Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
I’ve been meaning to post this recipe for quite a while, but am just now getting around to it. Dang you tax season. Dang you!
This is an incredibly easy soup to throw together, and as and added bonus it’s pretty low cal (not to mention tasty). Boo. ya.
I searched long and hard for wild rice, but could not find any at my grocery store. What the heck is up with that? So, I settled on some Rice a Roni Long Grain & Wild Rice:
I cooked the rice up according to the package directions (subbing in chicken broth for water and omitting the butter).
Then I heated up a large pot, sprayed it down with some cooking spray, and sautéed the following:
- 1 cup prechopped onion
- 2/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1 cup cut carrots
- 3 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms
My grocery store doesn’t have “gourmet” mushrooms, but these baby bellas always do the trick:
All the kids into the pool:
Once the veggies were softened, I added in a splash of chicken stock to decaramelize the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Once I worked them all off the bottom, I tossed in the rest of the stock, and stirred in:
- 2 shredded chicken breasts
- the cooked Rice A roni
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Awwwwww yeah.
This batch made up four delicious servings, two of which I popped in the freezer.
Cook once, eat fource…errr.. something like that.
Chicken & Wild Rice Soup Ingredients List (serves 4) — inspired by Cooking Light Magazine
- 4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
- 1 box Rice A Roni wild rice
- 1 cup prechopped onion
- 2/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 3 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms
- 2 shredded chicken breasts
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
A random questions for ya’ll this evening–anyone have a Griddler? If so, is it worth the $$$ and what model is the best?
Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
I’ve been meaning to post this recipe for quite a while, but am just now getting around to it. Dang you tax season. Dang you!
This is an incredibly easy soup to throw together, and as and added bonus it’s pretty low cal (not to mention tasty). Boo. ya.
I searched long and hard for wild rice, but could not find any at my grocery store. What the heck is up with that? So, I settled on some Rice a Roni Long Grain & Wild Rice:
I cooked the rice up according to the package directions (subbing in chicken broth for water and omitting the butter).
Then I heated up a large pot, sprayed it down with some cooking spray, and sautéed the following:
- 1 cup prechopped onion
- 2/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1 cup cut carrots
- 3 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms
My grocery store doesn’t have “gourmet” mushrooms, but these baby bellas always do the trick:
All the kids into the pool:
Once the veggies were softened, I added in a splash of chicken stock to decaramelize the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Once I worked them all off the bottom, I tossed in the rest of the stock, and stirred in:
- 2 shredded chicken breasts
- the cooked Rice A roni
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Awwwwww yeah.
This batch made up four delicious servings, two of which I popped in the freezer.
Cook once, eat fource…errr.. something like that.
Chicken & Wild Rice Soup Ingredients List (serves 4) — inspired by Cooking Light Magazine
- 4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
- 1 box Rice A Roni wild rice
- 1 cup prechopped onion
- 2/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 3 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms
- 2 shredded chicken breasts
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
A random questions for ya’ll this evening–anyone have a Griddler? If so, is it worth the $$$ and what model is the best?
My first attempt at Biscotti
I don’t recall when I made the life transition from thinking of biscotti as a dry and dull unappetizing biscuit to thinking of biscotti as one of life’s true pleasures that should be savored as frequently as possible.
Thank god for maturing palates.
Biscotti now holds a special special place in my heart, and I would eat it every day if it didn’t hurt my teeth so much.
A while back, I decided to try and make biscotti on my own via this recipe for Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti. I headed to the local grocery store to buy up the necessary goods, and much to my dismay I found pistachios to be outrageously expensive. $10 a bag?!? Come ON! Then I noticed that the pistachios with the shells still on them were nearly half the price, so of course I scooped them up.
How hard could it be to crack a few shells?
About 45 minutes into my shell husking I was beginning to seriously doubt my frugal decision. …
Seriously…
How many freaking pistachios does it take to get 3/4 of a cup???
When I finally had my 3/4 cup pistachios and my fingers were aching from all the husking, I mixed the following together in a bowl:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/8 teaspoon orange extract
Then I beat in 1 egg and combined the following in another bowl:
- 3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
I slowly incorporated the dries into the wets, and then mixed in:
- 1/2 cup craisins
- 3/4 pistachios (painstakingly deshelled by hand)
Looks like christmas!
Can’t wait to eat you!
Once combined, I rolled the dough out into a log on parchment paper:
Kind of surprising how perfect this looked, given that I couldn’t feel my fingers at this point.
I baked the biscotolog in a 300 degree oven for 35 minutes. Then I removed it from the oven and covered it with a dish towel to cool for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, I reduced the oven heat to 275.
I transferred the biscotolog to a cutting board and cut into 18 slices:
PERFECTION!
Then popped the biscottis onto the cookie sheet again and put them back into the 275 degree oven for 8 minutes.
Once the biscotti was completely cooled,I drizzled the tops with some melted Bakers Chocolate
YES!
Overall, I really loved this biscotti. I think some of my friends and fam were a little thrown off by the orange extract though. I’m excited to play around with this recipe. I’m thinking almond and craisins next time!
Really any nut that doesn’t require deshelling would be superb….
Pumpkin Cookies
I LOVE all things pumpkin. A few years back, I found this recipe for Iced Pumpkin Cookies, and it has been one of my go-to cookie recipes ever since (I do make a few Mary-tweaks). Feast your eyes, my friends.
Feast. Your. Eyes.
Oh yes.
First up, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then combine the dry ingredients in a medium size bowl:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Next, combine the following in a large bowl until creamy:
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
Suga butta:
Then add:
- 1 small can pumpkin puree (or ONE HEAPING cup)
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Once combined, add in the dry ingredients in thirds and mix:
Pumpkin batter:
I use a small cookie scooper to drop the cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet. I don’t flatten mine like the original recipe states. I like them a lil poofy.
Cook for precisely 15 minutes, immediately remove from the cookie sheet, and pop into the freezer for a couple minutes.
Yes, the freezer:
I’m not entirely sure why I do this, and it is probably an unnecessary step… but regardless I always do it and I think it helps the cookies to stop cooking sooner (which equals super moist and delicious cookies).
Once the cookies are cool, it’s time for icing! You can also make the cookies a day ahead and ice the next day. Just don’t store them in an airtight container (or you’ll end up with mushy business).
For the icing, mix the following in bowl:
- 2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Sprinkling of cinnamon
Nom nom nom!
Take a sandwich size plastic bag and place it in a small drinking glass. Pour the icing into the cup:
Mess free!
Snip a small corner off of the baggie and you’ll get oober professional results 🙂
Fancy pants:
Once I ice the cookies, I pop them into the freezer AGAIN:
Ok yes, probably unnecessary. But this helps the icing to set up. At least I think it does.
VOILAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
Eat me now.
Since these cookies are super moist and delicious, you do NOT want to store them in an airtight container. I like to keep mine in the fridge and eat them cold.
MMMMMM HMMMMMMMMMMMM GOOOOOODDDDDDD.
This recipe makes 4 dozen pumpkin cookies.
What’s your favorite pumpkin recipe?
