Easy white chicken chili soup

This was so good. I made it more like a soup since we were feeding more people. It is worth making again for sure and it was so easy! Only 5 ingredients.

6 cups chicken broth 

4 cups shredded chicken (I grilled breasts)

2 cans white beans 

1 can kidney beans 

1 can black beans (or pinto if you prefer) 

You really can add any kind of bean you like. They are all very good 

2 cups salsa verde (green) (or homemade yum!)

2 tsp cumin

Optional toppings: diced avocado, fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions, crumbled tortilla chips (everyone at my table asked for tortilla chips go figure!)

Directions: 

Stovetop method: add chicken broth, shredded chicken, beans, salsa and cumin to a medium saucepan. Stir to combine. Heat until boiling, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 mins. 

Slow cooker method: add chicken broth, uncooked chicken breast, salsa and cumin to slow cooker and stir to combine. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily with a fork. Shred the meat and serve. Enjoy! 

Veggie Mac n Cheese

Guys, I am in LOVE with this mac n cheese recipe that incorporates squash, cauliflower, and carrots.  Sooo yummy!

Ingredients  serves 8-10

• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into pieces
• 2 cups butternut squash pieces
• 1/2 cup milk 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I used half cheddar, half mozzarella- You could even stand to use less, if you wanted.   It is very cheesy!)
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 4 TBS butter  (I halved this and it still turned out great.  I even think you could pull off none)
• 16 oz pasta

Directions

Cook the cauliflower and carrots covered in a saucepan filled about a 1/4 of the way with water for about 5-7 minutes.  Add the squash and cook 2-3 minutes more.  Drain the veggies and let them cool for a minute.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Put the veggies in the blender with about 3/4 cup of water and puree until smooth.  Add the puree to a large sauce pan.  On medium-low heat, add in the milk, salt, cheddar, butter and cream cheese and stir until melted.

Drain the pasta, add to the sauce and stir.

I loved it!  It reheats well, but you might have to add some milk to get it creamy again.  

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

-Nicole

Homemade Gorditas

These are pretty similar to the Taco Bell gorditas and since I really like those, I decided to try to make them at home. Keep in mind that these take several hours to make. My own notes are in Italics :) Also: they make great leftovers. The recipe makes 8 tacos and we only use 4 in a meal so it's lunch the next day!

INGREDIENTS:

3 + 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 + 1/4 cups boiling water

1 + 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon instant yeast

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Tacos:

1 pound lean ground beef (or turkey)

1 packet taco seasoning or 2 - 3 tablespoons

Your choice of fixin's:

2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese

shredded iceberg lettuce

sliced black olives

diced tomatoes

sour cream

salsa

avocado or guacamole

INSTRUCTIONS:

Make the gorditas:
1. Add 2 cups of the flour to a bowl and pour the boiling water over it. Stir until smooth and cover with saran wrap. Let sit for 30 minutes.
2. In a separate bowl whisk together the remaining 1 and 1/4 cups of flour with the salt and yeast. Add the oil but don't worry about mixing it in.
3. Add this to the flour and knead by hand 2 - 3 minutes on a lightly oiled surface. Alternately you can use a stand mixer or bread machine for 2 - 3 minutes. The dough should be a little sticky - if it's too sticky knead in a little bit of flour.
4. Lightly grease a bowl, add the dough, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place 1 hour.
5. Then divide the dough into 8 pieces about 3 ounces each. Cover them and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes longer.
6. Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium heat. Roll each piece into a 7"- to 8"-circle or pat them out by hand. (Since I don't have a rolling pin, I use a cup sometimes or else I just flatten it out with my hands. Make sure to get them as wide and thin as you can so they make good tacos. They tend to shrink a little when they cook and too thick means they won't fold well).
7. Cook them in the dry skillet 1 - 2 minutes per side or until they are spotted with brown spots. If you find them sticking lightly grease the pan with oil and adjust the heat as needed if they're browning too quickly or not quickly enough. You can keep them warm in a very low oven on a baking sheet. Cover with foil to keep them from drying out.
8. Meanwhile cook the ground beef with the taco seasoning according to the directions on the package.
9. Fill the warm gorditas with taco meat and your choice of fixin's..

http://www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com/homemade-gorditas/

chicken Masala

I can't get the stupid font to change!! the caps lock aren't even on but it won't go normal! Anyway, this is a super time consuming recipe, but it's worth it. We have it on rice and it's really good :)

CLEAN EATING CHICKEN MASALA

(Makes approximately 5 quarts)
NOTE: Don’t let the ingredient list scare you. Most of the recipe is spices. This is actually a very quick and easy recipe to make!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup unsweetened almond or light coconut milk (I used almond milk)
• 1 tablespoon white or apple cider vinegar
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons curry
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 (15 ounce) cans light coconut milk, unsweetened
• 5 large (about 7 oz. ea.) chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes (no sugar added)
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste (no sugar added)
• Fresh cilantro for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine all ingredients (except the cilantro) in a 5 quart crock pot and cook on high for 4-6 hours or until chicken is fully cooked. Stir occasionally during cooking process to be sure the chicken gets submerged in the liquids.

NOTE: It will start out looking a bit thick and dry, but the liquids will release into the pot after about an hour or so of cooking. If this does not happen for some reason and you feel it will burn without more liquids, add 1/2 to 1 cup of clean, low-sodium chicken broth. But wait a full hour before doing so.

Read more: http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-chicken-masala/#ixzz3IP9SEM7z 
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Thai Shrimp Curry with Summer squash

You guys, this is really *really* good. Eat it by itself, with rice, whatever..it's all good. Again, I don't have a picture, but i'll try to remember to add one when I make it next. The only change that I make is that I switch the shrimp out for chicken.

Thai Shrimp Curry with Summer Squash

INGREDIENTS:

For the dish:
2 T neutral-flavored oil, like grapeseed
1 T minced fresh ginger
1 large onion, peeled and chopped.
1/2 tsp salt
2 Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed, and chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 medium zucchini, chopped
2 medium yellow squash, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 cups seafood, vegetable, or chicken broth
1 cup coconut milk or 2/3 cup coconut cream concentrate(see note)
1 lb uncooked medium shrimp, peeled with tails on
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
2-3 T Thai curry paste (recipe below)
1 cup cashews (toasting optional)

For the homemade curry paste:
2 tsp whole coriander seeds
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 tsp whole fennel seeds
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
1/2 cup tightly packed cilantro leaves
Two 1/4-inch slices fresh ginger, peeled
1/4 tsp finely ground dried red chili peppers
1 large shallot, peeled and chopped
4 plump garlic cloves, peeled & halved
Grated zest from 2 limes
1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/3 neutral-flavored oil, like grapeseed 

*The curry paste is a little time consuming, so half the time i'll just buy a store bought one and I think it tastes just a good. The one that I buy is at sproutes, but I saw some at stator brothers, so you can probably find it anywhere. 

DIRECTIONS:

To prepare the dish:
In a large, heavy skillet or pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the ginger, onion and salt to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes. Onions should be translucent and soft, but not brown. Add all of the vegetables and the chicken broth (the next 7 ingredients). Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and cover. Cook for 15 minutes, until potatoes and carrots are fork tender.

Meanwhile, pour the coconut milk into a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat until it is reduced by about half. (See note)

When the vegetables are done, add the reduced coconut milk, shrimp, lime juice, cilantro, and curry paste to the skillet. Stir to combine and cook another 5 minutes over medium heat until shrimp are pink and no longer translucent. Taste and adjust the seasonings (salt & curry paste) to suit your taste.

Serve with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro and a handful of cashews.

Serves 6-8.