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Healing chicken noodle soup

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Ok. What is going on in Barrington lately? I don’t know about where you live but in my local town everyone. is. sick. 

It all started right before the holiday. I think 75% of my extended family was victim to some terrible chest cold and cough. Like unable to sleep or stop coughing. The worst. I was a mix of still trying to stay merry (it’s Christmas!), trying check on everyone, and yet also spraying myself and the boys with hand sanitizer every 2.6 seconds because we were leaving for Mexico on New Years Eve and I really did not want to travel down with the flu. 

Somehow, during that week, we managed to side step whatever horribleness that was going around. Yet there was the whole stomach bug that traveled with us via Beckett to Mexico which made the first few days oh so lovely. Got through that one and back home, healthy. Yippee! 

Then, the sore throat hit. Ever so slightly at first for M and I. B decided to make another vacation illness appearance and spiked a fever and terrible cough right in the beginning of his ($300, ahem) ski camp in Montana. No one could reach Mike (cell service) so the poor kid slept in a chair in the ski guys office until Mike showed up hours later to pick him up. My HEART. I still feel sad.

Luckily whatever it all is just hit M and I ever so slightly. And I’m hoping that stays the case and that it stays away from Logan. I’ve been working out, drinking ALL the water, upping the vitamin C, limiting alcohol, and trying to rest as much as possible. I’ve heard this whole chest/cough/fever thing is no joke. It’s the legit flu and is not protected by the flu shot that we all stuck ourselves with way back in October. Fantastic. 

Ok. I get that the flu shot can’t be perfect but come on. Can’t it do better than this? Mike was told by his doctor it literally does nothing against the top flu viruses this season, they were just that off. I feel like I hear that every year though. There has so be a smarter person to figure this all out. There has to be!

Until then, it’s on us to do what we can to stay healthy. I am wiping down surfaces and door knobs and phones like a madwoman. And making my new magic soup. My healing chicken noodle soup, if you will.

I made this recipe at the first onset of any little throat soreness or cough and (knock on wood) Mike and I breezed by pretty unaffected compared to most our friends and family. I tell you, this soup has got something going on with it.

What is it exactly? 

Well, you roast up the chicken with all these lovely spices. Garlic powder, chili powder, cayeene, oregano, rosemary, basil, red pepper flakes. You get the tiniest of kicks from the chili powder, cayenne, and red pepper flakes throughout the soup which helps so much with sinus pressure. Making the rub with these spices and roasting up the chicken made this soup so outstanding and different from most chicken noodle soup recipes. 

What else does it offer? Well there is the garlic. Eight gloves minced up, to be exact. Garlic is known to boost the immune system and can therefore reduce the severity of the common cold or flu. Sign me up.

You’ve also got your go to basic veggies in there which are always good for you: onion, celery, carrots. Lots of broth and a squeeze of lemon and you’ve got yourself a bowl of not only comfort, but, hopefully health. Take a deep breath and enjoy the goodness and hopefully, stay well!

HEALING CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
Recipe adapted from 12 Tomtatoes

INGREDIENTS:

2 bone in chicken breast halves (or 1 whole one)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried (or fresh) rosemary
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 (32 oz.) boxes chicken stock
1/2 cup fresh dill
8 cloves garlic, minced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups noodles, I used whole wheat egg noodles

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat your oven to 350.

Line a baking sheet with foil and place chicken breasts on top. Pat dry and rub with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Use remaining spices listed up above up until rosemary to make a rub and rub into chicken. Roast in oven for 45 minutes. Let cool.

To make the soup, get a large pot going on the stove over medium heat. Add in a little olive oil and saute and the carrots, onion, celery. Add in the garlic and bay leaf. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Pour in stock and fresh lemon juice and let soup come together for a bit, 10-15 minutes. Shred up your cooked chicken and add to the pot. Stir in fresh dill.

At this point you can add the noodles too and let simmer until cooked, or I like to keep my noodles separate and just serve when ready to eat.

Enjoy and be well.

Chicken Brunswick Stew

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This past Sunday felt absolutely heavenly to me. It came at the end of a very long week. All good stuff but long. And I haven’t been sleeping, which, if you know me….. C needs her sleep. (Preferably 8+ hours thank you very much). At one point I actually went to pay at a grocery store and realized I didn’t. have. my. purse. Awesome.

December can be so tricky, don’t you think? There is SO MUCH fun stuff to do but it can be a lot. Schedules are thrown off, sleep is shortened, there are extra endless to lists related to holiday shenanigans. And I thrive on it all, I really do. But this December I knew I needed to approach things a tad differently. 

I made it a point this year to actually schedule in some rest time. And all I had written on this past Sundays date in my planner was the word ‘rest.’ Granted I took care of kids in and out all day, cleaned out the fridge, meal prepped, grocery shopped, organized, and cooked dinner. But most of that was done by 1:00. And I was then in my pajamas and on the couch. It felt heavenly.

Around 4:00 or so I decided to make an appearance back into my family and get to working on this chicken brunswick stew. It comes from one of my cooking club members, Beth, and it was her father’s recipe. He would make a big pot and let it simmer all day. According to them, the longer you cook and let sit, the better this tastes.

I gave it about three hours or so and it was perfectly. Hearty but healthy. Light but satisfying. A great way to start the week right. Bonus that it made enough to feed an army, so leftovers were ample for lunch and sharing.

Here’s to an awesome stew recipe, and to getting some rest. Even in the busy month of December! You’re worth it.

