Buffalo Chicken Salad

I found this recipe years ago but tried it for the first time this summer. We've been missing out! This is a new favorite main-dish salad. Serves 6

Dressing:

1/2 c. mayonnaise

1/4 c. BBQ sauce

1 t. tobasco sauce

2 T. milk

Salad:

1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 t. tobasco sauce

1 large carrot, shredded

8 c. chopped romaine lettuce

2 stalks celery, cut in thin matchsticks

1/2 c. crumbled blue cheese

• Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
• Add 1/4 c. dressing and additional tobasco sauce to chicken in a ziploc bag or dish. Marinate in refrigerator at least 30 minutes . Grill or broil chicken until cooked. Cool and slice into strips.
• Combine lettuce, carrot, celery, and blue cheese in a large salad bowl. Stir in dressing and then top with the chicken. Sprinkle with extra blue cheese, if desired.

I thought this salad needed something extra, so I added corn (thawed from frozen), black beans, and juilienned red pepper.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (can be frozen) 2 15-oz cans black beans, drained (or use 2 cups cooked beans) 2 15-oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained 1 cup salsa 4 ounce can green chilies 2 cups chicken broth

½ cup dry barley 2 teaspoons cumin 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon oregano 2 teaspoons minced garlic ½ cup chopped cilantro, optional

1 Place all ingredients in slow-cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

2 Just before serving, remove chicken breasts and slice into bite size pieces. Return to soup.

3 Serve with tortilla chips and cheese and your favorite toppings: lime wedges, avocado, fresh cilantro, sour cream, etc.

Servings: 6

Recipe Tips

*Extra veggies: I sometimes add chopped onion, peppers, and/or corn.

*Vegetarian: Instead of chicken, add extra beans, like pinto or kidney.

*If you like a thicker soup, add refried bean flakes.

*If you want a creamier soup, add 1-2 cans of cream of chicken soup.

White Chicken Chili

This is a delicious recipe from a friend's blog. We tried it and thought it was great--and so good for you!

http://scribbit.blogspot.com/2009/01/white-bean-chili.html

Recipe Tips

Serve with your favorite toppings: tortilla chips, salsa, chopped avocado, sour cream, cheese, green onions, etc.

Green Chili

Green Chili

8 cups chicken broth 1 onion, chopped 3 large chicken breasts ¼ cup flour 3 cans mild diced green chilies 6 cloves garlic, minced ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

½ teaspoon ground cumin 1-2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped 2½ cups white corn 8 flour tortillas 1 diced tomato sour cream

1 In a large pot, combine broth, onion, and chicken. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat to low and simmer about 20 mintues. Remove chicken and shred by pulling it apart with two forks.

2 Use a wisk to blend the flour into ½ c. water. Add to the broth along with chilies, garlic, cilantro, cumin, jalapenos, and corn. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Add chicken and simmer 30-40 minutes.

3 Top each bowl of chili with tomato and sour cream and serve with warmed flour tortillas for dipping.

Servings: 8

Chicken Lentil Barley Soup

Chicken Lentil Barley Soup

This soup stores well in the freezer for a quick meal later. This also works great in a crock pot. Add everything except the chicken and tomatoes and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours, then add chicken and tomatoes and cook 1-2 hours longer.

2 onions, chopped 1 green pepper, chopped 4 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tablespoons olive oil 11 cups water 4 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules 1 cup dry lentils 1 cup dry barley

1 teaspoon basil 1/2 teaspoon oregano 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon rosemary 3 cups chopped cooked chicken 3 cups carrots, sliced 28 ounce can diced tomatoes

Procedure

1 Saute onion, pepper, and garlic in oil until soft. Add water, granules, lentils, barley, and spices. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

2 Add chicken and carrots and simmer 20 more minutes until carrots, lentils, and barley are tender. Stir in tomatoes before serving.

Servings: 12

Recipe Tips

I like to add a variety of vegetables and fewer carrots. Corn, green beans, celery, sweet potato, etc. are all good.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Chicken Enchilada Soup

This is similar to a soup at Chili's restaurant, with just a couple of additions and changes.

1 tablespoon olive oil 1 onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 4 cups chicken broth 1 cup cornmeal 4 cups water 2 cups salsa

1 cup dried refried bean flakes 1 can green chiles, optional 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 teaspoon cumin 2 cups diced cooked chicken

Procedure

1 Saute onion and garlic in olive oil in a large soup pot until onions are translucent. Add chicken broth.

2 Combine cornmeal with 2 cups water and whisk until blended. Add mixture to soup pot. Add remaining water, salsa, refried bean flakes, and spices and stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until thickened. Stir in chicken.

3 Serve in bowls and garnish with your favorite toppings: grated cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream, salsa, chopped avocado, lime slices, chopped cilantro, etc.

Servings: 8

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Recipe Tips

*The original recipe called for 16 oz. of Velveeta. I put the refried beans in instead. If you don't have the refried bean flakes from the cannery, use a can of refried beans and reduce the water to 3 cups.

*This recipe works great with canned chicken, too. Or, if you want to eliminate the chicken, add a can of black or pinto beans instead.

*If you don't have already cooked chicken for this recipe, toss in 2-3 boneless skinless breasts when you add the broth. Simmer for about 20 minutes until chicken is cooked, then remove from the broth before adding the rest of the ingredients. Chop the chicken and add it just before serving.

*The original recipe called for a can of enchilada sauce, but I usually use salsa, or sometimes a can of tomatoes with green chilies. If your family likes it spicy, add some chopped jalapeno.

*The original recipe called for masa harina flour (in the Mexican specialty section) but I just put some popcorn kernels through my wheat grinder to get cornmeal.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

We were introduced to this soup when we lived in North Dakota. Wild rice grows there so it is served often. However, it is very expensive and hard to find in Utah, so I buy a wild rice and brown rice blend at Kitchen Kneads.

1 onion, chopped 1 carrot, chopped or shredded 1 celery stalk, chopped 1/4 cup butter 1/2 cup flour 8 cups chicken broth

3 cups cooked wild rice 1 cup cooked diced chicken 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 8 ounces light cream cheese minced chives for garnish

Procedure

1 In a large saucepan, saute the onion, carrot, and celery in butter. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly. Add rice, chicken, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat and stir for 5 minutes.

2 Add cream cheese and stir until cheese is melted. Serve topped with chives, if desired.

Servings: 10

Recipe Tips

This is also great with chopped broccoli added with the other vegetables.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves * 2 tablespoons butter * 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup

* 1 onion, finely diced * 2 (10 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces

Procedure

1 Place the chicken, butter, soup, and onion in a slow cooker, and fill with enough water to cover.

2 Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High. About 30 minutes before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker. Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center