Go-To Chicken Soup

Last weekend was our first weekend of rain, which meant it was time to make my fist pot of soup for the season! Over the years I have developed my "go-to" soup recipe for whenever it is cold out, someone is sick, or when we just need a bowl of comfort. It is healthy yet filling and satisfying. And, there is one secret ingredient that gives it a ton of flavor and creamy texture without adding in any cream, butter or dairy :) 

I love setting the table for dinner, even if it is just my husband and I on what would otherwise be an "ordinary" weeknight meal of soup. I pulled out my favorite mix of napkins and my favorite serving trays.

The best part about this recipe is that you can add any veggies to it that you'd like, or any protein. I also like to cute corners a bit and use a store bought rotisserie chicken when I can. I have served the soup on its own, in a bread bowl (my husbands favorite), with corn bread or with a crusty loaf of bread on the side. I have also served it with grilled cheese. Yum!

I hope the next time you're in need of a bowl of comfort, you give this recipe a try! I would love to know what you think of it it so be sure to comment below or on my Instagram. 

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Go-To Chicken Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 5 stalks celery, chopped
• 4 large carrots, sliced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 64 oz. chicken broth
• 5 medium yukon gold potatoes or 7-10 small red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 cups cooked rice or quinoa (optional)
• 4 medium chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 2 Tbs. Dijon mustard (this is what makes it creamy!)
• salt and black pepper
• season salt to taste, Lawry's (optional)
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onion, celery and carrots until softened, about 5 minutes. 
2. Stir in chicken broth and potatoes. Increase heat to high just until broth starts to boil.  Reduce to medium high and cook potatoes for 10 minutes or until fork tender. 
3. Reduce heat to low and stir in rice or quinoa, chicken, and dijon mustard. Season to taste with salt, pepper and season salt.  Stir in fresh parsley and simmer. Serve and enjoy!

Lemon Chicken

As I sit here sipping warm lemon tea on a rainy afternoon, I am reminded of why this recipe came so easily to me. This season, in particular, I have been obsessed with citrus as well as getting healthy meals on the table. Through those series of events, I combined the two ideas and this incredibly easy, delicious and healthy lemon chicken recipe was born! It is packed with all of my favorite flavors and pairs well with just about any sides you serve it with. 

I know you might be thinking to yourself, "another chicken recipe, how good can it be?" I think when you choose a few high quality ingredients, "another chicken recipe" can be transformed. I absolutely love Meyer lemons, so I used them in this recipe and it gives this dish amazing flavor! 

I seasoned and seared both sides of the chicken breasts before I added the lemon and herb sauce to it. I then finished it in the oven. This allows the chicken to get a good sear while not drying it out.

To lock in all of the amazing flavors this dish has to offer, I spooned the mixture over the dish throughout the cooking time. This also helped keep the chicken juicy and tender.

My husband and I have been making more of an effort to eat dinner at the dinner table instead of piecing a meal together in front of the TV. For some this may sound easy, while others it might be a struggle. With a very simple table setting, this was the perfect meal for my husband and I to enjoy together. Recipes like this allow you to get dinner on the table quickly so you can focus on what's really important. 

I made this recipe to serve for two since it was just my husband and I, but you could easily double or triple the recipe depending on how many mouths you need to feed! It also makes for amazing leftovers if you make a batch at the beginning of the week to enjoy throughout the week. I would love to hear how you enjoy this recipe, so be sure to let me know! :)

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Lemon Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 Tbs. butter 
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 3 Tbs. fresh Meyer lemon juice
• 1 tsp. dried herbs 
• 1/2 tsp. salt, additional for seasoning
• 1/4 tsp. pepper, additional for seasoning
• Dash of seasoning salt 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Melt butter in a medium cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook chicken 2-3 minutes per side, until browned but not cooked all the way through.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the chicken broth, lemon juice, herbs, salt and pepper and seasoning salt.  Pour the sauce directly over the chicken in the pan. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the chicken has cooked through. Spoon the sauce from the pan over the chicken every 5-10 minutes. 
4. Garnish with fresh rosemary and lemon slices and enjoy! 

One Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies

After a brief hiatus over the Summer, I could not be happier to be back in the kitchen and back to this ol' blog of mine! I took some time off while my husband and I relocated from living in Southern California back to Northern California. We are thrilled to get back to our roots and be closer to our families and friends. As someone who likes to cook, having to pack and unpack our kitchen was one of the hardest parts for me. We are finally (almost) unpacked, which means I can actually cook again! I found myself looking for easy, healthy and comforting meals which lead me to come up with this incredibly tasty one sheet pan meal. It is perfect for the upcoming Fall season, an easy weeknight meal, and it also makes for amazing leftovers to have throughout the week. 

I am so excited that I can finally grow a mini herb garden since our new kitchen gets a lot of great natural light. I used our homegrown herbs, mixed with farmers market vegetables and chicken. With minimal prep work involved, dinner practically made itself. 

I used a combination of all of the vegetables we had on hand: carrots, mini tomatoes, broccoli, bell peppers, red potatoes, mushrooms and red onion. You could certainly use any and all vegetables for this dish! 

When I first tested out the recipe, there was not enough flavor, so the second time around I added cumin and paprika. Those two spices helped to elevate the flavors without being overpowering. I also used a mix of fresh and dried herbs. 

It took me about 15 minutes to get the veggies and chicken chopped and mix up the spices. Once it was all combined, I put it all on a sheet pan and topped it with some fresh thyme. It really is that easy :)

This dish makes the kitchen smell amazing when it's cooking! What you end up with is a healthy and comforting meal all in one. Since I added potatoes to ours, we didn't feel a need to serve it over rice but you could definitely serve it over rice or your favorite starch. It is also really yummy served on top of a salad. 

Aside from the minimal prep and cook time, the best part is that it makes for very easy clean up. This time of year I am always looking for easy make ahead meals and this one definitely checks all the boxes. My husband and I will be making this meal a lot this season. :) 

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One Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
• 2-3 red potatoes 
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1/2- 1 cup of grape or plum tomatoes (I used 1 cup)
• 3 large carrots, sliced
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1-1/2 cups bell peppers, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chopped 
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme, for garnish

Spice Mix:

• 1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. dried herbs
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme
• Dash of worcestershire sauce (optional)
• 3-4 Tbs. olive or avocado oil (depending on the amount of meat and veggies you use)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. 
2. Chop all of the veggies into large pieces. On a separate cutting board, chop up the chicken into cubes. 
3. In a bowl, combine the veggies, garlic. Add in the chopped chicken and coat the mixture with the oil, salt and pepper.  
4. In a small bowl, mix all of the spices together. 
5. Pour the spice mixture over the chicken and veggie mixture. Coat evenly. 
6. Place the mixture onto the sheet pan and top with sprigs of fresh thyme. 
7. Bake for 15-25 minutes depending on your oven, until the veggies are charred and the chicken has cooked through. 
8. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy! 

Chicken Fajita Bowls

I hope you all had a great Easter weekend! I enjoyed time with my family and am feeling refreshed. However, the last thing I feel like doing after a holiday weekend is make a fancy weeknight meal. This recipe for chicken fajita bowls is so easy, healthy and yummy!

When I say this recipe is easy, I am not joking. You literally put all of the below ingredients into the slow cooker and voila, dinner practically makes itself! This is a great one to add to your weeknight meals or it is also a great meal to serve for a big crowd. 

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Chicken Fajita Bowls

Serves: 4-6

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 onion
• 1 packet of your favorite fajita seasoning 
• Juice of 1 lime 
• 3/4 cup of fresh salsa (plus more for serving)
• *1 cup cooked rice or quinoa 
• *1 can of black beans rinsed and drained 
• Toppings: grated cheese, dollop of greek yogurt or sour cream, salsa, avocado, lime wedges, cilantro

Thinly slice the bell peppers and onions and add them to the bottom of the slow cooker. Put the chicken breasts on top of the peppers, sprinkle the fajita seasonings, lime juice and add the salsa on top. Turn the slow cooker on low for 5-6 hours. Before serving, cook the rice or quinoa separately and set aside. Warm the black beans and set aside. Once everything has cooked through, in a bowl layer the rice or quinoa on the bottom, add the black beans, chicken fajita mix and all your toppings. Enjoy!  

* If you would like to cook the rice and beans in the slow cooker, add to the slow cooker on top of the chicken and add 1 1/2 cups water. I personally like to cooke them separately in case I want to use the mix in tortillas or on top of a salad.