Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken--Super easy!

Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken

Ingredients

1 lbs chicken thighs
1 cup chicken broth
½ cup teriyaki sauce
⅓ cup brown sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced

Directions

1. Combine chicken broth, teriyaki sauce, brown sugar and garlic cloves in large bowl.
2. Add chicken to crockpot and pour sauce over. Stir to coat chicken well.
3. Cook on low 4-6 hours, or until chicken is cooked through.
4. Serve over hot cooked rice and spoon on extra sauce if desired

 

Creamy Tomato Pasta with Shrimp

 Creamy Tomato Pasta
(Borrowed from here)

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
14.5 oz. diced tomatoes, undrained
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 Pinch red pepper flakes
1 cup chicken broth
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
2 oz. softened cream cheese, equal to 1/4 cup
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 oz spaghetti or other long noodle
1 lbs. frozen deveined shrimp
Salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder

1. Bring salted water to a boil in order to cook spaghetti.

2. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.

3. Add the undrained diced tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, chicken broth, and tomato paste. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes.

 

4. Reduce the heat to low. Cut the cream cheese into smaller squares and whisk it into the sauce.

 

5. Turn broiler on high and put a sheet pan in to preheat with the oven for 10 minutes.  

6. Whisk in half of the Parmesan cheese into the sauce.

 

7. Rinse frozen shrimp to remove ice crystals. In a medium sized bowl, toss in a small amount of salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Toss rinsed shrimp into spices until evenly coated.  

8. Let the sauce simmer on low, uncovered, while you boil the pasta according to package instructions. Keep an eye on the sauce, stir it occasionally, and cover it if it reaches your desired level of thickness.

 

9. Once broiler pan has heated for 10 minutes, remove pan carefully and put shrimp directly on to hot pan. Spread evenly in one layer. Return to the broiler and cook for 5 minutes, until shrimp are done.  

10. Once the pasta is NEARLY done, drain it and stir it into the sauce to finish cooking. Remove cooked shrimp from oven and toss with pasta. Serve immediately.

Chicken and Rice Soup (Stovetop)

I made this last night and my child who willingly tries things but rarely, if ever, adopts a new food declared it a good soup and ate two bowls! So I'm sharing it here so I can find it again.

Chicken and Rice Soup
(Adapted from here)

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, sliced
• 1/2 bag frozen green peas
  
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup of water
• 1/2 cup long grain white rice, uncooked
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• Salt and pepper to taste

• Place a large pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf. Cook and stir for about 6 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned.
• Pour in the chicken broth and water and bring the liquid to a boil. Add in the peas, rice and chicken; season with salt and pepper.
• Cook on medium-low until the rice is tender, about 25-30 minutes. Serve warm.

 

Carrot Cookies

Emily requested I share this recipe. I give you a heads up now: I find these ridiculously addicting. I could easily eat the entire batch, but then I'd be sooooo sick. *sigh* Yay cookies.

Carrot Cookies
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. shortening
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs, well beaten
2 c. cooked, mashed, and cooled carrots
2 tsp. baking powder
4 c. flour
1 tsp. salt

Cream shortening & sugar. Add vanilla, eggs & carrots. Add dry ingredients. Drop by teaspoons on greased cookie sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes @ 350 degrees. Glaze while warm-ish.

Glaze
1 c. powdered sugar
3 Tbsp. orange juice


Don't eat them all in one sitting. :)

Wild Rice & Ham Soup--Slow Cooker!

Slow Cooker Creamy Ham & Wild Rice Soup
(Adapted from here )


1 cup diced ham
2 carrots, sliced or diced
1 celery stalk, diced
3/4 C. wild rice, uncooked
1 medium onion, chopped
1 3/4 c. chicken broth
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups water
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup frozen peas
1-2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar (optional)


1. Put the first 9 ingredients into a 4-quart slow cooker. Mix well and cook on low 7-8 hours. 

2. Stir in remaining ingredients. Turn cooker to high, cover, and cook an additional 15 minutes or until heated through.

"Millionaire Spaghetti" Squash Casserole

I adapted the delicious Millionaire Spaghetti deal into a spaghetti squash recipe and it was incredible.

Millionaire Spaghetti Squash
(Adapted from here) 

1 ginormous Spaghetti Squash or 2-3 small ones.  
1/2 large yellow onion , Chopped 
1/2 Red pepper, diced  
4-6 Cloves Garlic , Minced 
1 Pound Ground turkey or italian sausage 
3 teaspoons Dried Italian Seasoning , divided 
1 24 Ounce Jar spaghetti sauce 
8 Ounces Cottage Cheese or Ricotta Cheese 
8 Ounces Cream Cheese, Room Temperature 
1/4 Cup Sour Cream 
3 Cups Mozzarella , Shredded-Divided 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Split spaghetti squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Brush with oil then place cut-side down on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Bake for 45 minutes or until tender. Remove and allow to cool enough to handle. Lower oven temp to 350 degrees.

2. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, peppers and garlic and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add meat and 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning to skillet, and cook until no pink remains. Drain well. Add jar of spaghetti sauce to skillet. Set aside.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine Cottage cheese or ricotta cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, 1 cup mozzarella, and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Set aside.

4. Grease a 9x13 casserole dish. Use a fork to scrape the strands of spaghetti squash into a bowl--drain well if necessary. Put half the spaghetti squash into the bottom of the greased casserole dish. Top with a very small amount of the meat sauce mixture and stir. Resettle the spaghetti squash evenly and then top with the cheese mixture. Cover the cheese mixture with the remaining spaghetti squash, and then cover the entire dish with the meat sauce. 

5. Top with remaining mozzarella and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until heated through. 

Vegetable Soup (i.e. Diet Soup!)

This tasted amazing after the week of holiday eating!

Vegetable Soup
(Adapted from here )

1 teaspoon olive oil
5 oz. baby carrots, sliced into sticks
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 1/2 onions, diced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 turnip, peeled and diced
1 cup frozen green peas
1 medium zucchini, cut into half moons
5 oz baby spinach
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 Tbsp. chicken bouillon
6 c. water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Optional: 1 can Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained. 

In a large dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add carrots, celery, onions, and garlic powder.

Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes with their liquid.

Add turnips and all remaining ingredients--including the 6 cups of water. (*Note: Optional beans go in later.)

Heat to boiling over high heat, stirring occasionally

Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes or until vegetables become tender. If using the beans, add them at this step.

Add more salt and pepper if desired. Serve promptly.

Even with the beans, this is only 150 calories-ish for a bowl. Delish!