large onion, diced
2 tsp. + 1 tsp. olive oil
2 links (about 8 oz.) turkey Sweet Italian Sausage (or other sausage of your choice. Use diced mushrooms instead of sausage for vegetarian version.)
1/2 tsp. ground fennel
1/2 tsp. dried Greek or Turkish oregano
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Cook rice according to package directions, or using a rice cooker. (Rice can be cooked ahead and used in this recipe later.)

Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Trim bottom of bell peppers so they have a flat surface to stand on. Cut off a fairly generous amount of the stem end of peppers, then remove seeds. Place hollowed-out peppers in a baking dish that you've sprayed with non-stick spray or olive oil. (A dish that's close in size to the peppers will work best.)

Remove stem part from the pepper caps and trim off any white membrane, then dice pepper caps and the onion into fairly small dice. Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in a large skillet, then saute diced pepper and onion for 3-4 minutes, until they are starting to soften but aren't browned. Remove pepper-onion mixture to a bowl, add 1 tsp. more olive oil, then squeeze sausage out of the casing and cook until it's lightly browned, breaking apart with the back of the turner.

Put the onion-pepper mixture back into the pan with the sausage, add the dried spices, and saute 2-3 minutes to blend the flavors. Then add cooked rice and Parmesan cheese, season the mixture with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste, and cook just long enough to warm, about 1-2 minutes.

Stuff the filling mixture into the hollowed-out peppers, using a spoon to press the mixture down so it's tightly packed into the pepper shell. (A few years ago I stopped pre-cooking the peppers before stuffing, and now I prefer peppers that are stuffed raw.) If you have any extra filling, you can put it in a small ramekin and bake along with the peppers. Bake peppers for 30 minutes, then remove from oven and put a generous pinch of grated mozzarella on top of each pepper. Put peppers back into the oven and bake about 10-15 minutes more, until cheese is melted and lightly browned. Serve hot.

You can freeze leftover peppers for a month or two, although the frozen peppers will be a little softer in texture (but still very tasty.) I cut them in half top-to-bottom before freezing and freeze two halves in a small baking dish with a snap-on lid.

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup quinoa (red or white), rinsed
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 3 bunches of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (about 4 cups), see Cook's Note*
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 English cucumber, diced
• Small handful jarred peppadew peppers or roasted red peppers, finely chopped

Directions

*Cook's Note: I chop the parsley and the mint by hand. You can use a food processor if you like, but I find it doesn't chop the leaves as uniformly, and has a tendency to turn them into a wet puree rather than tiny, crunchy little bites.

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Meanwhile, in a small cast-iron skillet (if possible), toast the quinoa over moderately-high heat until the grains give off a nutty aroma and start to pop. Pour the quinoa into the boiling water, taking care that the pot doesn't boil over! Turn it down to a simmer, cover, and cook until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove it from the heat and allow to cool.

Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, 1/2 rounded teaspoon of salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Combine the parsley, mint, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, peppadews and the cooled cooked quinoa in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Taste for seasoning, and let sit for about 5 minutes before you serve. (This tastes even better the next day!)

Another way to serve it is with the tabbouleh in the center of a platter encircled with endive or romaine leaves to scoop it up.

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Fruity Rice Krispies Kebabs

Fruity Rice Krispies Kebabs

3 Tb. butter
4 cups (10 oz.) mini marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies Cereal
1 flavored drink packet (choose your favorite fruit flavor)
2 Tb. colored sprinkles
Fresh cut fruit and berries of choice
Wooden Skewers

Spray a 9 X 13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a saucepan, melt the butter and marshmallows over medium heat. Once melted add the drink powder and stir until dissolved.

Remove from heat and add the Rice Krispies. Stir until coated.

Spoon the Rice Krispies mixture into the prepared pan. Press firmly with wax paper.

Once cooled, use small cookie cutters to cut the Rice Krispies Treats into fun shapes.

Pour the sprinkles on a small plate and press the top of each cutout into the sprinkles.

Slide the treats onto skewers with fresh cut fruit and berries.

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Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispie Bars

Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispie Bars

2 tbsp butter
5-oz marshmallows (1/2 large bag)
3 cups rice krispies/puffed rice cereal

Peanut Butter Filling
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter (natural or regular)
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tbsp milk

Chocolate Topping
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup semisweet/dark chocolate chips

Lightly grease a 9×9-inch pan.
In a large, microwave safe bowl, combine butter and marshmallows. Heat until butter is melted and marshmallows are soft. Stir to combine. Fold in rice cereal with a spatula, then pour mixture into prepared pan and press into an even layer. Allow to cool and set at room temperature.
For the peanut butter layer, combine all filling ingredients in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. The consistency should be like frosting. If it is too crumbly (consistency may vary slightly by type of peanut butter used), add an additional tablespoon or two of milk until filling is spreadable. Spread onto cereal layer.
For the chocolate topping, melt chocolate chips and butter in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Stir until smooth. Pour over peanut butter layer and, using an offset spatula or regular spatula, spread chocolate to cover entire surface. Let chocolate set up at room temperature before slicing.

