Chicken Lentil Soup

 

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 3 leaves bay
• 8 cups low sodium or salt free chicken stock
• 1 cup of yellow lentils
• 1 1/2 cups diced carrots
• 1 1/2 cups diced celery
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper to season
• 3 cups leftover shredded chicken breast (or turkey breast)

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook for just a few minutes until the onions soften but do not brown.
2. Add all of the remaining ingredients at once, EXCEPT the chicken and simmer for about 30 minutes until the lentils have cooked and broken down and the carrots are fully cooked.
3. Add the chicken to the pot in the last five minutes or so of cooking time to thoroughly reheat it before serving.

Chicken Curry for 2

 

• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• ½ onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp plain flour
• 1-1.5 cups leftover roast chicken (diced into 1 cm cubes - 150g)
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock / broth (240ml)
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• salt and pepper

• Chop the onion and fry for a few minutes. Crush and add the garlic, and cook for about 2 minutes.
• Add the turmeric, curry powder, and flour along with the chicken, and then stir until the meat is well coated. Cook for a further two minutes or so, to cook out the taste of the flour and bring out the aroma of the spices.
• Add a little stock, and stir until you have a smooth paste. Add the rest of the stock slowly. Then add the tomato puree and stir again until well mixed.
• Turn the heat down low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve with flatbread or rice.

Hints and Tips

• To avoid lumps in the sauce, add a little of the stock to make a paste before you add the rest of the liquid. 
• Use up leftover gravy by adding it at the same time as the stock. Reduce the amount of stock in proportion
• You can vary the flavours by adding some chopped tomatoes with the stock. (Fresh and tinned both work well.)
• For a fruity curry, add a little mango chutney to taste and/or a scant handful of sultanas. 
• To make a richer sauce, add some cream or coconut cream.
• You could add some vegetables such as roast butternut squash. (This is another chance to use up any leftovers from the night before!) 
• Make your leftover chicken go further by adding some tinned chick peas or other beans.
• Slice some green and red peppers. Fry them and add just before the end of cooking.  

Gluten Free Version

To make this dish gluten free, omit the regular flour. Put a teaspoon of cornflour (cornstarch) into a small bowl. Stir in a tablespoon of the stock to make a smooth paste. Add this paste along with the rest of the stock.

Don’t worry about the appearance of the white milky cornflour paste it will go clear as it cooks.  You don’t need to add the stock slowly when using cornflour, but you do need to fry the spices as normal. Once the spices have cooked, simply make the paste then add it and the rest of the stock all at once

Biryani with Rotisserie Chicken

• 1 tablespoon olive oil (or rapeseed oil or coconut oil)
• 1 onion sliced
• 1 red pepper sliced
• 3 cloves garlic crushed or grated
• 1 teaspoon chilli flakes (or to taste)
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 3 teaspoons garam masala
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 400 g (2 cups) cooked shredded chicken
• 300 g (1 1/2 cups) basmati rice
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 400 ml (1 1/2 cups) coconut milk
• 200 ml (1 cup) water or chicken stock, if you prefer
• 100 g (3 1/2 oz) frozen peas
• 2 tablespoons fresh coriander/cilantro plus extra for garnish (optional)
• naan 

Instructions

• Put the tablespoon of olive oil and the onion and red pepper in a large frying pan or sauté pan (must have a lid), fry gently over a low heat with the lid on for 3 minutes or until softened but not browned.
• Add the garlic, chilli and spices and fry for 2 minutes.
• Add the shredded chicken, rice, salt and pepper. Stir to coat the chicken and rice in the spices, then add the coconut milk and water and bring to the boil.
• Put a lid on the frying pan and turn the heat right down, simmer for 8 minutes then add the frozen peas, stir once and replace the lid.
• Cook for a further 5 minutes or until the rice is done to your liking. If it starts sticking before the rice is cooked, add an extra splash of water.
• Finally stir in the 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh coriander (cilantro).
• Sprinkle extra coriander on top and serve with naan.

Deli Sandwich

2 Slices of Bread

Mayo

Grey Poupon

1 Slice Pepper Jack Cheese

1 Slice Pastrami

2 Slices Genoa Salami

Optional toppings:

Grated Parmesan

Lettuce

Tomato

Bell Pepper

Onion

Pickles

Lay your bread open face next to each other.  Spread on slice with Mayo and the other slice with Grey Poupon.

On the side with Mayo lay your Pepper Jack cheese slice.  Add Pastrami slice on top of your cheese.  

On the side with the Grey Poupon, if desired, sprinkle some grated parmesan then lay the Genoa Salami slices to cover the whole slice of bread. (this order is if you want your meat on top when toasted.   Otherwise if you want your cheese on top and melted just reverse the order.)

Toast your sandwich open faced in the toaster oven.  We use it on level 4 slices of bread on 4 doneness. Remove when timer goes off to a plate.

When cooled slightly, either close your sandwich together or add additional toppings,  if you have them on hand, to one side and then lay the other side on top. 

