Cheesy Zucchini Rice

I've found a few new ways to use up my garden zucchini and this is one of them. You just stir in a little cheese and shredded zucchini into your rice and you've got Cheesy Zucchini Rice! The original recipe has you making it on the stove top, but I did it in my rice cooker and it worked just fine.

Cheesy Zucchini Rice
therecipecritic.com
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup long-grain white rice
2 TBSPs butter
2 medium zucchini, grated (about 2 cups)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
Salt and pepper, to taste

Stove Top Method
In a medium saucepan, add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the rice, cover and reduce heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and add the butter, zucchini, and cheese. Stir and let stand for about 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

 OR

Rice Cooker Method
Cook the rice with the chicken broth in your rice cooker. When it is finished, add in the butter, zucchini, and cheese. Stir to mix everything in. Put the lid back on and keep it on warm for 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Zucchini Cake

It's just the beginning of May and our garden is busting out the zucchinis! We planted yellow squash this year too and since you don't do much baking with those, we are eating them as a veggie and I'm trying to make desserts with the zucchini. This zucchini cake was fabulous! I can't wait to make it again...which I'm sure will be soon since I have a huge zucchini sitting on my counter right now. And yes, since this has a vegetable in it, it's in my healthy category. :)

Zucchini Cake

adapted from spendwithpennies.com

Cake
1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 tsps vanilla extract

1 egg

2 cups flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsps baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups grated zucchini, undrained

Frosting

1/3 cup milk

1/3 cup butter

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9×13 pan.
2. Combine oil, sugar, egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and stir well. (It will appear quite dry).
3. Gently stir in the zucchini and spread the mixture into your prepared pan.
4. Bake 25-30 minutes.
5. While cake is cooling, combine butter, milk and sugar in a small pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Allow to boil vigorously for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips. Immediately pour over warm cake. Let cool completely before cutting.

Broccoli, Cheddar and Wild Rice Casserole

Here's another healthy dish we had last week. I served it with baked chicken that you can find here. Of course it would have been healthier without the cheese, but then there would be no convincing my kids to eat it. Three out of four ate it without complaining, which is pretty good for broccoli. I loved the option of cooking the rice in my rice cooker, which I did, and it saved me some time. 

Broccoli, Cheddar and Wild Rice Casserole
adapted from smittenkitchen.com
3 TBSPs butter
1/2 large onion, diced
Salt
2/3 cup uncooked wild rice blend, rinsed
1 pound broccoli
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp ground mustard powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 TBSPs all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
2/3 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat 1 TBSP butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add rice to onion and cook for 1 minute, then add 1 1/3 cups water and a few pinches of salt. Bring mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to lowest temperature and cook with the lid on for about 50 minutes (or whatever amount of time is suggested on your package of rice). If you’d like a rice cooker to do this for you, transfer onions, water and rice to the machine and set the machine.
2. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Peel broccoli stems and dice them into large chunks. Cut florets into 1-inch pieces. Cook in boiling, well-salted water for 2 to 3 minutes, then drain; set aside.
3. You can use this same pan (after dumping out the broccoli water) to make the cheese sauce. Melt remaining 2 TBSPs butter in pan over medium heat. Once melted, add the mustard powder, a pinch of cayenne and garlic and let sizzle for 1 minute. Add flour and whisk until combined, cooking the butter-flour mixture for 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly drizzle in milk, whisking constantly, then broth. Bring to a simmer and cook mixture at a simmer, stirring the whole time, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in 1/2 of grated cheese until melted. Season generously with salt and pepper.
4. Combine cooked wild rice blend and broccoli in a broiler safe 2-quart baking dish. Pour cheese sauce over the rice and broccoli mixture, making sure it's spread evenly. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top. Bake casserole for 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly, then place under the broiler until cheese is toasty on top.

