Sorghum, Lentil and Brie Salad with Orange Maple Vinaigrette – so yes, I know this is a mouthful, however I feel like each flavor is integral which is why I included all of these ingredients in the title. I felt it was important to give you an idea of all the deliciousness that is packed into this mouth watering salad. I must re-iterate…this salad is mouth watering.
This Chicken and White Bean Chili from Neiman Marcus is freaking awesome! For some reason I have neglected the Neiman Marcus cookbook for the past six months and I am so glad I dusted it off. The chili recipe I am highlighting here is healthy, delicious and satisfying. Not only is this one-pot wonder delicious, it is easy to make and comes together quickly.
I know that January is the month to detox and get your body back on track after the holidays, however this hasn’t been the case for me. There is actually a great reason – I haven’t felt like it. The shock to my system (both body and especially mind – HA!) would just be too much and I wasn’t ready. But now I have regulated my taste buds and I am ready to get back on track with some delicious and satisfying food. Yesterday I made this Creamy Vegetable Lentil Soup that is so good you would never guess there is no cream, is low in fat and super simple to make.
Banana Muffins, Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins – nothing new, nothing fancy, but oh so delicious. I have tried numerous recipes looking for the perfect muffin and this is it and I have to add that my boys love them. Like, really, really love them. Whenever I ask them what they want for breakfast these Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins are in their top three items they will ask for. And….I have to admit they are one of my favorite breakfasts as well.
I was given this recipe by a teen that used to watch my boys. He was telling me about these amazing muffins that his mom always made and actually had the image of the recipe on his phone. He said that so many people asked for the recipe after tasting the muffins that this is how his mom would give out the recipe.
These are a basic banana muffin – but a really, really good muffin. There is no fancy ingredient or big secret, just the perfect combination and proportions for a scrumptious treat. They are moist and fluffy, but not dense or dry. I attribute the perfect, moist texture to using oil instead of butter. While butter gives great flavor and I would never use anything else for cookies, these muffins benefit in a major way from using oil. I also find that the rich, delicious flavor of the bananas is elevated by using oil.
These are great any time and keep well, but are especially fantastic right out of the oven. There is nothing like watching the steam escape the inside of the fluffy muffin as chocolate chips slowly melt onto the delicate crevices. When I feel like being a real rebel I love to slather mine with butter. Nothing like some additional fat added to the all-purpose white flour baked goodness to really put you into a full on food buzz.
I love the Fall season for so many reasons. I love the beautiful colors of the changing leaves, I love the crisp mornings and I love that football season has arrived. However, by far my favorite part of this season is the food! Oh my gosh, the food! All the stick to your ribs, comforting, delectable dishes that are so inviting it feels like a warm hug. Well this dish is a doozy – Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Crust Crackers. Think Chicken Pot Pie in soup form with crusty pie crust pieces to dunk into this amazing soup.
The genius and inspiration for this soup comes from Chrissy Tiegen’s cookbook, Cravings. If you haven’t bought it, do it. Not only is every recipe amazing, she has some of the best, most creative intros to every recipe that you will ever find.
I did have to make some changes to appease the picky palettes in my house though. First off, I omitted the peas and pearl onions. I opted to sauté onions at the beginning of the dish along with the garlic to infuse the onion in the dish there. Although peas are traditional in all pot pie dishes I just didn’t feel like adding them in because I don’t like ’em so I didn’t. In the end I opted to use half & half instead of the heavy cream that is used in the original recipe. Oh…and I cheated. I didn’t make my own crust, I bought it. Some may call it lazy, I call it great time management, so there. If you have a great pie crust recipe go for it, if not I like the Trader Joe’s Pie Crust. The TJ’s version is awesome and will always pass for a homemade version that isn’t just good, but dynamite! One last thing, I like to make extra crust for extra dunking but if you are not a crust junkie like me than just use half of the recipe.
Stay tuned for many, many more soup recipes. Soups are a fave in my house. They make great leftovers, lunches and freeze well. What else could one ask for? Enjoy this one!
Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Crust Crackers (inspired by Chrissy Teigen’s recipe in her cookbook, Cravings)
Ingredients
6 c. chicken broth
2 c. whole milk
1 stick unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, finely minced
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 bouillon cube or 1 Top Ramen Chicken Flavor Seasoning Packet
1 1/2 t. fresh cracked black pepper, or to taste
1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 1/2 c. diced carrots
1/4 pound deli ham, thinly sliced
3 c. rotisserie chicken meat, shredded
1/2 c. half and half
1 package Trader Joe’s Pie Crust, cooked according to package directions and broken into pieces
Directions
Turn your stovetop to low and add the milk and broth. Bring to a low simmer. Note do not bring this to a simmer over high heat, this will make the milk taste funky, hence your soup taste funky.
In a big soup pot, heat the butter over medium-high heat until foamy. Add the onion and sauce until soft, then add the garlic and stir constantly until toasty for about 1 minute (do not burn the garlic, if you do start over.) Add the flour, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring for about 2-3 minutes. Whisk in the broth-milk mixture once cup at a time and then add the bouillon and salt & pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook until thickened about 5 minutes.
Add the potato, carrots, ham and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in the chicken and half & half for an additional 5 minutes. Season with salt & pepper to taste and serve with pieces of broken pie crust.