Note:  When I go to the Deli counter I normally order:

1 lb. Pastrami, thinly sliced

1/2 lb. Genoa Salami

1/2 lb. Pepper Jack Cheese  

Avocado Toast

1 Slice of Bread 

1/2 Avocado

Adobo Seasoning

Lemon Juice

Toast bread to desired toastedness.  

Cut an avocado in half.  Using the side without the pit, mash avocado in the skin, using the skin as your bowl.  

Sprinkle a few shakes of adobo seasoning on mashed avocado and pour a little bit of lemon juice on top.  Mash some more to blend.

Spread avocado mash on top of toast.  Enjoy!

Homemade Pizza

 1 Homemade Pizza Dough halves

Corn Meal
1-2 Tablespoons Butter, melted
Garlic Salt
Basil
Oregano
Shredded Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup Barilla Tomato and Basil
2 cups Mozzarella
25 Pepperoni

Work with one Homemade Pizza Dough half at a time.  If working from fresh work after the hour rising time and you will need to divide the dough in half.  If working from being refrigerated let warm up on counter for 30 minutes.  If working from frozen let warm up on counter for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 450. (I use my toaster oven. If using a regular oven you might want to bake at 550.)

With one half of the dough, work the dough till you have a round crust, it is ok to use a rolling pin. I have a cutting mat that has a 12 inch circle. I try to make my crust larger than the 12 inch circle, between 13-14 inches. 

Dust a baking sheet with corn meal. Place the crust on top of corn meal. I use a 12 inch pizza pan. The crust will hang off the edge. Roll the crust edge in till it fits in the pan. Brush whole pizza including the edge with melted butter. Sprinkle some garlic salt, Basil, Oregano, and parmesan cheese on the rolled edge of the pizza. 

Poke holes with a fork all over surface. Par-bake for 3 minutes.

Top as desired, I like to use Barilla, Mozzarella, and Pepperoni, and bake for another 8 minutes.

Turn oven to Broil and bake for 2 minutes.

Notes:
- Before putting dough in the freezer, be sure to transfer the fresh dough to an air tight container . The dough will stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months

- To thaw frozen dough quickly: leave dough out
on the counter for at least 2 hours. This will allow the dough to thaw all the way through and come to room temp.

S'mores

 4 Sheets Graham Crackers

1 Bar Hershey's Chocolate Bar

4 Marshmallows

Flame Directions:

On a serving tray prepare graham cracker sandwiches by breaking the graham cracker sheets in half.  Stack the sheets 2 thick around the tray.

Break the Hershey bars into rows, there should be 4 rows of 3 rectangle chocolates.  Place one row of 3 on top of each graham cracker stack.  

Place a marshmallow on a stick and heat over a flame till desired doneness.

Have someone help you make your sandwich by taking the bottom graham cracker in the stack and sandwiching the marshmallow on the stick with the graham cracker that has the chocolate.

You can eat right away or wait a little while for the chocolate to melt and become softer.  

Oven Directions:

Turn the oven to broil.

Break sheets of graham crackers in half.  

Place as many half sheets of graham crackers down on an oven safe baking sheet as sandwiches you want.  Place a row of chocolate on top of the graham cracker half sheet.  Place a Marshmallow on top of the chocolate.  

Play baking sheet under broiler and cook for about 1 minute.  You might want to bake one to see how long it will take so as not to ruin the whole batch.  It could take up to 3 minutes.  The closer it tray is the the broiler the faster it will cook.

When marshmallows are to desired doneness take out of the oven and top with half a sheet of graham cracker to complete the sandwich.  You can press down slightly to smash the chocolate and marshmallow together.

Party S'mores Directions:

Make a party out of plain s'mores by jazzing up your topping selection.  

 

Chocolates

• Hershey's Bars
• Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
• Andy's Mints 
• Ghirardelli Chocolate Squares, variety of flavors

Toppings

• Lime Curd
• Lemon Curd
• Nutella
• Peanut Butter
• Jelly, variety of flavors
• Strawberry Slices
• Banana Slices
• Bacon
• Cinnamon & Sugar (Mix 2T Sugar with 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon)

Avocado Toast

2 slices Bread
1 Avocado

~1 teaspoon Adobo Seasoning

~1 teaspoon Lemon Juice

Toast your bread till desired toastiness.

In a small bowl smash avocados.  Sprinkle with Adobo Seasoning and Lemon Juice.   Combine.

Spread avocado mixture over the toast.  1/2 Avocado for 1 slice of bread.  

Note: you can also use left over Guacamole

Also if you don't have adobo seasoning then sprinkle some garlic salt and garlic powder instead.

Deli Sandwich

12 hoagie rolls

1/2 cup Dijon Mustard
1/2 cup Mayo

1/4 lb Pepper Jack Cheese

1 lb. Pastrami, thinly sliced
1/2 lb Genoa Salami
Salt, Pepper, and Oregano to taste

Slice hoagies down the center lengthwise to butterfly the bread.  