Serves 4-5 as a generous side

Chicken Fajita Stuffed Peppers

This week I jumped right in to exercising and eating healthy so that I could get rid of some of that baggage that comes along with fudge, cookies, hot cocoa, scones, ice cream cake, and everything else that is good. This was one of the new recipes I tried and I LOVED it! The only change I made from the original was adding a little extra cheese. :) BUT if you are a real stickler you can even leave the cheese off and it'll still be great. If you're a fan of quinoa, you can use it as a substitute for the brown rice. I had a little bit of leftover filling that didn't fit in the peppers and 2 of my kids ate it in tortillas. So if you're making this hoping your kids will eat it too, tortillas might be a good option.

Chicken Fajita Stuffed Peppers
adapted from cookingclassy.com
3/4 cup dry brown rice (2 cups cooked)
5 medium red, yellow, orange or green bell peppers
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBSPs canola oil, divided
1 lb chicken, diced into 3/4-inch pieces
1 tsp chili powder, divided
1 tsp ground cumin, divided
1/4 tsp paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (10 oz) can tomatoes with green chiles
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
3 TBSPs fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
1 TBSP fresh lime juice
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
Sour cream, optional
Mexican Style Hot Sauce. optional

1. Prepare brown rice according to directions listed on package.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut peppers in half lengthwise (through stem), seed and de-vein, then boil 4 - 5 minutes (fully immersing them in the water), just until tender. Drain well and place in baking pans, set aside.
3. Heat 1 TBSP oil in a large and deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until golden about 5 minutes, then add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer, transfer onion mixture to a plate; set aside.
4. Using the same skillet, heat remaining 1 TBSP oil, add chicken, and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, the paprika and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to medium-low, add cooked brown rice, onion mixture, tomatoes, black beans, corn, remaining 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, cilantro, lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook just until heated through.
6. Fill each pepper half with a heaping 1/2 cup of the mixture, pressing slightly to fit. Pour enough water into bottom of baking dishes to reach 1/8-inch in height (careful not to pour it in peppers).
7. Cover baking dishes with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes, until peppers are soft. Remove from oven, sprinkle tops evenly with cheese then return to oven to bake until cheese has melted, about 3 minutes longer.

Serve warm topped with more cilantro, sour cream and hot sauce if desired.

Sweet Potato Minestrone Soup

I LOVE the sweet potato in this soup! It adds to the heartiness and helps make this super filling. I had some at a friend's house, then made it at home and decided to add the pasta and zucchini. My whole family ate it up...but someone might have picked out the tomatoes. It's hard to please everyone. :)

Sweet Potato Minestrone Soup

1 lb. ground sweet or spicy Italian Sausage (Italian turkey sausage works well too)

1 cup onion, diced

1 cup carrots, diced

3/4 cup celery, chopped

2 cups sweet potato, peeled and diced (about 1 medium sized potato)

2 (14.5 oz) cans Italian seasoned diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (15 oz) can great northern beans, rinsed and drained

3 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

1 cup ditalini pasta (or any small shape)

1 cup zucchini, chopped

Parmesan cheese, shredded for garnish

1. Combine sausage, onion, carrots, and celery in skillet over med-high heat, and cook until meat is done.

2. Add sausage mixture, sweet potato, diced tomatoes, beans, chicken broth, and water to slow cooker. Stir to combine.

3. Cook on high for 4 hours.

4. During last 30 minutes, cook pasta according to package directions, drain, and add to slow cooker, along with zucchini.

5. Cook on high for 30 more minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender.

6. Serve hot with grated Parmesan on top.

Skillet Sweet Potatoes

I like having these skillet sweet potatoes as an alternate side sometimes, instead of boring old french fries. You can make them spicy with cayenne pepper, or try them with a little cinnamon. They are also great for breakfast.

Skillet Sweet Potatoes

2 sweet potatoes
1 TBSP oil
1 tsp salt
2 tsps dried parsley
Cayenne pepper OR ground cinnamon to taste

1. Peel and cube sweet potatoes into about 1/2 inch pieces.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the potatoes.
3. Stir the potatoes to coat with oil. Add the salt, parsley, and cayenne OR cinnamon. Mix well.
4. Cook the potatoes, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes until crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Serve hot. Top with more salt if desired.

Serves 4

Chicken Fajitas

Another new main dish recipe! I'm sure fajitas aren't new to you, but maybe this marinade is. Loved it and will definitely use this recipe again. 

