Quinoa Chicken and Broccoli Bake

I have seen a lot of recipes using quinoa on Pinterest, but I've never had it before so I was intrigued. It's basically like a rice and can be used instead of rice in a lot of dishes. Also, did you know it is SUPER expensive? Kindof a bummer, too, because it is actually pretty scrumptious.

I saw a recipe for a casserole that included broccoli, chicken, some sort of sauce, and quinoa, of course, so decided to try it. However, Pinterest (who spells is as quiOna) wasn't working when I made dinner tonight, so I had to wing it and make stuff up. Luckily, I had some saucy stuff in my fridge, so it all worked out.

Here is what you need:

• 3/4 cup dry quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 cups roasted broccoli (see the link for the ingredients needed to roast the veg)
• 1 cup diced, cooked chicken breast
• 4 oz fat free cream cheese
• 1/3 cup light sour cream
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 2 tsp bouillon base, chicken flavor
• 1/4 cup shredded cheese (or more if you want it to be cheesier)

Here is what you do:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Cut broccoli then roast for 25 minutes (See link in ingredient list for directions on how to roast them.)
• While broccoli roasts, put quinoa, water, and bouillon base in large pot and cook according to package so it is fluffy
• While broccoli roasts and quinoa cooks, dice chicken and saute with salt and pepper
• As those first three things are happening, combine cream cheese, sour cream, garlic, onion powder, and garlic salt until well combined
• Mix all broccoli, quinoa, chicken, and sauce together and place in a small baking pan
• Cover top with shredded cheese
• Bake for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and it starts to bubble a little
• Serve with a salad and side of your favorite fruit
• Serves 6 and each serving is 250 calories. (If you don't serve this with a salad and fruit, you could get 4 or 5 servings instead.)

It was delicious, so I'll make that again for sure! Plus, it freezes well. I just wish quinoa wasn't so DANG expensive. (Update: Evidently Good Earth sells it for a reasonable price in their bulk bins.)

Crustless Quiche

Today is my mom's birthday, so this is a little shout out to her. (Happy Birthday, mom!)

My mom and I have our own funny little language that makes us crack right up at each other. Here is an example: We say "quiche" as if it were pronounced "keechee." lol. (I'm totally laughing right now.) So, every time I say the name of this recipe, I say "Crustless Keechee" and laugh on the inside.

Sorry for the lame photo quality...blame it on the phone.

Here is what you need:

• 9 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3/4 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 5 strips thick bacon
• pinch of salt
• pinch of pepper
• cooking spray

Here is what you do:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees.
• Place bacon on baking sheet with grooves and bake for 12 minutes or until mostly crispy but not too crisp.
• While bacon cooks, whisk eggs, milk, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper together until frothy.
• Stir in grated cheese.
• Place cooked bacon on bottom of greased glass round baking dish.
• Slowly pour mixture over bacon. Don't worry if bacon rises to the top or floats in the mixture. That's totally fine.
• Bake at 400 degrees for about 4o to 45 minutes, checking on the quiche (keechee-lol) every few minutes around that time. You're looking for it to start to come away from the sides, be a bit golden brown, and all of the inner gooey mixture to become a bit firm, but not terribly firm. 
• Sprinkle with a bit more salt and pepper.
• Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
• Note: If you like green onions, feel free to add those. 

Enjoy! This quiche (keechee - hehe) really is quite delicious, especially with the onion powder and garlic powder. They add a special flavor that I love. (I usually reach for those flavors for most of my dishes...except desserts. Gag.)

Creamy Chicken Noodles and Bacon

Everything is better with bacon! Especially chicken and cheese. Sounds fattening, right? Well, it doesn’t have to be with this easy meal. Instead of using regular ingredients, try making this creamy noodle concoction with low-fat or fat free items.

The recipe is super simple to make, especially if you precook and shred your chicken on your prep day. Or, you can use a can of chicken. If you use canned chicken, be sure to rinse the chicken with water so that you remove some of the fluid from the can. (The fluid can be full of sodium, and rinsing it eliminates some of that.)

Here is what you need:

• 1 lb chicken, shredded from your shopping/prep day
• 1 bag no yolk noodles
• 2 cans condensed chicken soup, 98% fat free
• 1/2 cup sour cream, fat free
• 3 cups broccoli pieces
• 5 strips bacon (or turkey bacon)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated and low-fat
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Here is what you do:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cook noodles in one pot and and warm your precooked, shredded chicken in a skillet.
3. While noodles and chicken cook, place bacon on baking sheet with grooves and bake for 12 minutes or until mostly crispy but not too crisp. 
4. Mix condensed soup, sour cream, broccoli, garlic, and seasonings. Set aside. 
5. By now, the noodles and chicken should be finished. (About 15 minutes should have passed by now.)
6. Run noodles under lukewarm water to bring their temperature down a bit and then combine with chicken and soup mixture.
7. Place mixture in 9 x 13 cake pan then sprinkle cheese on top.
8. Cut cooked bacon into pieces and drop over cheese.
9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cheese starts to bubble.
10. This makes 6 large servings or 8 medium servings.

Enjoy! And remember, everything is better with bacon, even if it is turkey bacon.

PS ~ Fair warning, you will CRAVE the leftovers.

Hearty Tomato Soup

During the cold, winter months, don't you just crave hot, hearty soups that you can eat while curled up by the fire with a comfy blanket and a great book? And, to make the setting even better, imagine said soup served with a side of grilled cheese, a fresh baguette, or delicious garlic toast. Yum! This easy meal is just that: a hearty tomato soup with vegetables and shredded chicken.

Here is what you need:

• 2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
• 5 slices thick bacon, cut into pieces
• 1/3 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup carrots, thinly sliced
• 4 cups chicken broth, low sodium
• 4 cups stewed tomatoes
• 1 tbs sugar
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• Grated cheese, as desired
• Crumbled, cooked bacon, as desired

Here is what you do:

1. In a large saucepan, cook bacon.
2. Add shredded chicken, onion, and carrots.
3. Sauté in butter and extra virgin olive oil for a few minutes, just until vegetables are soft but not brown. (If you didn't precook your chicken, make sure the chicken is mostly cooked at this point.)
4. Transfer the meat and veggies into a large pot and add broth, tomatoes, sugar, curry, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
5. Serve a portion with your special side and a sprinkle of grated cheese and crumbled bacon pieces.
6. Allow the rest to cool completely and then label and freeze for a quick, healthy meal later.

Go grab your favorite book because you’ll be relaxing by the warm fire and diving into your soup and the pages of your book in no time!