CHICKEN BRUNSWICK STEW
Recipe from My Bizzy Kitchen

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs cooked chicken, (you can roast bone in breasts for 45 min at 350 degrees with evoo, salt, and pepper. Or a rotisserie could work too!)
6 cups chicken stock
48 ounces diced tomatoes
6 ounces tomato paste
1 cup corn (I used fire roasted)
1 big handful fresh green beans, chopped up a little
5 carrots, peeled and diced
2 lbs red potatoes, peeled and diced up
salt & pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Aside from the chicken, place everything in a large pot and let simmer for a few hours – however long you have. Near the end add in the cooked chicken.

I served with fresh parsley and crusty bread. Yum!

Slow cooker tomato tortellini soup

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So many requests for this recipe from my Instagram story, I knew I had to get it up ASAP for you all! If you watched me make it on there, you already know that it’s incredibly easy to throw together. Minimal fresh ingredients that slow cook together all day is my jam. And then the magic happens at the end. You get to stir in some fresh tortellini along with a pack of onion and chive cream cheese which gives it a hint of richness and makes it oh so creamy and comforting.

Top with some fresh parsley and parmesan and dinner is good to go.

Enjoy!

SLOW COOKER TOMATO AND TORTELLINI SOUP
Recipe from ALFS

INGREDIENTS:

olive oil
1 lbs italian sausage (you can use chicken or turkey too!)
1 zucchini, small dice
1/2 onion, small dice
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp Italian seasoning
salt & pepper
red pepper flakes
1 quart chicken stock
2 cans (14 oz) tomato soup (I used Amy’s Organics)
1 24oz can diced tomatoes
package fresh tortellini
1 8oz container onion & chive cream cheese
parsley and parmesan for topping

DIRECTIONS:

Saute together the italian sausage, zucchini, and onion in olive oil in a larger saute pan over medium heat. Once almost browned, stir in the garlic and seasonings.

Transfer to slow cooker along with the chicken stock, tomato soup, and diced tomatoes. Cook on low for 7 hours. Near the end of the cooking time, add in the fresh tortellini and cream cheese, mix together, and cook an additional 20-30 minutes on high heat.

Serve in deep bowls along with some fresh parsley and parmesan.

Slow cooker Italian tortellini soup

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Another week, another soup. Anyone getting tired of them? I so hope not, as I have no intention on stopping. Soup is my jam on cold days and I’m convinced nothing is better than a homemade bowl of soup to warm you up.

This week I bring you a slow cooker Italian tortellini soup. It’s got all the right things: good, basic ingredients that slow cook all day to yield a satisfying yet healthy dinner. In the end you stir in some fresh tortellini and spinach to give it a little more heartiness and brightness. So. Good. 

Get this in your meal rotation this week. I’m writing out the original version for you. I ended up doubling mine for leftovers and to share with friends, although the original version belows makes a really good amount as well. Enjoy!

SLOW COOKER TORTELLINI SOUP
Recipe from ALFS

INGREDIENTS:

olive oil
2 lbs italian sausage (I used chicken)
1 onion, diced
1 zucchini, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp Italian seasing
salt & pepper
red pepper flakes
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
2 TBS tomato pasta
2 quarts chicken stock
package of fresh tortellini
bag of fresh spinach
parmesan, for topping

DIRECTIONS:

Heat a saute pan on the stove with a little olive oil over medium heat. Add in your sausage, breaking it up as you go. Cook a few minutes until roughly browned and add in the onion and zucchini to soften a bit. Then add in garlic for another minute or so. Season with Italian seasoning, salt & pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Remove from store and pour into slow cooker. Add in all remaining ingredients, up until the tortellini. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4. Near the last half hour or so, add in the tortellini. Five minutes or so before serving, chop up the spinach roughly and stir in. Serve in deep bowls topped with lots of fresh parmesan. Enjoy!

Slow cooker chicken and veggie chili

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And just like that…..it feels like winter.

If you haven’t gotten on the whole soup/slow cooker thing, now is the time my friends. And I’ve got the perfect recipe for you to start. This slow cooker chicken and veggie soup is so comforting, so hearty, so delicious, and so healthy! So you can totally feel better about grabbing that second bowl.

I’m sure you know by now, but I’m obsessed with slow cooker meals. The recipes I’m making lean healthy, make a ton, and I can cook them during the day while the boys are at school so in the evening I can focus on them/their activities. It fits our lifestyle so well and I love that I get to smell something delicious cooking all day long in my home.

This recipe is a wonderful place to start if you haven’t tried any yet. You basically just dump everything in – it doesn’t get much easier than that. Come dinner time stir in a little cream cheese (to die!!!) and drop with some fresh cheddar and cilantro.

You just won dinner.

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN AND VEGGIE SOUP
Recipe from Candid Mommmy

INGREDIENTS:

3 Chicken Breasts
1 Large Chopped Onion
1 Chopped Bell Pepper
1 Cup Chopped Carrots
14.5 Oz Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
10 oz Can Rotel
8 oz Tomato Sauce
7oz Green chilies (I used mild for the family)
15 oz Black Beans (drained & rinsed)
1 Can or 1.5 C Frozen Corn (fire roasted would work awesome!)
2 Cups Chicken Broth
2 T Minced Garlic
1 T Cumin
2 t Chili Powder
1/2 T Salt
1/2 T Pepper
+ 3/4 Block Cream Cheese
Toppings: cilantro, cheese, jalapenos, crackers, etc

DIRECTIONS:

Dump everything in the slow cooker aside from the cream cheese and cook on low for 7 hours or so. Near the last half hour or cooking or so, stir in the cream cheese. Top with your choice of toppings: cheese, cilantro, crackers, sour cream, jalapenos etc.

Enjoy!

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