Autumn Soup

Today is the first day of autumn, and since we are now living in the Sunshine State, I wanted to make something that would make it feel a little more "Fall-y" around here. 

I got the idea for this recipe from this blog: http://www.myrecipes.com/m/recipe/carrot-ginger-soup-50400000123351/

Then I tweaked it a bit to turn it into the wonderful autumn soup you see above. Or as the bf called it, "it tastes like fall in my mouth", (a very accurate description I might add). 

Here is my recipe, which is for the crockpot but I'm sure it can be made on the stove as well. 

SLOWCOOKER AUTUMN SOUP

Ingredients: (all of which are approximate since my best cooking is never measured). 

- 1 1/2 lbs. organic carrots

- 1 organic sweet potato, peeled

- 1 10oz. bag organic frozen butternut squash 

- 1/2 a yellow onion

- 1 heaping tsp. minced garlic

- 2 teaspoons minced ginger 

- 1/2 to 1 tsp. of curry powder 

- a generous dash of nutmeg and black pepper

- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter 

- 3 cups chicken stock

- 4 cups water 

Directions: 

Roughly chop the carrots, potato and onion. Add butter then vegetables to crockpot. Then add spices and stock and water.  Cook on low 8-11 hours. (We have a ridiculously long work day so mine was on almost 12 hours and came out amazing). Blend with an immersion blender stick until smooth. Serve with toast or bread. Enjoy! 

Spinach Shrimp Quesadillas

 Some of the most delicious meals can be made from fridge leftovers.

Quesadillas are especially good for leftover concoctions. You can literally put anything in them. We had shrimp and spinach in the freezer, so I went in that direction. It was a good decision for a Friday night quickie dinner. 

Here is what I used, but like I said there are many variations:

-1/2 a white onion, chopped

-1/2 a jalapeno, chopped 

-shredded cheddar cheese

-flour tortillas

-shrimp, thawed and patted dry

~1/3 cup chopped (frozen) spinach

-a dash each of: cumin, chili powder, salt and cilantro 

Directions: 

In a small pan, saute the onion, jalapeno, spinach and spices in olive oil. Then add in the shrimp and cook for another minute. In another pan, (NOT oiled) place a tortilla. Turn it on medium-low. Put cheese on the tortilla, and then spoon some of the filling you cooked on top. 

Cover with another tortilla. Cook for about 5 minutes (or until slightly brown on bottom) and then carefully flip over with a spatula. Cook for another 5 minutes. 

Eat! 

Buffalo Chicken Wraps and Homemade Potato Salad

Happy Memorial Day! It is FINALLY beautiful here in New York and I am officially ready for it to be summer!

All this nice, warm weather puts me in such a good mood! 8-) It's one of the many reasons we're moving to Florida (in exactly one month tomorrow!) I can't wait to live in a place with amazing weather more than 3 months out of the year. That being said, I will miss summertime in NY - so far it's the only thing I can think of that I'll miss! (Except our friends and family, of course!)

In honor of this lovely 3-day weekend and my upbeat attitude, here are the recipes for our dinner tonight - Buffalo Chicken Wraps (made in the Crockpot), and Red Potato Salad.

The Chicken is EXTREMELY easy to make.

Ingredients:
- 2 chicken breasts (I used frozen organic)
- ~1/2 cup buffalo sauce (I used Sweet Baby Rays)
- thin cut carrot sticks and celery sticks
-tortillas
-lettuce
-blue cheese crumbles

Directions:
Place the chicken and sauce in the Crockpot for about 4 hours on high (if frozen). Shred the chicken with 2 forks and mix around in the sauce.
Build your wrap. You can add whatever you'd like, but I recommend a few carrot and celery sticks, a leaf of lettuce, and some blue cheese crumbles.

For the potato salad, you will need:
- 6 red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into chunks
- ~ 1 tsp. mustard
- ~1 1/2 tsp. white vinegar
- ~ 1 tsp. red wine vinegar
-salt and pepper to taste
- ~ 1/2 tsp. dill
- ~ 1/2 tsp. garlic
- ~ 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt (or mayo if your prefer)
- ~1/4 tsp. paprika (I used smoked)

Directions:
I'd be lying if I said I actually measured any of these ingredients (I rarely measure when cooking, but ALWAYS when baking). That being said, I gave you some approximations, but it's salad not rocket science, so feel free to add or subtract as you see fit.
First, cook the potatoes in just enough water to cover them, on medium-high for 20 minutes. As soon as they are soft when poked with a fork, they're done. Let the potatoes cool, or use cold water to cool them off. Make the sauce while they cool.
Mix all the remaining ingredients together. Then mix with the potatoes. Cool in the refrigerator for about an hour.

