So Simple Chicken Cabbage Salad

1/2 large head of cabbage washed and diced
1 12 oz can of canned chicken, drained
1-2 cups of leftover cooked spaghetti cut into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces (or any other pre-cooked pasta)
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (juice from one medium lime)
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1-2 Tablespoons of "Mrs Wages Medium Create Salsa mix" or season as desired
Ezekiel 4.9 Almond cereal

Toss together the cabbage, chicken and pasta.  In a separate small bowl combine the lime juice, olive oil and seasonings (or use any other of your favorite salad dressings).  Just before serving, toss the salad with the dressing.  When serving, top with the Ezekiel cereal or other crunchy toppings as desired

Family Critique: My husband rated this a 5 star recipe!  I was really excited.  I loved it too!  Even my oldest daughter loved it but would probably give it, "3 or 4 stars Mom. If you add some nuts it would be a 5."   My toddler wouldn't try it but that is normal for her with a new recipe.  She warms up to things after seeing them on her plate several times.

Be Nutritiously Inspired,

Simply Scrumptious: Easy Bacon Wrapped Chicken and Creamy Sauce

I got this recipe from my sister, who got it from a good friend of hers. This one is REALLY good.




5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 pint of sour cream
1 small can of cream of chicken soup
1 package of bacon

1)Preheat oven at 300 degrees.
2)Wrap the chicken in bacon and set it in a 9x13" casserole dish. (Note: I cut each piece of chicken in half first for more manageable portion sizes)
3) Combine the soup and sour cream and spread on top of the chicken.
4) Cover the pan with foil and bake at 300 degrees for 3 hours or until the chicken is at least 165 degrees inside using a meat thermometer.
5) Remove from the oven and serve the chicken over rice or pasta and spoon some of the extra sauce on top (I forgot to take a picture of this best step. Sorry! It was really good!)

Lemon Paprika Chicken

1)Use one fresh boneless skinless split chicken breast and cut into two equal pieces.
2)Place each piece on a cutting board and pound flat to about 1/2" even thickness (I place a gallon size ziploc bag on top before I pound out using a rolling pin)
3)Combine 1T olive oil, 1/4 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp lemon juice and 1/4 tsp garlic powder in a gallon ziploc bag. Place chicken inside and shake to coat. For more flavor, use above amounts for only one piece of chicken and then repeat for the second piece.
4)Grill chicken until cooked through. I use a small George Foreman grill which cooks both sides in minutes.


Note: I read online a while ago(I don't remember what site) that the safe temperature for chicken is over 170 degrees for high-risk people (like children, or elderly or pregnant women). However the chicken will be more tender and juicy if you stop cooking at 165 degrees if you don't have those higher-risk worries.

Homemade Chicken Broth

To make this taste REALLY good it takes at least an hour, but it is well worth it!

Chicken pieces (whatever you like to use. I used a whole chicken including the back, cut in pieces. Frozen chicken is just fine)
2 bay leaves
salt
1 medium or large onion (yellow or white) chopped
4-7 cloves of garlic mashed and peeled
carrots ( I used a few baby carrots)
celery (use the pieces you normally throw away including the leaves and stocks. Don't chop these up just leave them whole since you remove them later)

1) Put the chicken in a large pot. 2) Cover with water (at least fill the pot half-way, or more if you want more broth). 3) Add in the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil then cover the pot and turn down to low for one hour. 4) Then remove the chicken and carefully separate the chicken from the bones to use for whatever you like. 5) Drain the broth through a collander (Just remember you are saving the broth so don't forget and drain it into the sink! I have started to do that before :) If you are going to use the broth to make soup, you can remove the cooked carrots and return them to the soup. But make sure you don't return any bones or the bay leaves. 6) Now you use your own creativity: Taste the broth and add more salt, garlic powder, pepper, orggano or thyme . . . the possibilities are endless. I like to look at soup recipes and choose which spices I want to try. If it still tastes too thin, chicken bouillon can be added but try only one tsp. at a time so it won't get too salty.

Enjoy this broth in your favorite recipes! Remember to refrigerate and use within three days or freeze it for longer storage.

Summer Chicken Noodle Soup

I LOVE to make soup! During the summer I miss it 'cause It just seems too hot to make it very often. I made an exception with this one and it is actually good served as a cool soup too.

1)Make homemade chicken broth or use 1 tsp of chicken bouillon for each cup of broth you want. It really depends on how much soup you want to make. Rule of thumb is about one cup per serving. Bring the broth to a boil.

2) Add in some pasta (if it is uncooked, if using already cooked pasta or cooked rice you can wait to add it until the very end) I used small shell pasta today.

3)Prepare the veggies you want to use. This time I used 1 small yellow summer squash and 1 small zuchini chopped and some baby carrots (just left as is--or can be chopped into small pieces) If you are using broth made from bouillon, it would really taste better with some fresh chopped onion and smashed and peeled garlic added in with the vegetables. Add to the pot of boiling broth when the pasta is about half- cooked and cook just a few minutes until tender-crisp.

3) Add cooked and chopped chicken.

4) taste and add in some seasonings if you need to. I just put salt and pepper or red pepper on the table since each of my family members have different spice preferences.

Variations: This makes a traditional "thin broth" soup. If you want a thick and creamy soup it is very easy. Just stir in a can of cream of Chicken soup with a wire whisk. just watch for lumps and make sure to stir them all out. Or, even better, you can make your own "white Sauce" and add it into the soup at the end.

Remember that this can be made with any kind of pasta or with Orzo or rice. Leftover veggies instead of the ones listed here or some frozen veggies (broccoli, peas, mixed) and it even tastes good without the chicken as just a vegetable soup.