Stacey's Creamy Chicken Soup

This is my go to recipe to take to a family that is sick or just needs some soup. I usually get a recipe request so I am posting it to be able to link it. My sister-in-law Stacey gave me this recipe years ago and it is on a crumpled stained piece of paper so it might be nice for me to print a new copy myself. It is not healthy really....no comments about that :) The soup is a stock image. I never remember to take a picture but I wanted there to be something to "pin".

Stacey's Creamy Chicken Veggie Soup

Cook until tender:

1c potato peeled and diced

1 c carrots peeled and sliced

1/2 c onion diced (I usually do more)

1 c celery sliced

1 c cubed chicken (I usually use pre-cooked chicken from my freezer and add it after veg cook)

6 cups chicken stock

While cooking melt:

1 stick of butter (I know comfort food at it's finest)

then add: 

1/2 c flour

 Cook until mixed well and bubbly. Add to to cooked veggies with:

10 oz velveeta (seriously ) 

1 c frozen peas

cook until creamy, smooth and warmed through.

My sister-in-law Erin found these in an old Cooking Light magazine. They are light fluffy and a hit with kids and adults alike. They are great teamed up with Sisters Dish Peach Syrup. They are also good when you dot a couple blueberries in them after you put them down on the griddle. Click HERE for the recipe....ENJOY!

Roasted Tomatillo Chipotle Salsa

Photo from Miles Away Farm blog

I have been making this salsa out of the Ball Blue Book for a couple years. It is a darn shame that their new copies don't include it. It is spicy and wonderful. I use it on my bread instead of butter when I eat eggs. It is a great salsa that is on the hot side but super high on the flavor side. She give a great tutorial on the salsa HERE. I was able to find the cascabel chiles at a Mexican Mart in my town.

Basil Pesto Dressing...my own creation

I have a ton of basil in my garden and have been using it everyday to make dressing or just eat it with some garden tomatoes. There is nothing like the fresh taste of basil. I came up with this dressing to capture the beauty of basil. It is a great dip too for fresh veggies.

Basil Pesto Dressing
1 cup basil leaves
2 oz mayo
3 oz greek yogurt
5 or 6 walnuts, almonds, pecans,
.5 oz romano or parmesan cheese
1 ranch packet
milk to reach desired consistency

Blend all together. Chill and serve.

Red Fez Veggie Burgers

If you know us very well you know our favorite burger is THIS Red Fez burger is our all time favorite. We think it is over the top good. We don't repeat many meals here but this one we ate every week for a month. When my family came we wanted to share this with them but they are mostly vegetarian so we had to mix it up a bit. I found THIS veggie burger and I thought I could make it work. The meat loving, veggie patty (don't you DARE call it a burger in his presence) hating Man in my home actually said this was excellent. I am pretty proud of the results and I share them with you now. I must say it would be a darn shame if you didn't make it into a red fez burger with the mayo and carrot salad...you have been warned.

Red Fez Veggie Burgers

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 tablespoons diced red onion
• 2 tablespoons diced red bell pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons diced garlic

Other Ingredients:
• 2 cups (6 ounces) rolled oats (or old-fashioned oatmeal)
• 1 can pinto beans slightly smashed
• 1 can chick peas slightly smashed (or run them a second in the food processor)
• 1 egg
• 2 oz diced raisins
• 2 oz diced dates
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
• 2 tsp siracha
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a a saute pan over medium heat. Add all of the raw vegetables. Saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove and cool.
2. In a large bowl, gently combine the beans. Add the sauteed vegetables, and mix thoroughly. Stir in the dry ingredients, along with the egg.
3. Using your hands, thoroughly mix the ingredients. Form into 6 patties for large burgers or 12 patties for smaller ones. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan, and cook patties 2 to 3 minutes per side. (If you’re making 8 patties, you’ll need to cook them in two batches.)

Caprese Chicken

(recipe and picture from Add a Pinch)

I made this last night. My family RAVED about it. I think once tomatoes are fresh and in season it would be even better. I planned on making my own mozzarella to go on it but ran out of time. I will let you know when that happens (now I FINALLY found all the ingredients!). The only thing different is I marinated the chicken in a balsamic marinade first to bump up the flavor. I also didn't add butter to the balsamic reduction. It doesn't need it. This was quick, easy, and very yummy! Head on over to Add a Pinch for the recipe!

Stacked Roasted Veggie Enchiladas

(Photo and recipe from Perry's Plate)

This little Pinterest yummy I saw just a couple days ago and couldn't wait to make. It has all my favorite tastes and flavors and was really lovely looking. One of my favorite foods is enchiladas. Combine that with roasted veg and you are good to go! I made my corn tortillas using this tortilla recipe. With the homemade tortillas this was quite the labor intensive dish. I think next time I will use store bought. Otherwise I pretty much followed the recipe. It was really really good. We will for sure do it again! Get the full recipe here at Perry's Plate!