Life is .. chaotic, but great! I start a new position at work at the beginning of April. And we move the week of April 13! Our house sold and everything is moving fast. BUT, I’m still reading and cooking – just not getting a chance to blog. Before I forget them, a couple recipes I’ve tested recently –
Crock Pot Split Pea Soup
from http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/easyrecipe-print/249-0
- 1 pkg (about 2½ c. or 1 lb.), dried split peas
- 9 c. chicken broth (if you like it thick, use 8 c.)
- 4 carrots, coarsely chopped
- 3 medium potatoes, diced small
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2-3 c. diced ham
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 1 tsp. Kosher Salt
- ½ tsp. pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- Combine all ingredients in a LARGE Crock Pot and cook on low for about 7-8 hours (or on high for about 4-5 hours). Remove bay leaf before serving. Serve with sliced french bread.
- *This makes a LOT (serves 8-10) so if you don’t have a large crockpot you may consider halving this recipe.
Yummy and easy! Very filling too. Highly recommend!
Silver’s Savory Chicken & Broccoli Casserole
Ingredients:
| 6 ounces egg noodles
3 tablespoons butter 1 yellow onion, chopped 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups chicken broth 3/4 cup milk |
salt and pepper to taste
5 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast meat 1 (10 ounce) package chopped frozen broccoli, thawed 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 1 cup shredded provolone cheese |
Directions:
| 1. | Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until al dente; drain. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C.) Grease a 9×13 inch casserole dish. |
| 2. | Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion until tender, about 3 minutes. Mix in flour. Gradually stir in chicken broth. Slowly stir in milk, and cook, stirring, until sauce begins to thicken. Season with salt and pepper. |
| 3. | Place cooked noodles in the bottom of casserole dish. Arrange cooked chicken in an even layer over noodles. Place broccoli over the chicken. Pour sauce evenly over the broccoli. Combine cheeses, and sprinkle half over the casserole. |
| 4. | Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the cheese melts. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Allow to set for 5 minutes, until cheese melts. |
Again, yummy! Not the world’s healthiest, but some yummy comfort food that can be prepared quickly and easily.
And, a favorite of mine (though my kids weren’t into it):
Garlicky Beef-and-Bean Stir-fry, from Southern Living, Feb 2015
4 tbsp sugar
6 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp dried crushed red pepper
8 tsp minced garlic
4 tbsp peanut oil, divided
1 10oz sirloin steak, thinly sliced across the grain
1 lb fresh green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 red bell peppers, cut into ¼ to ½ inch wide strips
2 tsp cornstarch
3 cups hot cooked rice
Combine first 5 ingredients. Gradually whisk in 3 tbsp oil; transfer to a large zip-top plastic bag. Add steak; seal. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes.
- Pour steak and marinade into a bowl. Transfer steak to a wok, reserving marinade. Stir fry steak in 1 tbsp oil over medium-high heat 1 ½ minutes or until browned. Remove steak. Add beans and bell peppers to wok; stir-fry 3 minutes.
- Whisk cornstarch into reserved marinade. Stir cornstarch mixture into vegetable mixture. Stir-fry 30 seconds or until sauce thickens. Stir steak into vegetable mixture, and stir-fry 30 seconds. Remove from heat, and serve over rice.
Delicious – fresh and tasty!
Fun & Focus 