{Crockpot} butternut squash, chicken, and quinoa soup

I made this soup in a crockpot while mom was in Florida a couple of weeks ago. Dad and I really liked it! It makes A TON.  The link is below :)

http://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/crockpot-butternut-squash-chicken-and-quinoa-soup/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+ChelseasMessyApron+(Chelsea%27s+Messy+Apron)&safe=on

A personal note I would add is, although it says to use 4 cans of chicken broth, I only ended using around 2 or 2 1/2, simply because I couldn't fit everything in the crockpot I used. I was able to add a little broth periodically. The broth I was able to use sufficed!

Green Chili Turkey Burgers

2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chilies
1 lb. ground turkey
1 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. sea salt

Mix all ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl. Form into burgers and grill.These are excellent with mustard, slices of avocado, wrapped in romaine lettuce.

Roaster Garlic-Parmesan Veggies

Ok fam. This dish is DELICIOUS and mom and dad and I have tried it several times. The prep is quick and simple and it's completely healthy! Especially if you exclude the cheese. It tastes just as good without it. 

Ingredients

• 2 small zucchini (1 lb), cut into 1/2-inch thick slices

• 2 small yellow squash (1 lb), cut into 1/2-inch thick slices

• 14 oz Flavorino or small Campari tomatoes, sliced into halves

• 3 Tbsp olive oil

• 4 cloves garlic, minced (1 1/2 Tbsp)

• 1 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 cup (2.4 oz) finely shredded Parmesan cheese

• Fresh or dried parsley, for garnish (optional)
• 
  
• Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line an 18 by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil.

• In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, garlic and Italian seasoning (if possible let rest 5 - 10 minutes to allow flavors to infuse into oil). Place zucchini, squash and tomatoes in a large mixing bowl. Pour olive oil mixture over top and gently toss with hands to evenly coat. Pour onto prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle Parmesan over the top of each. Roast in preheated oven 25 - 30 minutes until veggies are tender and Parmesan is golden brown. Garnish with parsley if desired and serve warm. Makes about 5-6 servings.

• Recipe source: Cooking Classy

Roasted Vegetable Stacked Enchiladas

I love this meal because it's less fussy than traditional enchiladas and is packed with vegetables and beans. You could easily swap out the black beans for pinto or some sort of white bean and I just use whichever type of cheese I have on hand (monterey jack, colby jack, cheddar, etc). I like to serve these with avocado, a bit of sour cream and a big bowl of fruit. 

INGREDIENTS:
1 large red pepper, chopped, seeds removed
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 medium yellow squash, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped (I've used white, yellow and red onions here. All are good.) 
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño, minced, membranes and seeds removed
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (we omit this because Skyler hates cilantro)
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups red enchilada sauce
9-10 small corn tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place red pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, and onion on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss until vegetables are coated. Season with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables for 30-40 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove vegetables from oven and let cool to room temperature (I'll often roast the veggies earlier in the day). Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. 

2. Grease an 8x8 square baking pan and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine roasted vegetables, black beans, cumin, chili powder, garlic, jalapeño, and cilantro. Stir and season with salt and pepper. 

3. Spread 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce into the bottom of the baking pan. Add a layer of tortillas, to completely cover the bottom of the pan. You might have to cut the tortillas to make them fit. Top with 1/3 of the vegetable/bean mixture and 1/3 of the cheese. Make a second layer of tortilla, enchilada sauce, vegetables/beans, and cheese. Top with with a layer of tortillas, enchilada sauce, vegetables/beans, and cheese. Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray and cover the pan. 

4. Bake enchiladas for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and the enchiladas are bubbling. Remove enchiladas from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.

Recipe source: Slightly adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

100% Whole Wheat Bread

This is the bread we eat around our house. No bread-buying for us. The recipe produces two loaves.

2 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 Tbsp. yeast
1/8 cup gluten (I just take my 1/4 cup and fill it up half way)
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup honey
1 Tbsp. salt
6-8 cups wheat flour

Mix the water and the yeast first and let the yeast get bubbly (~5 min.). Then add gluten, oil, honey and salt. Gradually begin adding the flour. This is going to be trial and error. You want it so it is not too sticky to handle and you also want it so that when you push in on it with your finger, it is still moist (moist, moist, moist, moist) enough to spring back out at you. Knead for 5 minutes. Shape into two loaves and put in pans sprayed with non-stick spray. Let rise for 50 minutes. Cook at 350 degrees for 27-30 minutes.

**You may have to try this a couple of times before you get it right. If you want, we can Facetime and do it together. The recipe says 27-30 minutes, and in Utah, that was about right. But here in Arizona, I cook it for 20 minutes and it is perfect. Also, the amount of flour can vary as well. The first time I made this recipe I used store-bought wheat flour and I used a little less than 6 cups. However, I now grind my own flour every week and I use just over 7 cups. Be patient. It will be worth it.**

Fried (and ultimately, Fire) Rice

Fried Rice is super easy it turns out. Just make some regular white rice. Scramble an egg (or however many you want. I only make single servings so I use one), put it in a bowl. In the frying pan you just used, pour a little oil and dump the rice in. Splash a little soy sauce (or oyster sauce, but I don't have that lying around), stir for a moment and make sure all the rice turns a light brown. Add the egg you just scrambled and some cut up green onion and stir for another minute. Take off the heat and enjoy*.

Or, if you're Whitney or myself, drown it in Sriracha sauce and enjoy our self-proclaimed Fire Rice.

Balsamic Chicken Noodles

I put off making this for a loooong time, and I'm kicking myself for it now. I thought this was super delicious (and I even left out the cheese!). It also helped that it was super fast (done in 20 minutes) and very filling.

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound linguine
1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
4 tablespoons good-quality balsamic vinegar
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil (can substitute 1/2 cup fresh basil)
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (if you don't have precooked, you can cook your chicken at the same time as the bell pepper)
1 1/2 cups shredded or cubed mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (even if I did use cheese, I don't like feta so I would've left this out and upped the mozzarella)

DIRECTIONS:
Heat a large pot of water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook until just tender according to package directions. Drain.

In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, garlic, basil, salt and pepper. When combined, slowly whisk in the 1/3 cup olive oil until the dressing is completely combined.

While the pasta is boiling, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat and add the bell pepper. Cook briefly until crisp-tender. Add the cooked chicken and cook for 1-2 more minutes, until the chicken is heated through.

When the noodles have been drained, add the hot noodles to the skillet with the red pepper and chicken and toss. Add the shredded or cubed mozzarella and the feta and toss quickly to combine before the cheese melts. Pour the dressing over the top and toss with tongs to coat all the ingredients with the dressing. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 6-8.

Recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe