orange chicken and rice soup

mix together my love of making soup, a sick husband needing nourishment, and leftover orange rosemary chicken (below) and you have the perfect storm for a yummy kitchen adventure.  this is what i came up with:

Orange Chicken and Rice Soup
prep time: 20 mins  cook time: 30-40mins
serves 4

3 pieces leftover orange and rosemary chicken (chopped into bite-sized pieces) and any leftover juices/sauce
1 clove garlic, minced (i'd leave it out next time)
2 inches fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 red pepper, chopped
1/3 - 1/2 cup rice
6 cups soup stock - i used vegetable, chicken would probably be better
a splash of extra orange juice if you want it to taste more "orangey" (i added more than a splash and it was a bit of orange overload, so be careful)
pepper to taste

chop and saute the onion, garlic, ginger, and vegetables in a little olive oil for a couple minutes.
combine everything in a large soup pot.  bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  simmer til the rice and veggies are cooked through.

yum.  it feels good to be eating somewhat well again.  :)

orange rosemary chicken

i cooked!!  two days in a row!  in my house, and my life right now, this is a sizeable miracle.  (and if i get through this post in less than two days, it'll be another miracle.)  we have been eating all sorts of garbage since our little one came home and it's doing nothing good for any of us, so it's time to start some home cooking again.  the goal:  quick (like lightening quick!) to prepare and at least moderately healthy.  the solution?  rosemary orange chicken.  took all of 5 minutes to put together and had enough leftovers to create a soup.  done and done!

Orange Rosemary Chicken - from healthy quick meals
prep time: 5mins  cook time: 1hr
serves 3

1lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp pepper
6 oz frozen orange juice concentrate (about 1/2 the can)
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp marjoram

preheat oven to 350.
arrange chicken in a casserole dish.  sprinkle with paprika and pepper.
mix remaining ingredients and pour over chicken.
bake, covered, for 1 hour, or until chicken is cooked through.


yum!  i love a dinner that takes 5 minutes to prepare.  we had this with a frozen instant-type rice dish (not ideal, but not bad) and it probably would have been good to add some veggies... but maybe next time.  this makes lots of juice/sauce, which is good for pouring over rice (or saving to add to soup the next day, like i did).

do you have any other lightening quick meal ideas for me?  i need a lot more!

honey barbecued chicken kabobs

i wish i had taken a picture of wednesday night's dinner, it was so pretty!  but it was also sooo gooood and i was ravenous and it was gone before i had any thoughts of photos or blogging.  so you'll have to use your imagination.  but trust me, it was a pleasing plate full of colours and deliciousness.  quick to make and easy on the budget without lacking in flavour!


Honey Barbecued Chicken Kabobs
prep time: 10mins  cook time: 10-20mins
serves 2

1 chicken breast, cut into chunks
1/2 of each red, yellow, and green peppers, cut into chunks
1 onion, cut into 8ths and separated two or three layers thick
a bit of fresh pineapple, cut into chunks

sauce:
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
sprinkle of ginger powder or some fresh grated ginger

arrange the ingredients on wooden skewers (pre-soaked) in a colourful and delightful manner.
brush with sauce.  barbecue until the chicken is done, brushing with sauce occasionally.  devour.


these would make really nice summer company food, but since the husband doesn't mind barbecuing in february, they also make a really nice mid-winter meal!  they'd be great served with a grain and a salad - we had edamame with ours, which was also very yummy, but more importantly, quick.  i already want this dinner again!

apple chicken stew

yesterday, my dear dedicated husband drove for hours in the slush and the rain to bring home a new (to us) stove.  i wanted to have something yummy and warm ready for him when he got home, so out came the slow cooker.  i came across this recipe in an old cooking magazine from a thrift shop, and it's a gem!  it would make an ideal fall meal, or, the perfect dinner for a rainy day in january and a cold and tired husband.  :)

the only thing i wasn't crazy for in this recipe was the amount of chicken it took, and how much that chicken cost!  i might try this again with turkey leftovers from a holiday, or maybe just with cheaper cuts of chicken, like boneless thighs.  although the chicken breasts sure do taste delicious in there, and just fall apart by the time the stew is done... soooo yummy.


