Cashew Chicken

My cousin, Kaycee, sent me this recipe a while ago (she said it originally came from Southern Living).  It took me FOREVER, it seemed, to get around to making it and then it's taken me almost as long to post about it.  Mainly because our trip got in the way.  This is super easy and super delicious and will now be in our rotation of go-to meals.  The only draw back is that the chicken has to be marinated beforehand (which means my chicken also needs to be defrosted!!).  I am not sure I can expect myself to ever remember something like that.  But special circumstances arise and challenge us to change who we are.  To become better.  Maybe I can change myself for this dish.  I am counting on it.

Cheesy Spanish Rice and Chicken

I had a hankering for Spanish Rice the other day.  Put that together with the fact that I've felt like I've been running for my life lately but not knowing where I'm going and this is what you get.  I looked up a recipe for Spanish Rice and started planning my meal.  The thought of cleaning more than one pan seemed like just too much for the day and I decided to combine the meal into one pot.  Have I mentioned I hate dishes?

Chicken with Broccoli and Rice

{photos updated 8/22/2013}

 I didn't intend to put this on the blog.  It's one of those recipes for a day when I don't feel like cooking.  Do you ever have those days?  Where you're inches from saying let's go get pizza or Chick-Fil-A?  (I love that place, judge if you must!)  And if I don't think of anything easy to make I might give into the craving.    I usually don't feel like doing a huge pile of dishes on those days either.  Not that I want to do dishes any other day.  But you get it, right?  I was having one of those days and threw this together.  It's so easy, few ingredients and only uses one pot.  Yay for not having tons of dishes!!!

California Rolls

I have been wanting to make these for a while now, but just got around to it.  I like buying them at the grocery store sometimes and wanted to see if I could duplicate them at home.  The only problem with this is not everyone in my family was excited about them.  I feel like every once in a while I need to make something I want and not worry about the masses though, ya know?  

Fried Rice

I love Chinese food.  Well, probably not real Chinese food, more like the fake-American-kind-of-Chinese food.  I bought a Chinese cookbook once and was a bit disappointed.  Um where were the recipes for all my favorite dishes?  The book was filled with more authentic recipes that called for things I had never heard of and had no idea how to get.  This recipe is really easy with simple to find ingredients and it's the best fried rice I have been able to make at home.

Chicken Broccoli Soup

I love fall.  One of the many reasons is: soup!  Something about soup and fresh bread just gets me.  

This is an easy but tasty soup recipe.

Chicken Broccoli Soup
Ingredients:
1 T oil
1 med onion, chopped
4 cups water (or substitute water and bullion for 4 cups chicken broth)
6 chicken bullion cubes (1 tsp size)
1 cup milk
10 oz  fresh broccoli, steamed and chopped or frozen chopped broccoli
4 chicken tenders (also great with leftover turkey, just chop and add with milk)
1/2 cup rice (optional, if you leave it out, you might want to thicken the soup with shredded cheese)
4 oz cream cheese, cut into cubes
shredded cheese for garnish

Directions:
Heat oil in pan until it starts to smoke, add onion and cook until tender.  Add water, bullion, broccoli, rice, and chicken (I just throw the whole tenders in there frozen).  Cover and cook over med heat until chicken is done.  (about 10-15 minutes)   Remove chicken, recover so rice will continue to cook, shred chicken and return to pan.  Once rice is cooked, add milk heat until almost boiling, turn down heat and add cream cheese, don't boil once cream cheese is added.  Stir to incorporate cream cheese.  Serve with shredded cheese on top. Serves 6.

Great served with Dinner Rolls.

An Amanda Original