Chicken Fajitas

adapted from tasteofhome.com

4 TBSPs canola oil, divided

2 TBSPs lime juice
1 1/2 tsps seasoned salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, pounded to 1/4 inch thick
1 medium sweet red pepper, julienned
1 medium green pepper, julienned
1 small onion, sliced
Tortillas, shredded cheese, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and other desired toppings.

1. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine 2 TBSPs oil, lime juice and seasonings; add the chicken. Seal and turn to coat; refrigerate for 1-4 hours (the longer the better).
2. In a large skillet, saute peppers and onions in remaining oil until crisp-tender. Remove and keep warm.
3. Discard marinade. In the same skillet, cook chicken over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes on each side or until no longer pink. Remove from pan and slice.
4. Return pepper mixture and chicken to pan; heat through.
5. Spoon filling down the center of tortillas; fold in half. Serve with desired toppings.
Makes 8 servings.

Finished Product

Chicken Barley Soup

I've already made a couple of new things this year that I'm exited to post. First is this soup. I had never cooked with barley before making this. It's just something that is not in my normal diet, but I do like the taste. I decided to try this recipe because it's easy and pretty much chicken noodle soup, but with barley instead of noodles. It's very versatile too because you can add whatever veggies you want. I used frozen corn, carrots, and peas. Rotisserie chicken would give the soup the most flavor, but I just used some cubed leftover chicken and a little shredded chicken from my freezer. I ate some of this the next day for lunch, and it needed a little extra liquid so added some water. I'm glad to have a new and healthy soup in my collection. :)

Chicken Barley Soup
adapted from grit.com
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
2 cans (14 1/2oz each) chicken broth
1 cup water
3/4 cup quick cooking barley
2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 cups frozen vegetables
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley, optional

In large pot, combine chicken, onion, celery, broth, water, barley and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add vegetables and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired. Yields 4-6 servings.

Perfect Chicken

This is one of those recipes I pinned and have been wanting to make. It's pretty darn good! I doubled the original recipe because I have 6 people in my family, so 2-4 chicken breasts wasn't going to cut it. If your chicken breasts are on the large size, you can cut them in half. You might even want to pound them a little with a tenderizer to make them even in thickness. I usually use frozen breasts, which is what I did in these pics. I just thawed them in the microwave and then followed the directions. Also, I don't have a dutch oven, so I just cooked them in a frying pan and transferred them to a baking dish. The whole reason I made this chicken in the first place was to try this recipe here. We liked it so much I wanted to try the chicken on it's own, and it really is good. In this pic I also make my homemade rice-a-roni. I cooked the rice in the pan I browned the chicken in, which added more flavor to the rice.

Perfect Chicken
adapted from therecipecrayonbox.blogspot.com
4-8 boneless chicken breasts
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
2-3 TBSPs olive oil (I used canola)

1. Mix salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika in a small bowl. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with the seasoning, rubbing in to coat.
 2. Pour oil in the bottom of a Dutch oven, and heat to med-high. When nice and hot, add chicken to the pan (in batches if necessary). Cook 2-3 min per side. If any chicken has been removed, add it back to the Dutch oven. Place uncovered Dutch oven in a 350 degree F oven for 25 minutes or until juices run clear. Let sit on a plate 5-10 minutes before cutting, shredding, or eating.

BBQ Chicken Salad

We experienced a little of a heat wave last week, and I learned that I'm going to need more no-oven dinner ideas. We do not have an air conditioner in the house we are renting, and when it's in the 90s outside, it gets uncomfortably hot inside. I had some leftover BBQ chicken from this recipe here and instead of having hot BBQ sandwiches again, I made a salad. I just chopped up some things and let my kids build their own salads. It turned out really tasty, and was a good alternative for a hot day.

BBQ Chicken Salad

Slow cooker BBQ chicken

Rinsed and torn lettuce (I used red leaf and spinach)

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

Frozen corn, thawed

Diced tomato

Chopped cucumber

Shredded cheddar cheese

Crushed tortilla chips

Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing

Combine salad ingredients. Drizzle on desired amount of dressing and toss to coat.

My leftover chicken

Some of the salad ingredients