Spread about 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard on one side of the butterflied hoagies.  Spread about 1 Tablespoon Mayo on the otherside of the butterflied hoagies

On the side with the Dijon Mustard lay the cheese.  I like to fold it in half and tear it apart to lay down the length of the hoagie.

Lay 1 slice of Pastrami, 2 if they are really thin, on top of the cheese.

Place 2 slices of the Salami on top of the pastrami.  I like to gold the salami in half so it fits nicer.  

Sprinkle some Salt, Pepper, and Oregano to taste on the Mayo side of the hoagie.

You can eat it cold or heat it up in the toaster oven.  We like to set it on 4 darkness with 4 pieces of bread, or about 5 minutes.

Duck Stroganoff - Slow Cooked

2 lbs Duck breast, cubed
2 cans Golden Mushroom Soup
1 Onion, chopped
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup Beef Broth

1 package Lipton Onion Soup Mix

3 cloves Garlic, minced

1 lb Wide Egg Noodles
2 oz Cream Cheese, softened 

1/3 cup Sour Cream

In a slow cooker, combine the meat, soup, onion, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, onion soup mix, and garlic.

Cook on High for 1 hour, and on low for 3 hours. 

Make Egg Noodles according to package directions.

Stir in cream cheese and sour cream to the meat mixture just before serving.

Serve over Egg Noodles.

Lemon Bars

 Crust

2 cups Flour

1 cup Butter, softened

1/2 cup Powdered Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Salt

Filling

1 1/2 cups Sugar

5 Tablespoons Flour

4 Eggs

3 Lemons, juiced (~3/4 cup)

    Zest the 3 lemons, 1 for the crust and 2 for the filling

1 Tablespoon Powdered Sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

Spray a 13x9 pan with Pam and line with parchment paper, making sure the paper goes up the sides of the pan.

In a stand mixer blend the crust ingredients along with zest from 1 lemon.

Press the crust into the pan.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Turn oven off.  Let cool completely, about 45 minutes.  

While crust is cooking combine the sugar and flour in the same stand mixer, I just stir it with a rubber scrapper.  Add the eggs, lemon juice and zest from 2 lemons.  Mix till thoroughly combined.  

After the crust has cooled for 45 minutes, turn oven back on to 350.

When oven has come to temperature, mix lemon filling one more time in the stand mixer.  Pour filling over cooled crust.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until filling is set; when it doesn't jiggle when pan is gently shaken.  

Cool on counter, then refrigerate for 4 hours.

Remove from pan by lifting the parchment paper.  Lay on counter and cut into bars.  Dust with Powdered Sugar using a wire mesh strainer.   Lift bars back into pan to keep them secure.  Keep in fridge till ready to eat.

Tuna Salad Sandwich

1 can Tuna, drained and flaked

2 Tablespoons Dill Relish

2-3 Tablespoons Mayo

4 slices Bread

Mix tuna, relish, and mayo in a bowl.  

Spoon onto two slices of bread.

Top each with another slice of bread. 

Lunch

Total	servings	$/serving	Lunch
$0.57	2	$0.57	Avocado toast
$2.77	4	$0.69	Beijjing Style Tomato and Egg Stir Fry
$7.03	6	$1.17	Buffalo Chicken Dip
$4.62	6	$0.77	Chicken and Noodles
$2.06	1	$2.06	Cobb Salad
$21.20	12	$1.77	Deli Sandwich
$0.74	6	$0.12	Egg Salad Sandwiches
$6.10	8	$0.76	eggs, bacon, toast
$4.26	3	$1.42	English Muffin Pizzas
$4.57	6	$0.76	Grilled Cheese and Pepperoni Sandwich
$2.06	2	$1.03	Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwich
$4.29	4	$0.54	Homemade Mac and Cheese
$1.61	3	$0.54	Homemade Pizza
$12.97	8	$1.62	Hot Dogs
$1.22	1	$1.22	noodle bowl, teriyaki
$0.66	1	$0.66	Omelette
$12.42	10	$1.24	PB&J
$4.34	12	$0.36	Pepperoni Rolls
$0.92	1	$0.92	Quesadillas
$5.05	3	$1.68	Rotel Shells and Cheese
$1.01	3	$0.34	Soft Boiled Eggs
$1.54	1	$1.54	Texas Toast Pizza
$5.50	6	$0.92	Tomato Spinach Feta Quiche
$5.32	4	$1.33	Tuna Mac and Cheese
$2.47	1	$2.47	Tuna Salad Sandwiches
$5.43	4	$1.36	Western Potato Rounds
			Left Overs
$10.31	10	$1.03	Cheese Rollies
$8.29	30	$0.38	Cereal
$3.23	4	$0.81	Oatmeal
$10.49	6	$1.75	Pot Stickers - frozen
$15.98	12	$1.33	Chimichangas - frozen
$13.99	30	$0.47	Corn Dogs - frozen
$11.98	20	$0.60	Taquitos - frozen