Chicken Tikka Saag

Today, I took the day off work to go to a doctor appointment, which I thought would mean I'd have the other 7 hours of my day to lounge around.
I was way off. Somehow, having a day off to relax suddenly turns into 'chore day'. #bummer.
So, I did laundry, cleaned, went to visit some old co-workers, went to my check-up appointment, aaaaaanndddd made Indian food in the Crockpot for dinner! :)

So here it is! My first attempt at making Chicken Tikka Saag (in the Crockpot)!
From what I understand, 'saag' means spinach and 'tikka' just means little pieces, so basically this recipe is chicken with spinach and some 'Indian' spices.

Ingredients: (Serves 2)
-1 large chicken breast (I used frozen)
-2 cups frozen chopped spinach
-1 cup chicken stock (which I made using 1 tsp. Better Than Bouillon + 1 cup water)
-1 small onion, chopped
-1/2 tsp. chili powder
-1/2 tsp. coriander
-1/2 tsp. cumin
-1/2 tsp. crushed garlic
-1 tsp. garam masala (which is an Indian spice mix)
-a few turns of the black pepper grinder (to taste)

Directions:
Throw everything in the Crockpot, (liquids and chicken first), then cover and set to low for about 8 hours. Shred chicken. Serve with rice.

*Notes* 
This is a very healthy dish, however that to me, makes it taste slightly less authentic in a way. Next time I make this, I might try using some olive oil or coconut milk, to give it a little creamy nudge.

Also, I'm just now realizing that this a very frugal meal to make, which is awesome! I'm thinking about adding price approximations to the meals I make from now on! :)

I hope you try this recipe! Enjoy!

Pea Soup

Pea Soup isn't the prettiest of foods. 

But it is quite delicious. Especially in the spring or fall, and especially when you have leftover Easter ham and you're tired of ham sandwiches. 

So here is my recipe for pea soup in the Crockpot, which is VERY easy to make, and can easily be made vegetarian by leaving out the ham and replacing the chicken stock with vegetable stock (if you're into that sort of thing). 

Ingredients:

1 bag (16 oz.) dried split peas

4-5 celery stalks, diced

4-5 carrots, diced

1/2 a white onion, diced

~6 cups of warm water, mixed with 

4 heaping teaspoons of Organic Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base (or any other stock you want to use)

2 Bay Leaves

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

~1 cup diced leftover ham, or however much you have left (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place all ingredients in the Crockpot (in the order listed). Cook for 8-10 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. You can use an immersion blender to mix it a little if you want, or leave as is. I blended mine for about 20 seconds, just to make it a little smoother. ENJOY! 

The BF gave it 2 thumbs up :) so I hope you try it! Please leave a comment if you do! THANK YOU! 

Chicken and Vegetable Soup

I cannot wait until this school year is over and I actually have time to write thoughtful posts. For now, here is a recipe I made up for chicken soup in the crockpot. I used mostly organic ingredients (because that's what we buy when we can). It's actually a lot more affordable than people think if you shop at Trader Joe's (the only grocery store we go to because they are so awesome).

Give it a try tomorrow when it will some how be snowing ❄ in New York again...

Ingredients: 

1/2 an (organic) onion

1 TBS crushed garlic 

3 (organic) carrots

5 small (organic)potatoes

4 (organic) celery stalks

1/2 cup dried pinto beans

4 cups chicken stock

3 cups water

1/2 cup frozen (organic) corn

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. basil

2 bay leaves

1 (organic) chicken breast (2 if you want a lot of chicken)

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Scrub the carrots and potatoes with a veggie brush (I use one similar to this). Or peel them if you prefer. Rinse the celery. Chop the onion, celery, carrots and potatoes. Put the dry beans in the pot, then throw in the chopped veggies and corn. Put in the garlic and other spices. Put the chicken on top. Pour in the stock and water. (It should come close to the top but not TOO close. You can use less water if needed).
Set crockpot to low for 10 hours (or until veggies are tender). It took mine about 12 hours to be done because I used frozen chicken.


