Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup uncooked wild rice (I bought mine at bulk barn)
• 3 cups water
• 1 chopped yellow onion 
• 1 cup diced carrots (from 2 medium)
• 7 Tbsp butter, diced, divided
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 
• 1 cup white rice (I used leftovers)
• 1/2 tsp of each dried thyme, celery salt, rubbed sage, and rosemary
• Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk

Directions

• Prepare rice according to directions listed on package. (This takes about an hour or more so you should do this way ahead of time or you'll be eating supper very late!)
• Melt 1 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Add onion and carrots and saute until slightly tender, about 4 minutes, adding in garlic during last 30 seconds of sauteing. Add chicken broth, thyme, celery salt, sage,and rosemary and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Increase heat to medium-high, add chicken and bring mixture to a boil. Cover pot with lid and allow mixture to boil 12 - 15 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add cooked rice (white and wild). 
• In a separate medium saucepan melt remaining butter over medium heat. Add flour and cook 1 1/2 minutes, whisking constantly. Then, while whisking vigorously, slowly pour milk into butter/flour mixture. Cook mixture, stirring constantly until it thickens. Add milk mixture to soup mixture in pot and cook about 5 minutes longer, or until soup is thickened (at this point, you can simmer the soup for a longer period of time if you want the rice to soften more, just cover with lid first and stir occasionally. You can also add what's left in the remaining can of chicken broth). 

Original Recipe here:

http://www.cookingclassy.com/2014/02/creamy-chicken-wild-rice-soup/

I served this soup with Bannock.

Bannock

3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

2 tbsp baking powder

water

oil or lard

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix half the flour with the remaining dry ingredients.
2. Add water until the mixture becomes thick, "like a paper mache paste".
3. Add more flour until the dough feels like a soft earlobe.
4. Heat the oil or lard (or use non-stick spray) over a medium-high heat until very hot, but not smoking.
5. Break off small pieces of the dough and flatten each to the size of your palm, about 1/2-inch thick.
6. Place the pieces in the hot oil (or use non-stick spray), turn after about 3 minutes, or when golden brown.
7. Place the bannock on a paper towel to soak up the excess grease.

I served this with Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

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Crockpot Taco Soup

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) cans beans in tomato sauce (don't drain)
• 2 (16 ounce) cans tomato sauce1-2  cups water (make it as thick or as thin as you like it!)
• 1 cup frozen niblet corn
• 1 1/2 cups salsa
• 1  envelope taco seasoning mix
• 1  envelope Ranch Dressing and Seasoning Mix
• 1 lb shredded chicken, ground beef or 1 lb any meat (I usually use leftover shredded pork)

Directions

1. Cook meat and drain.
2. Shred if needed.
3. Add all ingredients to crock pot.
4. Stir.
5. Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.
6. Keep on low until serving to keep hot.
7. Garnish with sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped green onions, or tortilla chips.

Pasta Primavera

(adapted from this recipe)

900g of pasta (I used Penne) 
1/4 cup butter
1 envelope Knorr's vegetable soup mix
1 1/2 teaspoons all purpose flour

1 pkg frozen veggies (I used the California mix-broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots)

2 cups milk
2 TBS grated Parmesan cheese

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add pasta.  Cook till al dente, and drain.

2. In a saucepan melt butter.  Blend Knorr soup mix with flour and milk, and then add to saucepan.  Stir.  Add in frozen veggies. Bring to a soft boil, and then reduce heat to low and simmer for 7-10 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken.  Stir in grated cheese.

3. Toss with cooked pasta and serve.

Super Easy Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients:
your favourite Chicken Fingers (I like M&M meatshop chicken fingers)
1 slice of mozzarella or provolone cheese for each chicken finger
your favourite pasta sauce, enough to cover
grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Directions:

*Bake chicken fingers until cooked through on a baking sheet.

*Transfer baked chicken to another baking dish (trust me, don't pour cold sauce on top of a hot baking pan...not that I have any experience with what happens if you do!)

*Top each chicken finger with a slice of cheese and pour sauce on top.

*Sprinkle on Parmesan cheese and bake until sauce bubbles.

*Serve with your favourite pasta. 

Thai Peanut and Chicken Flatbread

Ingredients

For flatbread:

Use Naan bread or your own homemade pizza dough.

• (you can also use store-bought pizza dough if you'd like)

For Toppings:

• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 large chicken breast half (I used leftover chicken)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 2 green onions, chopped
• ½ cup white bean sprouts
• ¼ cup carrots, shredded
• 1 tablespoons roasted peanuts, chopped
• 1 tablespoons cilantro, chopped (optional)

For Peanut Sauce:

• ½ cup peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon chili sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp thai red chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons water
• Salt to taste

Instructions

Make flatbread:

1. Preheat oven to 475F. Heat grill pan. Bake flat bread or pizza crust until golden.

Make Chicken.

1. Lightly pound chicken breast to about ¼ inch thick. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. When grill is hot, add the chicken and cook until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and let sit for a few minutes. Dice chicken. (or skip this step and use leftovers like I did!)

Make sauce

1. Combine all ingredients for peanut sauce in a sauce pan over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a gently boil for one minute. Use ¼ cup peanut sauce and mix with chicken.

Assemble flatbread.

1. Cover flatbread with peanut sauce, leaving a little left to drizzle at the end. Add half the cheese, then chicken, grated carrots, and green onions. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the flatbread then top it with the chopped peanuts.
2. Bake in oven until crisp and cheese is bubbly and golden, about 12-15 minutes.
3. When flatbread is finished, top with bean sprouts, drizzle with remaining peanut sauce and then sprinkle with cilantro, if desired. Serve immediately.

Jen's Savoury Pumpkin Dip

Everyone will love this delicious and simple savory pumpkin dip -- perfect for all kinds of dipping!

PREP: 5 MINS TOTAL: 5 MINS

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 (8 oz.) brick cream cheese, softened (I used low-fat cream cheese)
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling!)
• 1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans
• 4-6 slices of bacon, cooked until crispy and crumbled
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 3 Tablespoons Chili Sauce
• 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

Stir all ingredients together using a wooden spoon or an electric mixer until combined.  Serve garnished with extra bacon and green onions if desired, or cover and refrigerate until use. It was definitely better the next day, and even better the day after that.