Chicken 'n' Noodles

I was really in the mood for some creamy comfort food, and since I already had cooked and shredded chicken in the fridge, I just threw this meal together last-minute. Jerry and I both loved it! If the chicken is already cooked, the whole meal comes together very quickly.

I'm sorry, but this recipe has been migrated to my everyday blog, Runs for Cookies. This link is a direct link to that recipe. Thanks!  --Katie

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Quinoa Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing

A reader sent me a link to this recipe, thinking I might like it. I'm glad she did, because it was great! The original recipe can be found here. I made a few modifications, so I'll post those below. It sounds like a strange combination of ingredients, but it worked really well together.

Not the prettiest dish, but it tastes good!

Quinoa Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing
(modified to make 1 serving)

1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup coleslaw mix (just plain shredded green cabbage and carrots)
3-4 slices of cucumber, julienned

For the sauce:
1.5 Tbsp. smooth natural peanut butter
1.5 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. honey
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Bring the water to a boil in a small sauce pan, and add the quinoa. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer until water is absorbed (about 10 minutes).

Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl until smooth. Add the coleslaw mix and cucumber, and toss to coat. When the quinoa is done cooking, add it to the bowl and toss again until everything is coated.  Makes 1 serving

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Infamous Glazed Carrots

My family hated these, but I happen to love them! You can read the story of how these became "infamous" on my blog.  You can make glazed carrots with pretty much anything that contains sugar. When you heat it, some of the liquid evaporates and it reduces down into a syrup-like glaze.

The first time I made these, I used frozen carrots. I've also made them with canned carrots. I'm sure I'd like them with fresh carrots as well. Just make sure that the carrots are cooked until fork-tender before you add them to the glaze.

Infamous Glazed Carrots
1 can sliced carrots, drained (or fresh or frozen, but make sure you cook them first)
1 Tbsp. orange juice concentrate
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
1/2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. dried cranberries (Craisins)

In a skillet, combine the orange juice concentrate, the butter, the cranberries, and the maple syrup, and cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes until thick and syrupy. Add the carrots and brown sugar and toss to coat, keeping over the heat until the carrots are heated through.

Makes 4 side-dish servings (approximately 1/3 cup each)

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Indian Lentil Soup

Dede, a reader of Runs for Cookies, e-mailed this recipe to me when she learned I like lentils. She said she got it from the newspaper years ago and made a couple of changes. And then, because I can never leave a recipe alone, I made a change or two myself. ;)  I've been eating it every day for lunch, because it is delicious! Here is the recipe, with my changes:

Indian Lentil Soup

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of red lentils
4 cups of broth (I used chicken broth)
1 (15 oz) can of crushed tomatoes
1 medium potato (about 6 oz), peeled and diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. turmeric
dash (1/8 tsp) of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a soup pot over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Cook the onion for a few minutes, and then add the garlic and cook for a minute. Add the broth, lentils, tomatoes, and spices, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially-cover it with a lid, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the carrots and potato, and simmer, covered, until veggies are just tender, about 20 minutes.  Makes 4 servings, about 1-2/3 cups each.

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Spicy Carrot Bisque

My friend Courtney made this for me when I had a broken jaw and my mouth was wired shut. It's a pureed soup, so I was thrilled to be able to eat it. It is absolutely DELICIOUS. I'm not even a huge fan of carrots, but this soup is one of my favorites!  The original recipe used a roux to thicken (butter + flour), but I don't find it necessary. Also, I used half & half instead of heavy cream and used less of it. It is rich and thick, and yummy, and it is the very definition of "comfort food" for me!

Spicy Carrot Bisque
  
3 lbs. carrots, peeled and sliced or chopped
1 onion, chopped
8 cups chicken broth
1 cup half & half  (regular, not fat free)
1/4 tsp. white pepper (this is what makes it so good!)
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. cumin

Combine everything except for the half & half in a soup pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer (med-low) and cook until the carrots are soft (depends on how small the pieces are, but about 30 minutes). Use a stick blender to puree (if you don't have a stick blender, you can use a blender and just do it in batches). Stir in the half & half and heat through--just don't boil it after adding the half & half.

Makes about 10 cups. Per cup:  99 calories, 3.5 grams fat, 4 grams fiber, 16 grams carbs, 3 grams protein.

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