INGREDIENTS:

• 3 tbsp taco seasoning
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast

DIRECTIONS:

Dissolve taco seasoning into chicken broth.  Place chicken breasts in crock pot and pour chicken broth over.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  With fork, shred the chicken into bite size pieces.  To freeze, place shredded meat into freezer bags with the juices.  Press out all the air and seal.


​Serves 8

Total time: 375minutes
Prep Time:  15 minutes
​Servings:  6 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs fresh green beans
• 2 lbs ham
• 4 baking potatoes
• 1 large onion
• salt/pepper to taste

Prep time 15 min
​

Ingredients:

• 1 head romaine lettuce
• 1 avacado, pitted, and diced
• 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 cups fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheesee
• 1 cup tortilla strips
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can whole kernal corn drained
• 1 can black olives, drained
• half of a small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
• skinny cilantro lime dressing (see below)

Skinny Cilantro Lime Dressing Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh cilantro, loosely packed
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 3 TBsp Lime juice
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

TO MAKE SALAD:
Toss all salad ingredients together until combined, or serve "rainbow-style" line up on top of the lettuce.  Drizzle and toss with honey lime vinaigrette and serve

TO MAKE THE DRESSING:
Add cilantro, orange juice, lime juice, honey, cumin, salt and pepper to a food processor or blender and pulse until combines.  Gradually stream in olive oil while pulsing to combine

​Yields:  4-6 servings

http://www.foodrepublic.com/recipes/a-very-simple-salmon-burger-recipe/

​

To Finish And Serve

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• lemon wedges

To Finish And Serve: 

1. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
2. Gently lay burgers in skillet and cook until crisp and well browned on first side, 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Gently flip burgers and continue to cook until golden brown on second side and burgers register 125 to 130 degrees, about 4 minutes.
4. Serve with lemon wedges.

FOR THE DRESSING

• 1/2 Cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp vinegar
• 1 tsp salt

FOR THE SALAD:

• 4 cups baby spinach
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 8 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
• 4 hard boiled eggs chopped
• 2 Cups sliced mushrooms
• 4 quart size mason jars

Whisk together dressing ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup until completely combines

Place a few tbsp of dressing in the bottom of each jar

Divide remaining ingredients among the jars, layering in the following order; red onion, egg, mushroom, bacon, spinach.  Twist on the top to seal your salads and refrigerate until ready to serve

​Serves 4

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion sliced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced
• 1 (8oz) pkg of white mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
• 1 (8oz) package cremini mushrooms, stems removed and slice
• 2 Quarts low sodium vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup rinsed quinoa
• Salt and pepper to taste

Place a soup pot over medium heat an coat with the olive oil.  Add the onion, carrrots and celery and ook until tender about 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, bay leaves, thyme and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are tender about 5 minutes

Pour in the vegetable broth and bring the liquid to a boil. Add the quinoa and continue to simmer for 20 minutes to cook the quinoa.  Stir the soup occassionally while simmering.  Season with salt and black pepper, to taste Ladle into bowls and serve.

Note:  this soup freezes beautifully, place cool soup in an airtight container and freeze for up to one month.

Yields: 6-8 servings
prep time 10 minutes
cook time:  30 minutes
​total time:  40 minutes

• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 1⁄2 cups kale, chopped fairly fine
• 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese or 2 tablespoons light sour cream
• 1 tablespoon butter
• salt & pepper

1. Cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil, turn the heat to medium but keep the potatoes boiling.
2. Add kale to the boiling potatoes.
3. When potatoes are soft drain the potato kale mixture
4. Add ricotta and butter, salt and pepper to the drained potatoes and kale - mash coarsely.
5. Serve.

Makes 3-4 servings 

I cooked the potatoes almost to the consistency of parsley potatoes.  The idea is exactly the same.  I also would add some onions, because I love onions.  The potatoes are not actually mashed, they are fork mashed with big chunks.  One of my favs.

I love soup, even in the summer.  This caught my eye today as I was surfing the net, I think it will be on our menu this weekend (I heard it is going to rain!)

http://www.theroastedroot.net/vegan-corn-chowder/

Update:  July 31, 1967

I made this beautiful chowder tonight for dinner, a few alterations to the original.  I did not have cajun seasoning so I decided to substitute Old Bay Seasoning (one of our favorites) for not only the cajun seasoning, but also the paprika, and cumin.  Also, for the water instead of using water from the tap, I decided to use the water that the corn and the potatoes were cooked in.  This served two purposes in my mind, all the nutrients released from the corn and potatoes was in the water and it was already hot and available, why not recycle that into the soup.  

The final outcome was a bit saltier than I had hoped it would be, so I will test with leaving out the salt, which I normally do, and cutting back on the seasoning into the chowder once it is all assembled and I can slowly add it to taste.

Other than that, I think it is marvelous and was really very easy to prepare.  I would say that the prep time/total time and cook time is very accurate.

One thing that I have learned is that taking the time to 'prep' all the ingredients, cut, measure and set aside makes the entire process of cooking so much more enjoyable.  It dirties a few more bowls but if you invest in the little prep bowls it is really not that bad.  In fact, I got my prep bowls from the dollar Tree either 3 or 4 in a pack depending on the size so really worth the investment.

If you give this recipe a try, please come back and comment.