Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

 1 T. olive oil

2-3 cups rotisserie chicken (I use Costco rotisserie)

kosher salt and black pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

3 carrots, peeled and diced

2 celery ribs, diced

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

5 cups chicken broth

2 bay leaves

3/4 cup uncooked orzo pasta

1 spring rosemary

juice of 1-2 lemons

Heat 1 T. olive oil in a Dutch oven. Add garlic, onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Whisk in chicken broth, bay leaves and 1 cup water; bring to a boil. Stir in orzo, rosemary and chicken; reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in lemon juice; season with salt and pepper to taste.

via: damndelicious.net

Blueberry Cobbler

For the fruit:

 8 cups fresh blueberries

2/3 cup sugar

1 T. lemon juice

1/4 cup flour

For the topping:

2 1/2 cup flour

1 T. baking powder

2 1/2 heaping T. sugar, plus more for sprinkling

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 sticks plus 2 T. cold salted butter, cut into pieces

3/4 cup milk

1 large egg

vanilla ice cream, for serving

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

For the fruit: Place the blueberries in a large bowl and sprinkle in the sugar & lemon juice. Add the flour and stir to combine.

For the topping: In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Stir it around, then add 1 1/2 sticks cold butter and use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the dry ingredients.

Whisk together the milk and egg, then drizzle it into the flour-butter mixture and stir until the dough just comes together. It should be lumpy!

Pour the blueberries into a 9x13 baking dish and dot them with 2 T. butter, then tear off pinches of the dough and dot them all over the top. Sprinkle the top with extra sugar. Cover lightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake until lightly browned, about 25 more minutes. 

Serve warm or at room temperature with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Enchilada Suizas

2 lbs. tomatillos, peeled, rinsed, and halved

2 jalapenos, whole

3 garlic cloves, smashed

1 small white onion, quartered

1/4 bunch cilantro, leaves removed from stems

1 tsp. sea salt

1/2 - 1 cup heavy cream

12 corn or flour tortillas

olive oil 

3 cups chicken, cooked and shredded (I use rotisserie)

12 oz. jack cheese (3 cups) grated/shredded

• Preheat oven to 450 F. Place the tomatillos, jalapenos, garlic, and onion on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes on the upper rack of the oven, turning vegetables half way through at 10 minutes. If you're cooking the chicken for this recipe and not using a rotisserie-cooked chicken (see notes), cook chicken while vegetables are roasting.
• Remove roasted vegetables from oven and let cool slightly. Remove and discard dark, blistered skin from tomatillos. Lower oven heat to 350 F.
• Blend cooked vegetables in a blender on low for a few seconds. Add cilantro leaves and salt to blender. Pulse a few times until blended. Mixture should be smooth but with seeds still visible and not completely blended. Add heavy cream-- 1/2 cup for a more tangy, acidic sauce, and 1 full cup for a creamier, richer sauce. Taste sauce and add more salt if needed. Add 3/4 cup of the sauce to the shredded chicken and mix together. Set both aside.
• Heat a nonstick pan or skillet on medium-high heat. Drop 1 teaspoon of oil on the pan at a time and cook tortillas, front and back for a few seconds each, until there are golden brown spots on both sides. Add more oil as needed, every few tortillas.
• Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with cooking spray. Coat the bottom of the pan with sauce (1/2 - 1 cup). If using corn tortillas, you will make two rows of enchiladas side by side, and if using flour tortillas, you will make one long row of enchiladas down the length of the pan. Hold the tortilla in one hand, and with the other fill it with 1/4-1/3 cup of chicken and a sprinkle of cheese. Roll up the enchilada in the pan and position seam side down. Assemble the rest of the enchiladas. If you have extra tortillas and filling, use another small pan to make additional enchiladas. Pour the remaining sauce over enchiladas and spread evenly over the tops of enchiladas with a spatula. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray, and wrap pan with greased foil.
• Bake enchiladas at 350 F for 20 minutes covered, and 10 additional minutes uncovered. During the last minute or two of cooking, turn the oven to broil, and cook until tops of enchiladas have some brown spots and are bubbly. Do not walk away from the oven during this process- your cheese can burn easily in seconds. Serve hot and garnish with fresh cilantro, chopped onions, or sour cream if desired.
• via: Femalefoodie.com
• You can use pre-cooked tortillas in this recipe, but uncooked tortillas are highly recommended for optimal quality and flavor. Corn are preferred, but flour are delicious also.

Grilled California Avocado Chicken

 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup honey

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. olive oil

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

4 slices mozzarella cheese

2 avocados diced

cherry tomatoes, diced

1/4 cup fresh chopped basil

salt and pepper

balsamic glaze for drizzling

In a medium sized bowl whisk the balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic, olive oil, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. Add the chicken breasts and coat. Marinate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl add the avocado, tomato, basil and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Heat the grill to medium high heat. Grill the chicken on each side about 6 minutes or until cooked throughout and no longer pink. Top with mozzarella cheese and avocado, tomato basil mixture. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve immediately.

Via: therecipecritic.com

Oven Roasted Yukon Gold Potates

 6 small Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and halved

2 T. olive oil

1/2 tsp. salt

pinch of black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. 

Toss the peeled and halved potatoes in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place potatoes flat side down and cook for 15 minutes. The potatoes may not be golden yet. They may stick to the pan. Take a thin spatula and slightly nudge them off.

Flip and cook for an additional 12-15 minutes or until tender and brown.

Via: eatsimplefood.com

Homemade Gingerbread

 3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup molasses

1 1/2 tsp. ginger

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground cloves

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 T. warm water

1 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan. Mix eggs, sugar, molasses, and oil with a hand mixer until well combined. Sift in flour.

Combine baking soda and 2 T. water. Add to the batter and mix well. Stir in the boiling water until fully combined. Pour the batter (it will seem thin) into the prepared pan.

Bake40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely and serve with whipped cream. We like to serve with homemade applesauce as well.

Via: spendwithpennies.com

Crockpot Cinnamon Applesauce

 3 lbs. apples, peeled, cored and sliced (about 6 medium apples) I use Gala

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 cup water

Place the peeled, sliced apples into the bowl of your crockpot. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon over the apples and mix well. Pour the water into the crockpot and place the lid on top. Cook over high heat for 4 hours.

When cooking time is up, remove the lid and mix the apples using a wire whisk, stirring until smooth, or until desired consistency is reached. Applesauce is delicious served warm.

Via: Belleofthekitchen.com