Recipe: Potato Soup

I had some not-great luck with a recipe for cashew chicken the other night, and was feeling somewhat defeated (even though my sweet husband told me it was fine). I needed a win. Potato soup, how could you go wrong? YOU CAN'T. Trust me on this one. About halfway through the process, I was like "this is going to be a gross mistake" but I was wrong. It was amazing and delicious and so easy and I ate so much I had to unbutton my pants. Yeah, that good. I don't know what your pantries / freezers look like, but this was all stuff I had on hand, so that's an added bonus, and I imagine it would freeze really well.

You could do this in the slow cooker, but I decided to make it for dinner at 6pm so I made it on the stove top. You also could use vegetable broth and cream of mushroom soup to make this vegetarian. And finally, you could use low fat / low sodium everything EXCEPT the cream cheese. Don't do that, it won't melt.

Recipe was inspired by Pearls, Handcuffs and Happy Hour (I seem to be using a lot of her recipes for inspiration recently).

Ingredients

• Bag of frozen shredded hash browns (between 24-30oz)
• 2 cans chicken broth (28-32 oz total)
• 1 can cream of chicken soup (approx 14oz)
• 1/4 large onion, finely diced 
• 1/4 tsp black pepper (more or less to taste)
• 1 block of cream cheese (approx 8oz)
• Optional toppings: sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped green onions, chopped bacon

Directions

1. Add hash browns, broth and soup to a large stock pot; cook on medium heat until all the hash browns are loose
2. Add onions and pepper; reduce to medium-low heat and cook for 30 minutes, stirring regularly (hash browns will start to dissolve and get very mushy)
3. Add cream cheese and cook for another 30 minutes, stirring regularly, or until cream cheese is completely melted and hash browns are very mushy - almost dissolved

Recipe: Coconut Shrimp Curry

I LOVE a good curry. Love. It's all I wanted for probably 4 months of my pregnancy. And I will never turn it down even now. So ever since my friend Abby posted this recipe, I've been dying to make it. And great news (for my belly) - I've actually been cooking over the past couple weeks. Gasp! Yes, it's been glorious.

Ingredients

• Canola oil (or coconut oil if you have it; I didn't)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 1 cup potatoes, cut into bite-size cubes (about 1/2 of a large potato)
• 7 oz coconut milk
• 7 oz milk
• 1/2 lb shrimp, peeled & deveined
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp honey (or sugar if you don't have honey)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 3/4 cup frozen peas

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat oil on medium high heat
2. Add curry powder; cook for about two minutes (at this point, your kitchen will smell AMAZING)
3. Stir in garlic; cook for about one minute
4. Mix in potatoes, then coconut milk, then milk; then shrimp, tomatoes, tomato past, honey and chili powder
5. Cover and simmer on medium low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally
6. Add frozen peas; cook for 2-3 more minutes
7. Serve over rice (I used basmati rice because it's my favorite)

I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and it's pretty easy, honestly. No photos, sorry. I ate it too fast. Don't judge me.

Recipe: Stuffing

I'd be lying if I said I didn't open a box of Stove Top every now and again. Ben loves box stuffing, and I do not have the time or the patience to make it homemade on a weeknight. But when it really counts, there's no comparison. The "real" stuff is where it's at.

Ingredients

• One loaf of White Bread, broken into small bite size pieces
• 4 stalks Celery, chopped
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of Garlic, minced
• 2 cups Chicken Broth
• 1/2 tsp Poultry Seasoning
• 1 tsp dried Parsley
• 1 tsp Thyme
• 1 tsp Sage
• 1 tsp Rosemary
• 4 Eggs, lightly beaten
• 7 tbsp Butter (stop judging me)
• 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

1. Spread the bread "cubes" onto two large cookie sheets, lined with foil
2. Melt 5 tbsp butter and pour over bread cubes
3. Bake bread at 350 until golden brown, tossing once halfway through (15-20 minutes)
4. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp butter in large skillet over medium-high heat
5. Add celery, onions, garlic and a pinch of salt; sautee until onions are translucent (5-10 minutes)
6. Mix veggies & cooked bread in a large bowl
7. Stir in seasoning, spices and broth
8. Mix in beaten eggs until all bread is well-coated
9. Transfer to a well-buttered 9x13 glass pan and top generously with pads of butter
10. Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 25 minutes
11. Uncover and bake an additional 10-15 minutes

Recipe: Sweet & Sour Chicken with Fried Rice

This one's a twofer! I really should type up one of these and save it for after the baby's born so y'all don't get bored without any posts from me, but this is too good not to share. Legitimately one of the best meals I've made in awhile, which is awesome because I've been less than thrilled with some of my dinners lately. Not my fault, of course, but the recipes' I've picked off Pinterest ;)

So I've been craving chinese food, but since all we did this weekend was eat out, I figured I could give it a shot in my own kitchen. Wouldn't you know it, Ben & I both loved it. The chicken is time-intensive (but not labor-intensive!) but worth it.

