Cook: 3 Amigos Enchilada Stew and then some

Today's recipe is 3 Amigos Enchilada Stew from Leonard Mountain Soups! Except I pumped it up!! You didn't really think I'd leave it alone, did you? 

If you've read some of my previous blog posts, you know I love Leonard Mountain Soups! They're awesome! They're great by themselves but also fantastic when you add other things! They're very Weight Watchers friendly too. You can find my other posts HERE and HERE. 

Confession...I'm a forgetful blogger! I made this recipe recently when my in-laws came to visit and it turned out beautifully! But we were all so excited and hungry I forgot to get pictures of the soup in a bowl! Oops.

Ingredients:

• 3 Amigos Enchilada Stew 
• A jar of your favorite salsa (my favorite is Newman's Own but this is what I had)
• 2 cans of chunk chicken
• 1 can of black beans
• 1 can of pinto beans
• 1 bag of frozen corn
• 6 cups of water

You can maximize or minimize this recipe as you need to. I added a lot because I was feeding 6 people so I wanted more than enough to go around. 

Directions:

Turn your crockpot on low and mix in your pre-made soup mix with 6 cups of water. I cooked this on low for 5-6 hours but you can do it on high for 3-4 if you want. You can also make these soups in a regular pot on the stove! I let it cook for an hour or so.

Then I added the corn and both cans of beans. I let it sit for another hour or so.

Then the salsa, let it sit. 

And last but not least, the chicken. Let it cook for maybe another hour and serve! Don't forget all the fixin's!

The reason I waited so long between adding the ingredients it that I didn't want it to all get mushy. Maybe it wouldn't have...who knows. If you're starting this stew then running errands or doing chores then I'm sure it would be fine to just toss it all in together at once. 

My in-laws absolutely loved it! They devoured the soup! Of course I had shredded cheese, tortilla chips and sour cream too and it was de-lish! Definitely something I'd make again! 

Again, sorry for not having any good pictures. I promise it looked as delicious as it tasted! When I make it again sometime I'll be sure to get some mouth-watering pictures for you all!

Have you ever tried Leonard Mountain Soups? What's your favorite recipe for Mexican-style soup?

Till next time,

Catherine

Cook: Make Your Own Cream of "Something" Soup!

I don't know about you guys, but I feel like I never have cream of chicken soup when I need it. Or cream of whatever else I might be wanting to use. When I saw this post from Pinterest, I knew it was something I wanted to try. Even if it didn't work, it was worth a try to save money and grocery store trips! 

Oh and did I mention it's way healthier? I love making alternatives to store bought items because I actually know what's in the food I'm eating and feeding to my husband. Store bought cream of "something" soups are always high in sodium and full of other junk we don't need. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup non-fat dried milk 
• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup bouillon (beef, veggie, chicken, whichever you prefer. I used chicken)
• 4 Tablespoons freeze dried minced onions
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon parsley
• 1 teaspoon chives

When you're ready to use it, mix 1/3 cup of your dry mix with 1 1/4 cup of water. This is the equivalent of one can of condensed soup. Cook it until it thickens up. 

Directions:

If you have cubed bouillon you'll need to crush it. I love using my mortar and pestle! It's so fun. I used a total of 10 cubes and that was about 1/4 cup.

Crush it well.

Pour all your ingredients into a medium bowl. 

Stir it all up till everything is well mixed. 

Now fill up a jar and you're good to go! I'm going to make a label for it with the recipe for making the actual soup as well as the ingredients for one batch so I always have it handy. As you can see, one batch made over half of a mason jar full. I haven't cooked with it yet but as soon as I do I'll give you an update on how it was! 

Also, I added the parsley and chives just because but they weren't included in the original recipe. 

Can't wait to try it out! Too bad this post just gave me a mini To-Do list! 

1. Make a label for the jar

2. Actually try out the mix

I'll get right on it...

Have you ever made your own version of a cream of "something" soup? Do you prefer to stick with the cans at the store instead?

Till next time,

Catherine

Cook: Maple Mustard Chicken

Ok, I know that's not the most appetizing title but trust me when I say this stuff was good! The original recipe can be found here. 

Ingredients: 

• 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or strips
• 1/4-1/2 cup sweet and spicy mustard
• 1/4-1/2 cup maple syrup
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil
• Parsley and/or chives for garnish

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Mix together the mustard and maple syrup. Don't skimp and use crappy syrup. Get REAL maple syrup...you know...the kind from a tree! Mrs. Butterworth and Aunt Jemima aren't cuttin' it anymore. Not in this household anyways! I used 1/4 cup of each but I think next time I'll do 1/2 cup of each so there's more sauce. Just do it however you think it'll taste best! If you like mustard, add more mustard!

This is how I made the recipe, but I think it would be even better if the chicken was marinated overnight in this sauce. That's how I plan to make it next time. 

Lay your chicken out in an oven safe dish.

Drizzle your EVOO on top.

Salt and pepper those bad boys!

Pour on the maple mustard dressing. 

Sprinkle some parsley and/or chives (I did both because I already had them mixed) for some pretty garnish. Just do it, it's not like they taste bad! Or like anything for that matter.

Bake for about 30 minutes. The downside to this is that the sugars in the maple syrup burn and make a horrible black crust on the dish. Another note for next time, either use a disposable baking pan or line your dish with aluminum foil! It's nothing a good soak in the sink won't cure, but still, if you're like me, you hate dishes and especially ones that require more work!

Add a little salad on the side and some fresh pineapple and there you have it! My husband LOVES pineapple so I bought one at the store the other day and knew he'd love to see it cut up and ready to eat.

A very delicious dish that will be sure to please your family! My husband couldn't get enough of it! 

Are you a fan of mustard? What kind do you like to stick with? This recipe would be great with just about any type of mustard! 

Till next time,

Catherine