Apple Chicken Stew - Taste of Home's Quick Cooking Magazine, Nov/Dec 2001, pg. 37
prep time: 30 mins  cook time: 4-5 hours
serves 4-6

4 medium potatoes, cubed
4 medium carrots, thickly sliced
1 medium red onion, quartered and sliced
1 celery rib, sliced - i used 2
1-1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 to 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
2 lbs (about 900g) boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large tart apple, peeled and cubed - i used a big granny smith and didn't peel it
1 1/4 cups apple cider or apple juice - i used juice but i bet cider would be delicious
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 bay leaf
minced fresh parsley

in a slow cooker, layer potatoes, carrots, onion and celery.  mix salt, thyme, pepper, and caraway seeds together and sprinkle half over the vegetables (i didn't find they "mixed" well - the salt all sat at the bottom and the spices on top.  so next time i'd just sprinkle half of each over the veggies without mixing).

in a skillet, saute chicken in olive oil until just browned.  transfer to slow cooker.  top with chopped apple.

combine apple cider/juice and vinegar and pour over chicken and apple.  sprinkle with remaining spice mixture and top with bay leaf.

cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or until vegetables are tender and chicken juices run clear.  discard bay leave, give a good stir, and serve with fresh parsley.


faaaaantastic.  this is going to be a new favourite in our house for sure.  it thickened up more than i was expecting.  i couldn't really taste the apple but the caraway seeds really added a nice flavour.  i cooked up a bunch of rice to serve with it because there was a chance of visitors for dinner and i hoped it would stretch it out farther, which it certainly did.  we'll be enjoying leftovers tonight!

pineapple lime grilled chicken

my beloved husband of one year and six days cooked us supper tonight and it was amazing.  all i could think of this morning was chicken with some sort of vegetable accompaniment, so i asked him if he could come up with something better.  and this is what he did:


Beloved Husband's Pineapple Lime Grilled Chicken - serves 4
prep time: 30mins   cook time: 45mins
adapted (quite a bit) from: Kiss Recipes

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/4 cup pineapple juice - or 3ish fresh pineapple slices cut into tiny pieces and boiled/smashed until it gets juicy
1/4 cup lime juice - about two fresh limes
one lime peel, grated
4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
2-3 tbsp olive oil
pepper and salt to taste - we used sea salt

In a small bowl, combine pineapple juice, lime juice, lime zest, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Marinate chicken in pineapple lime concoction for about an hour, making sure it's well coated.

Unfold the chicken thighs and put a little marinade in the middle (the pineapple and garlic chunks especially).  Refold and put the folded side down on the grill (you could try holding them together with toothpicks or skewers or something).  Grill on medium heat for 30-45 minutes, or until chicken is done!


he grilled this chicken up with the rest of the pineapple slices, sliced orange peppers, and corn on the cob.  and he topped it off by drizzling peaches and apricots with honey, wrapping them in tin foil and leaving them to slowly bake on the top rack while the rest of dinner was cooking and being devoured.  a simple and yet completely mouth-watering dessert to top off a most satisfying summer meal.

fair warning beloved husband: keep this up and i might quit cooking altogether!

balsamic oven baked chicken

i wasn't even going to post this recipe because i thought it would just be so-so and there are so many other good recipes i want to post.  but we had it for dinner tonight and WOW!  ever flavourful!  i especially loved how quick it was to prepare.  i'm starting a collection of these "fix it and forget it" recipes that take very little time to get into the oven but taste fantastic.  they're perfect for a busy day or when i'm too tired to spend much time cooking, like today.

i'd make a few changes next time (which i've noted below), but it turned out perfectly.  i served it with brown basmati rice (love) and broccoli that had been steamed into a complete bland submission (just the way the husband likes it).


Balsamic Oven Baked Chicken - serves 4
prep time: 5 mins   cook time: 45 mins
adapted from: healthy quick meals

2 lbs/1 kg chicken pieces - i used 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 tbsp olive oil - i only used one and next time i'd omit it altogether
1 cup apple juice
1 clove garlic, pressed - or minced, if you're press-less like me
1 tsp oregano
salt - omitted
pepper
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese - if you are really being fat and sodium conscious, omit this.  but if you can afford it, it's so good and browns up so nicely!
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 450F/230C.
Place the chicken in a baking dish.  Sprinkle with olive oil, apple juice, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese.  Bake for 45 - 60 minutes, until no longer pink inside (45 minutes was perfect).
Pour the balsamic vinegar over the chicken and serve immediately (the leftover juice in the pan tastes great on rice!).


there you go - quick and easy chicken with fantastic flavour.  let me know how you like it.

what's your best "fix it and forget it" recipe?