Sweet & Sour Chicken

Ingredients
Chicken

• 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup peanut oil

Sauce

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 tbsp ketchup
• 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp garlic salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. Lightly grease 9x13 glass pan
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat
4. Season chicken with salt & pepper
5. Coat chicken, first in cornstarch then egg mixture
6. Fry in oil until golden brown
   
7. Meanwhile, mix all sauce ingredients and whisk together well
   
8. Transfer chicken to glass pan
9. Cover evenly with sauce
   
10. Bake for 1 hour, flipping chicken every 15 minutes

Fried Rice

Ingredients

• 2 cups white rice (uncooked)
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 medium sweet onion, diced
• 2 tbsp peanut oil
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 2 eggs, beaten

Directions

1. Cook rice in microwave according to directions on box
2. Meanwhile, using the skillet from the sweet & sour chicken, heat oil over medium-high heat
3. Once heated, add sesame seeds to skillet
4. Add onion, garlic, corn and peas; heat until onions are slightly translucent
   
5. Reduce to medium heat
6. Push all vegetables to one side of skillet; heat eggs on other side of skillet, scrambling as they cook
   
7. Once eggs are cooked through, add rice and soy sauce
8. Reduce to low heat, stirring thoroughly until heated throughout
   

And yeah. It's good. Here's hoping the leftovers are just as delicious because it makes a huge portion!

Instagrammy goodness

Recipe: Penne Rosa with Shrimp

After several failed recipes recently, this one was a big win. Pretty easy, and makes a ton of food - so I froze the leftovers to have after baby comes and I don't feel like cooking! Trying to do more of that, and not doing the greatest job so far... You could easily halve the recipe if you're only cooking for two people / don't want leftovers.

Ingredients

• 1 box penne pasta (most likely 16 oz)
• 1 bag medium raw shrimp, thawed and peeled
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes (or more, if you like spicy! a little goes a long way)
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 bunch fresh spinach
• 1/3 cup tomato sauce
• 1/3 cup alfredo sauce
• Parmesan cheese to taste
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cook and drain the pasta according to the box
   
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-low heat
3. Add garlic and red pepper flakes to skillet; cook for about 2 minutes (until garlic begins to soften, but not brown!)
4. Add in tomatoes, salt and pepper; cook for about 5 minutes (until tomatoes release juices)
   
5. Turn up heat to medium-high and add shrimp; cook for 2 minutes (until shrimp are pink and opaque)
6. Remove from heat
7. Rip spinach leaves from stems and add to skillet; cover and let steam for 2 minutes (until spinach is wilted)
   
8. Place skillet back over low heat; add pasta, tomato sauce and alfredo sauce and stir until everything is coated and heated through
9. Serve and top with parmesan cheese

Recipe: Cucumber Tomato Salad

I've been craving things that are cold and refreshing lately. Pudding, frozen coffee drinks (decaf, of course... ok,  you got me, half-caf...), etc. Needless to say I've been dying to make this cucumber tomato salad since I saw it on Pinterest. So good, so healthy - it really hit the spot. I imagine I'll be making a lot of it this summer. Oh, who am I kidding - I'm not going to be making a lot of anything this summer. Other than breast milk (hopefully!). But you, dear friends, can make it for me and bring it over in exchange for some baby cuddles. You're welcome for that.

Oh, and the biggest shock? This is a Paula Deen recipe! A Paula Deen recipe with NO BUTTER! What is the world coming to?

Ingredients

• 2 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
  (you could do this little trick if you want to be fancy)
  
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
  
• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
  (Paula recommends Vidalia but I had a white onion in the fridge and it worked just fine)
• 1 tbsp (or more, to taste) dried parsley
  (Paula recommends 2 tbsp fresh parsley, but there are only certain herbs I'm willing to spend money on to keep fresh in the house, only to throw it away a week later because I didn't use it, and parsley is just not one of them)
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Mix everything (EVERYTHING) together in a large bowl
   Use a glass bowl if you have it, because this salad is pretty and colorful!
2. Let sit in the fridge for 10 minutes or more
   

Hooray! Bring it to your next cookout or pair it with some grilled chicken breasts for dinner. This serving size makes quite a bit for two people, so you can probably serve it for several meals (and, in my opinion, it's great as "leftovers")

Recipe: Cucumbers with Cream Cheese

Ah ha! A post where I DON'T talk about the baby. How does that make you feel, readers?