I like making dinners like this when I know I'll be at work all day anyway. I chopped everything the night before, put it in the pot, and then the BF poured in the liquid and turned it on in the morning before work. It was done when I got home!

Leave a comment if you think you'll try it or when you try it! :) Thank you!! 

Balsamic Veggie Wraps

With (optional) chicken and rice! 

Sometimes, the simplest meals can be the most satisfying. This weekend, I had a craving for a grilled veggie wrap, mostly because I'm longing for summer hardcore. There was another snowstorm here today (which I had to drive to work in) and I was beyond angry about it. For me, cooking and baking have become more and more of a de-stresser. I like that I'm able to do something I like, while also feeding my family (aka my lovely boyfriend), and of course it's nice that he's always so appreciative (even when I mess up..oops!).

Ready to wrap! 

Finished veggie/chicken mixture

ANYHOO! Here's the recipe! It's perfect for a quick weeknight meal or even a weekend lunch. Enjoy! :)
Ingredients:
*Note* - This will cook faster if you use frozen veggies (ironically enough), but fresh are of course good too. And you can use basically any mix, these are just the veggies that I had on hand. And the measurements are approximate, depending on how many people you are cooking for (and how big their appetites are....). I also "eye-ball" measurements a lot when cooking, so use your own judgement for this.
~1/2 cup bell peppers, thin sliced
~1/2 cup thin cut carrots sticks (see photos)
~ 1/4 cup leeks, sliced
~1/4 chopped spinach
~ 4-5 button mushrooms, sliced
lettuce (for garnish)
~1 tomato (for garnish)
~1 tablespoon olive oil
~ 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
a few shakes of salt, pepper, and garlic powder
1 chicken breast (if you want - still really good without it!), cut into thin strips
brown (or any other kind) rice, to eat on the side
tortillas


Directions:
1. First I start making the rice, since it takes the longest to cook. I made brown rice on the stove top.
2. I cut up any veggies that need to be cut (some were frozen and pre-cut), into small, longish pieces.
3. I cut up the chicken into small, longish slices. Then I cooked the chicken in olive oil, a large skillet on the stove.
4. When the chicken is cooked, I take it out ( or move to the sides of the pan), add a little more oil, and cook the veggies. Add the salt, pepper and garlic now too. It took about 15 minutes total.
5. I add the chicken back and the balsamic vinegar when the veggies are almost done. Cook until the veggies are as crisp or not-so-crisp, as you'd like them.
6. Scoop mixture onto a tortilla. Add tomato and lettuce if you want. Attempt to wrap it up. (This part never works out for me). Serve rice on the side.
7. EAT! :)

I hope you try and like this recipe! Please sign up for email updates if you like what you see! You can also follow my blog on Google+ if you have a Gmail account!

All wrapped up with a side of rice! 

~Mallory~

French Onion Soup (In the Crockpot!)

A few months ago, I found this recipe for French Onion Soup (made in the Crockpot!) on Pinterest. I had to change it slightly (I didn't have enough beef stock - oops!) But it still came out delicious!
I'll post my slightly edited version of the recipe or you can use the link above. It was very easy, but has a few more steps than most Crockpot recipes, so it's best to save for a weekend day.
Enjoy! :)

INGREDIENTS
¼ cup (1/2 a stick) unsalted butter
4 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
2 tsp. crushed garlic (we always have some in the fridge)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons flour
1 can beer
2 cups beef stock
~1/2 cup water if needed
1-1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
½ teaspoon pepper
bread, rolls, or crutons (we had leftover rolls I used)
Shredded Gruyere and/or Swiss cheese

DIRECTIONS
Turn on your slow cooker and set to high. Add butter and let melt. Add onions, garlic, vinegar, brown sugar, and salt. Mix well. Cover and let cook for 1-1.5 hours, stirring every 15 minutes, until onions begin to turn brown. Stir in flour, allow to cook for a couple minutes then stir in beer and beef stock and water a bit at a time, stirring well between each addition to avoid lumps. Stir in thyme and pepper. Cover and cook for 6-8 hours on low. Taste and season with additional salt, if desired.
To serve: Top with cheese and serve with bread either on top or on the side. (Our rolls didn't fit well in the soup...)