Paellalaya, by Diane

I was trying to come up with a mixture of rice and protein for this week's lunches and remembered how much I love paella. So I asked a friend who had learned to make it in Spain and attempted to create the recipe this weekend. Even though I followed all of the instructions, this dish came out tasting less like authentic Spanish paella and more like a fusion of paella and jambalaya- hence the title, paellalaya (it rhymes!). It was good, but I really wished it had more flavor. On the upside, it was quick and easy to make and the recipe made a TON! 

**Update** The leftovers were WAY more flavorful than the night I made this, so good I'm repeating it this week for round 2!!

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts, cubed

2 tbsp sweet or Spanish paprika

1 tsp dried oregano

Salt and pepper

EVOO

Sausage (any kind, I used smoked turkey sausage)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 Spanish onion, chopped

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

3/4 cup chopped parsley

1 pinch saffron

1 bay leaf

2 cups short grain rice

1 cup white wine

24 oz. chicken broth

1-2 cups frozen peas, thawed

Shrimp, deveined 

Directions:

1. Mix together chicken, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper in a bowl. Let marinate for 1 hour.

2. In a large sauce pan (or paella pan if you have it!) heat EVOO over medium high heat. Cook sausage for 2 min, browning on each side, and set aside. 

3. Add the chicken to the pan, cook through and remove. 

4. Add in garlic and onion, brown for a few minutes. 

5. Add in tomatoes, parsley, saffron, and bay leaf and stir to combine.

6. Add in rice, stirring to coat. Add in wine to deglaze the pan, then add chicken broth. Let simmer without stirring over medium low heat for 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is fluffy.

7. Add in peas and shrimp, stir to combine. Season to your liking.

Crockpot White Chicken Chili, by Cheryl

I tried to add quinoa to soak up some liquid, but it didn't have time to fully let it absorb :/

No, just no. I feel like this had so much promise, but it was way too thin to be a chili and lacked that hearty taste. And speaking of taste there was a lot to be desired. I did not like it, Jon thought it was okay, and Julia picked out the chicken and just ate that. At least it was easy to make. Yum? No.

Ingredients (recipe from here):

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 cups chicken broth
2 cans white beans (cannellini, Great Northern, etc.)
2 small cans diced chilis
3 cloves minced garlic
1 small onion, finely diced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano,
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
fresh lime wedges
toppings: avocado, sour cream, cheese, etc.

Directions:

1) Place chicken at the bottom of the crockpot. Top with chicken broth, white beans, green chilis, garlic, onion, cumin, oregano, salt, and cayenne. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-4 hours. Remove chicken breast and shred. Set aside.

2) With an immersion blender, puree a portion of the chili to thicken it leaving some beans whole. Stir in shredded chicken and cilantro. Portion into bowls and top with a squeeze of lime juice. Add other desired toppings.

Jalapeno Popper Dip, by Cheryl

I made this for the Superbowl and it was delish! Not healthy at all and a complete indulgence... perfect for a night of drinking beer, watching the game, and eating a bunch of other crap! Yum!

Ingredients (recipe from here):

1 4oz can diced jalapenos or 4-6 jalapenos, roasted and diced (just realized I didn't roast mine)
1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Topping:

1 cup panko crumbs
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fresh parsley

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375.

2) With a mixer, combine cream cheese, sour cream, and garlic powder until fluffy.

3) Add cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, and diced jalapenos. Mix well.

4) Spread onto an 8x8 baking dish.

5) Sprinkle the crumb topping over the cheese mixture.

6) Bake 15-20 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Split Pea and Ham Soup, by Diane

If I've said this once on this blog I've said it a million times, it is incredibly hard to get a good photo of soup. Especially thick, green soup that isn't clear so you can't see the delicious ingredients below the surface (I tried putting some of them on top and they sank...). So you're going to have to trust me that this was amazing and total comfort food. I made it as part of my post-surgery recovery, and only 6 days out of surgery so you know it's super easy to make :)

What made this soup so good was the smoky ham flavor. Whenever I come across an occasion where there is a spiral ham, I save the bone and boil it in water for a few hours. After straining the broth and skimming the fat when it cools, I freeze it so I have it to add for soups just like this. The original recipe called for a ham bone, so I just used some old bone broth from a spiral ham that we had at Chrismukkah this year instead. For the ham in this soup, I would highly recommend using an actual spiral sliced ham in this, as it seriously enhances the flavor, but a store bought ham steak or two is also fine. I also added carrots and sweet potatoes to this for some extra veggies, and some bay leaf and garlic for extra comfort soup flavor.