Well, I can hardly call this a recipe. Also, I forgot to take a picture, so I'm stealing the inspiration picture from Alisa Burke, by way of Pinterest.

Mine didn't exactly look like that, but they were adorably displayed on my favorite Crate & Barrel platter (a wedding gift from my friend Aubrey) and they were delicious ... even for Baby Bacon, who was not really tolerating veggies at the time. I made them for my Girly Christmas Party and they were a hit!

Ingredients

• 2 Cucumbers
• 1 8oz pkg of Neufchatel Cheese (low-fat cream cheese)
• Basil, Sage, Oregano, Chives - or any combination thereof!
• Dried Dill Weed

Directions

Optional: Peel cucumbers in an alternating pattern like the above - this basically just means you peel a strip all the way down, then leave equal amount of green, then peel another strip, and so on. It's so simple and makes it look pretty!

1. Slice cucumbers into thick slices
2. Heat cream cheese in microwave to soften
3. Mix in a variety of herbs to your liking
4. Scoop dollop of herbed cream cheese onto each cucumber slice
5. Top with one shake of dill weed

I should mention here that you can (should) refrigerate them right up until the point of serving. Nobody likes a room temperature cuke!

Great party appetizer - bite-size, finger foods, no mess and they're healthy!

Recipe: Skinny Taco Dip

Yup - Another Pinterest find. After YET ANOTHER weekend of traveling, I was needing some fresh veggies. This dip is a delicious combination of yummy, colorful, healthy vegetables and quasi comfort food. And it's not TOO bad for you ... unless, of course, you eat half the dish like I did. Thanks to SkinnyTaste.com for the inspiration on this one!

Also, I halved the recipe, but if you're serving more than 5-6 people, don't!

Ingredients

• 8 oz fat free sour cream
• 8 oz 1/3 fat cream cheese (Neufchatel cheese)
• 16 oz mild salsa
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 2 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 2 large tomatoes, diced
• 2 avocados, peeled & diced
• 1 cup skim cheddar cheese
• 2.5 oz sliced black olives

Directions

1. Mix sour cream, cream cheese, salsa & seasoning in a medium bowl with hand mixer
2. Spread on the bottom of a large glass dish - 8x12 or 9x13 should do the trick
3. Layer lettuce, then tomatoes, then avocados, then cheese, then olives
4. Serve with baked tortilla chips

Step 3

Step 1 - 2

Recipe: Summer Chicken Wraps

I was the hostess of our monthly girls' dinner last night, so I googled "pregnancy safe recipes" (for our darling Grace, who is currently 17 weeks along with her little Lenny) and found this gem. It is the perfect summer meal - not too heavy, and full of delicious fresh veggies. Plus, there are a ton of minor modifications that you can do to make this meal your very own. All of us LOVED it and I already can't wait to make it again. The fresh mint is key!!

Makes 4 servings; Total Time: 40 minutes

Per serving: 439 calories; 9 g fat ( 2 g sat , 4 g mono ); 89 mg cholesterol; 49 g carbohydrates; 40 g protein;5 g fiber; 1018 mg sodium; 783 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: 140% dv vitamin a, 31 mg vitamin c (50% dv), 179 mcg folate (45% dv), 4 mg iron (25% dv).

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/3 cup fish sauce (I recommend low-sodium soy sauce)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 8 6-inch flour tortillas (use whole wheat for a healthier option!)
• 4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
• 3 cups / 12 oz shredded cooked* chicken (mine was cubed into tiny pieces)
• 1 large tomato, cut in small bite-size pieces
• 1 cup grated carrots (2 medium carrots - I used my vegetable peeler)
• 2/3 cup chopped scallions (1 bunch - AKA Green onions)
• 1 onion, cut in small bite-size pieces
• 2/3 cup slivered fresh mint

*I marinated the chicken in a soy sauce / lemon juice marinade and cooked it with some minced garlic & crushed red pepper flakes


Preparation

• Whisk lemon juice, soy sauce, sugar, garlic and red pepper in small bowl until sugar is dissolved
• Preheat oven to 325
• Wrap tortillas in foil and heat in oven for 10-15 minutes; Keep warm
• Combine all veggies & chicken in a large bowl
• Add 1/3 cup dressing and toss to coat
• Serve the remaining dressing as dipping sauce, along with the chicken mixture & tortillas for guests to assemble at the table