Italian Hillside soup

+Modified from my crock pot cookbook

1 green bell pepper
2 stalks of celery
1/2 yellow onion
----chop these and sautee in a pan with about 1 tablespoon of EVOO.  Cook until soft, or about as long as it takes you to assemble the rest of the ingredients.

2 small zucchinis
1 box (32 oz) of chicken broth
1 can of diced tomatoes with oregano, garlic and basil
1 can of navy beans (or 2 cans...), rinsed
1 tsp minced garlic
8 oz. frozen green beans

Add all of this to the crock pot and cook on low for about 5 1/2 hours. 

When you are about 30 minutes from eating, toss in a box or container of tortellini.  I threw in a box of cheese tortellini (7 oz), and then added some frozen, too.  Also, toss in about 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil from your garden (about 15 big leaves).

I served this with cheesy biscuits.  I think you could also throw in about 4 frozen chicken breasts and it would be great.  YUM! 

Menu - Sept + Oct 2012

SUNDAY	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY
SEPTEMBER						1:  Vegetarian Chili
2:  Italian Hillside Garden Soup	3: Steaks & Potatoes	4: White chicken chili	5:  Macaroni & Beef casserole	6: Chicken pot pie	7:	8: chicken & Dumplins
9: Homemade pizza	10: Cincinnati Turkey Chili	11: Pork chops, mashed potatoes	12: meatloaf	13: Tortellini	14:	15: Arugula Pesto
16: Holly’s bean soup	17: David’s pasta salad	18: beef fajitas	19: spicy beef sandwiches	20: cheeseburger soup	21:	22: Pour pizza
23: Garlic Chicken	24: Lentil soup	25: Sloppy joes	26: Italian veggie stew	27: Make-ahead Mexican casserole	28:	29: Taco soup
30: Prosciutto garlic chicken	OCT 1: Bierox	2: chicken enchilada casserole	3: roast and green beans	4: taco salad	5:	6: baked potato soup
7: chicken enchiladas	8: chicken & rice	9: beef stroganoff	10: chicken fajitas	11: pita pizzas	12:	13: green enchiladas
14: spinach alfredo fettuccini	15: brisket	16: crunchy chicken casserole	17: chicken spaghetti	18: tomatillo chicken	19:	20: chili
21: Philly cheese steak crock pot thing	22: chicken tortilla soup (crock pot p. 70)	23: pizza rolls	24: cheese burger soup	25: bbq chicken sandwiches	26:	27:California chicken wraps
28: chicken picadillo	29: egg salad sandwiches	30: shepherd’s pie	31: meatball soup

Garlic tomato chicken

Baked Chicken with Garlic and Sun Dried Tomatoes

Nutrition Info

• Calories: 256.5
• Fat: 8.9g
• Carbohydrates: 12.5g
• Protein: 29.2g

Ingredients

1 lb chicken breasts, boneless, cut into 4 oz portions
1 oz vegetable or olive oil
20 whole garlic cloves, peeled
1 medium yellow or white onion, cut in half root to tip then sliced thin
1/2 c sun dried tomatoes, chopped, (not packed in oil)
1/4 cup white wine
1/2-3/4 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon dried oregano
white pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Rinse the chicken under cold running water and pat dry. Crush two of the 20 garlic cloves.

Place an ovenproof skillet over moderate heat. Once warm add oil. Once oil is hot, add crushed garlic to pan then place chicken in the pan on top of the garlic. Toss in remaining garlic cloves.

Cook chicken for about 8 minutes or until it will release itself easily from the pan then flip to cook the other side. Continue to cook for 4 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the skillet. Set aside.

Place onions and tomatoes over the caramelized garlic. Allow the onions and tomatoes to sweat in the pan for 3-4 minutes. Reduce heat and add wine. With a spoon stir the pan to remove the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. This deglazing technique will remove the flavor stuck to the bottom of the pan and release it to the vegetables.

Add chicken back to the skillet. Add stock just until the liquid level reaches halfway up the sides of the chicken. Add oregano and pepper to taste. Cover with tight fitting lid and place in oven. Bake 30 minutes.

bruschetta

A couple of variations:

2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
8 fresh basil leaves
black pepper
12 1/2" slices of Italian bread.

OR

2 tomatoes (maybe Roma?)
2-3 large cloves of pressed garlic
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
2 T. EVOO
Sea salt

Brush bread slices with olive oil and toast


Either way, toast the bread, serve.

Vegan chocolate chip cookies

2 c. unbleached flour (or 1 c. unbleached flour, 1 c. oat flour)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of cinnamon (optional)
vegan chocolate or carob chips (recipe says handful, but I will put a lot)
1 c. raw sugar
1/2 c. veggie oil or canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. water

Preheat oven to 350.  With all ingredients at room temp, mix flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.  Stir in chips.  Mix and set aside.  In another bowl, add sugar and oil and mix well.  Add vanilla and water and mix well.  Add the wet to the dry and mix some, but not too much.  Spoon onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake until they are done.

Prosciutto Garlic chicken

This is super easy, and super yummy!

8 Chicken breasts
8 slices of prosciutto
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 T butter, melted

Mix the garlic and butter.  Brush/spoon over the chicken breasts.  Wrap in the prosciutto.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350.  I served this with freshly steamed garlic spinach:

one bag of spinach (10 oz)
2 T olive oil (eyeball it)
1 clove of garlic, chopped

Cook the garlic in the oil until the garlic smells strong (3 minutes?).  Dump in the spinach and stir until the spinach is covered in the oil.  Cook until the spinach is just wilted (2 minutes).  Add salt and pepper. 

Healthy Lentil Soup

You know the feeling you get when you have been running and rushing, and eating out far too much?  Or you have been on the road, and you just want something that is not deep fried or coated in butter or grease?  I have been feeling that a lot lately.  So, my cure was to cook some stuff that was simple and left me with very little self-loathing when I finished eating!

This recipe (kind of) was on the bag of lentils that I picked up yesterday.  Love it!

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
5 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 small brown potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 ribs of celery
1 can of diced tomatoes (mine were seasoned with oregano and basil)
3 cups chicken broth
1 bag of lentils
1 tsp. sea salt

Cook the onions in the olive oil for as long as it takes you to peel and chop the carrots and potatoes.  Add in all the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.  Cover, simmer and cook until the chunks of potato and carrot are tender.  Check the tenderness of the lentils, and cook longer if you like them mushier. 

The recipe on the bag called for kielbasa sausage, too, but frankly (other than the chicken broth), I was looking more natural and less meaty.

I ate this for lunch today with fresh spinach, candied walnuts (just a few, I promise!) and some light raspberry vinaigrette dressing.  Yum!