Ingredients:

2 tbsp oil (I used coconut oil)
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 bag carrots, chopped
2 small sweet potatoes, chopped
2-3 cups ham, cubed or shredded
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1lb bag dried split peas
1 bay leaf
1 large ham bone (or leftover ham bone broth if you have that)
Water or broth (definitely recommend broth, I used chicken bone broth!) to cover all ingredients


Directions:

1. Add oil to a large soup pot, and cook the onion until translucent.

2. Add in the carrots and sweet potatoes, cover and cook until the veggies begin to soften- about 5-10 min. Stir often so they don't brown.

3. Add in the ham, garlic, peas, bay leaf, and ham bone. Add in enough liquids (water or broth) to cover all ingredients.

4. Cover and reduce heat to low, stirring occasionally, until the peas dissolve and the soup becomes thick and green (approx. 2 hrs). Remove ham bone and bay leaf, and season if needed (mine didn't need a thing).

5. Remove from heat and let thicken until cool.

Marinated Mushroom Skewers, by Diane

My family always has a superbowl party each year, and we make the typical assortment of unhealthy foods to eat. This year, we wanted a healthier app to include in our spread, and we found two recipes for mushrooms that sounded good. I combined the two, taking the best out of each one, and formed this. You could also use regular white button mushrooms, or any other kind you like, and we thought this would be good with pesto and baby balls of mozzarella too!

However, we all tasted them and promptly threw the entire batch away. I'm not sure why this recipe failed as all of the ingredients seemed fool-proof when mixed together, but this was disgusting. Cheryl and I have a rule that we post whatever we have cooked no matter the outcome, so that's the only reason I'm even carving time out of my day to write this! Don't make this. :)


Ingredients:

3 containers of baby bella mushrooms, cleaned
1 package sundried tomato halves
3 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
3 shallots, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp EVOO
Salt and pepper


Directions:

1. Marinate all ingredients for 1 hour, gently mixing around 2-3 times.
2. Preheat the oven to 375.
3. While oven preheats, skewer mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, and shallots onto oven safe sticks. Reserve leftover marinade.
4. Place the skewers evenly spaced on a baking tray and brush with 1/2 of the leftover marinade. Bake for 15 minutes.
5. Rotate the skewers, brush with the other 1/2 of the marinade, and cook another 15 minutes or until mushrooms are cooked through and tender.

Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls, by Cheryl

This may be my new favorite go to weeknight meal! My friend Joy made this meal for us about a week after Madeleine was born and it was delicious. After she gave me the recipe I realized that it was super easy to make as well and I typically have all of the ingredients on hand. I just made this for the first time last week and I was not disappointed. You can eat them in a bowl as is with different toppings, or you can put them in a tortilla and have yourself a nice little burrito! Yum!

Ingredients (serves 6-8) from here:

1-1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 cup brown rice
1 can black beans
1 can corn
Optional toppings: sour cream, shredded cheese, diced avocado, chopped cilantro, shredded lettuce, salsa, hot sauce, diced green onions

Directions:

1) Combine the chicken breasts, diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup chicken stock, chili powder, salt, and cumin in a slow cooker. Make sure the chicken is covered - add more stock if not. Cook for 3-4 hours on low.

2) Remove the lid and add the rice, beans, corn, and remaining chicken broth. Cook for another 3-4 hours on low. Check the rice periodically the last hour and stir once or twice to make sure the rice cooks evenly. Add more stock if it looks dry. If there's still liquid left and the rice is done then cook on high with the lid off until the liquid evaporates. Total cooking time should be 6-8 hours.

3) Using two forks, shred the chicken (either in the slow cooker or on a separate plate). Mix all together. Add salt to taste.

4) Place in bowls with toppings or in tortillas.