Makes 20 rectangular candy bars.

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Ginger and Cilantro Baked Tilapia

Ginger and Cilantro Baked Tilapia

Ginger and Cilantro Baked Tilapia

serves 2

1 pound domestically farmed tilapia fillets
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 inch fresh ginger, grated, about 1 tablespoon
1 jalapeño pepper, roughly chopped (optional)
1/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves
1/4 cup white wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Scallions, chopped for garnish
Extra cilantro, to garnish

Heat the oven to 475°F. Pat the fish dry, season lightly with salt and pepper, and lay in a 9x9-inch or 8x8-inch ceramic or glass baking dish.

Put the garlic, grated ginger, chopped jalapeño, and cilantro in a small food processor with the white wine, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Whir until blended. (Alternately, you can finely chop or mash the aromatics in a mortar and pestle, then whisk together with the liquid ingredients.)

Pour the sauce over the fish, rubbing it in a little. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily and is cooked through. It will be very moist and even a little gelatinous, still.

Serve immediately over brown rice or orzo, garnished with the additional scallions and cilantro.

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Cilantro Lime Quinoa

Cilantro Lime Quinoa

ingredients:

2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste

directions:

1. In a large pot, bring the 2 cups of vegetable broth to a boil. Stir in quinoa and cook until broth is evaporated and quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes. Pour quinoa into a medium bowl and fluff with a fork.

2. Stir in garlic, lime juice, cilantro, and sugar. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve warm.

Lemon Orzo Salad with Asparagus and Tomatoes

Lemon Orzo Salad with Asparagus and Tomatoes

12 oz. orzo
1 bunch fresh asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 lemon, zested and juiced
4 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbs. fresh parsley, minced
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano*

Bring 2 large pots of water to boil.  Add a big pinch of salt in each.

To one pot, add asparagus and blanch, about 2 to 3 minutes, depending on the thickness of your asparagus.  Place blanched asparagus in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and keep them green.

To the second pot, add the orzo.  Cook per package instructions.  When tender, drain and place in a large bowl.  Add blanched asparagus and tomato halves.

Mix olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Stir into orzo and vegetables.  Stir in parsley and grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

This can be served warm, room temperature or cold.

*Note:  If you want to keep this salad vegan, leave out the Parmigiano Reggiano.

Trix Treats (instead of rice crispies)

Trix Treats

Ingredients

• 1 x 400g bag of mini marshmallows (about 2 cups)
• 10 cups Trix cereal
• 1/4 cup butter

Instructions

1. Place the butter and marshmallows in a glass bowl and pop in the microwave for about 2 to 3 minutes to melt.
2. Stir well.
3. Mix in your trix and stir.
4. Pour into a large greased pan (9 x 13 or 11 x 11) and press down with a spoon.
5. Cut into squares.
6. Serve with a colorful smile!

Notes

If you spray your spoon with non stick spray before using it to press down the krispies it works really well.

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken And Rice

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken And Rice

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 large onion, chopped (I use Vidalia)
• 1 -8 ounce box Zatarain's Yellow Rice Mix, cooked according to directions
• 1 cup cheddar cheese
• 1 - 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup (regular or fat free)
• 1 -15 ounce can whole kernel corn, drained

Instructions

1. 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.

Pinteresting Deserts: #1 Cake Batter Rice Crispy Treats

Since my last post was about healthy food, I'm going to go ahead and tempt with this one about an amazing desert recipe that I found today...

CAKE BATTER RICE CRISPY TREATS!!!


Holy crap! Thanks to Give Me Some Oven for this awesome recipe. Two of my favorite desert tastes in one dish. I couldn't be a happier girl :)

Cake Batter Rice Krispies Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 1 (10 oz.) bag of mini-marshmallows
• 1/4 cup yellow cake mix (the dry cake mix, not prepared into a batter!)
• 6 cups crispy rice cereal
• 1 (1.75 oz.) container of sprinkles

Method:

Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat and add marshmallows. Stir until they begin to melt, adding in (dry) cake mix one spoonful at a time so its combined. Stir in cereal so it is completely coated with marshmallow mixture. Sprinkle in half of the sprinkles and mix. Press into a baking dish (any size will do) and top with remaining sprinkles. Let sit for about 30 minutes before cutting. I find spraying a knife with nonstick spray helps to cut them.

Ali’s Tip:

I actually increased the cake batter to 1/3 cup for my recipe to give it a little extra cake batter kick (the 1/4 cup seemed just a little too subtle to me), but add as much in as you like!

***Note: Many readers have asked what to do with the remaining cake mix.  If you would like to use it to whip up a batch of cake mix cookies, just measure out 6 oz. of the remaining cake mix, and combine it with 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil, and 1 egg.  Stir until mixed.  Then form into cookie dough balls, and bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.***