Dip Sauce Soup

My friend Rachel passed on this recipe and I tried it out last night...and.it.is.sooooo.good!!! Rebecca and Benjamin loved it. I gave Rebecca some soup and while I was getting some for Benjamin and me she proceeded to put some sour cream and cheese in her soup. When I sat down she showed me what I was supposed to do and even helped me with the cheese. She then proceeded to "dip" her tortilla chip in the soup and eat it like a dip. She said "mmmmm good dip mom" and named in dip sauce soup.

On to the recipe. Rachel told me how I can make this soup in the crockpot instead of on the stove top. Following is the stove top directions and then after I will tell you how I did it in the crockpot.

Enchilada Soup

saute:
1/2 c. chopped onions
1/4 c. chopped green peppers
1 clove minced garlic

add:
1 can of chicken broth
1 can of beef broth
1 quart tomatoes
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
Bring to a boil and simmer 30 minutes.

add:
3 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
1 can of corn (drained)
1 can of black beans (rinsed)
1 small can of mild enchilada sauce

Bring to a boil and serve. Top with sour cream, shredded cheese, crushed tostito chips, and chopped avocado.

The crockpot way is very easy. In the crockpot put in 3 frozen chicken breast. Add the rest of the ingredients. Put the lid on. Turn on low. Six hours later, in the crockpot, shred the chicken with 2 forks and put the lid back on. Now the soup is ready for whenever you are ready to eat.

I hope you enjoy this soup. It is supposed to snow Tuesday and Wednesday so this is a good soup to have around for leftovers.

Happy New Year

Happy Chinese New Year. The year of the ox. Enjoy some Chinese food today.

General Tsao's Chicken
3/4 cup canned chicken broth, reduced-sodium
2 T cornstarch
2 T sugar
2 T low-sodium soy sauce
1 T white wine vinegar
1/2 t ground ginger
2 t peanut oil
2 medium scallion(s), chopped
2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
1/2 t red pepper flakes, or 1 dried chili pepper, minced
1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 cup cooked white rice, kept hot

In a medium bowl, whisk together broth, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and ginger; set aside
Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallions, garlic and pepper and cook 2 minutes. Add chicken and cook until browned all over, about 5 minutes
Add reserved sauce and simmer until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes.
Serve chicken and sauce over rice. Yields about 1 cup of chicken and sauce and 1/2 cup of rice per serving. 2 servings.

Enjoy

Creamy Italian Chicken

I got this recipe from a girl who used to sit next to me during spinning class. It is really simple. I was telling my sister about it this summer and she had the same recipe but she does it in the crockpot. Here is both ways. Makes great left overs.

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 envelope dry Italian salad dressing mix
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese (I use the 1/3 less fat cream cheese)
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) cream of chicken soup, condensed (I use the Healthy Request condensed soup)
1 can (4 ounces) mushroom stems and pieces, drained and optional

Place chicken in 8 x 14 baking dish or crockpot. Combine together salad dressing, cream cheese, soup and optional mushrooms; pour over chicken. The sauce may look very lumping and you are thinking this will not turn out very good but it will. Cover dish with aluminum foil or place lid on corckpot. Cook at 350 for 45-60 minutes or on high for 4-5 hours, do not cook longer.

Enjoy over rice, noodles or potatoes.

Creamy Black Bean Salsa Chicken

2 to 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup salsa
1 can (15 ounces) corn, drained
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained
1 package taco seasoning*
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup grated cheese

Place chicken in greased slow cooker. Pour broth, salsa, corn, beans and taco seasoning over chicken. Cover and cook on low heat 6-8 hours or on high heat 3-4 hours. Remove chicken with slotted spoon and place on serving dish. Stir sour cream and cheese into sauce in slow cooker, then pour over chicken. Makes 3-5 servings.

I served this with green beans (from our garden yum), spanish rice and toasted tortillas with melted cheese on top.

*I forgot to buy and thought I had some taco seasoning but I didn't. I made my own by combining chili powder, garlic salt, cumin and ground coriander seed.