The Mothership

  You can prepare this fan favorite in under an hour by baking the chicken or you can cook it all day in the crockpot. The recipe below is if you bake the chicken and I will add a note at the bottom of what to do for the crockpot. Super easy midweek meal that can be versatile for leftovers. Ingredients: 3-5 lbs. chicken breast  Olive oil Salt & pepper 1 bottle of buffalo sauce 1 packet Ranch dip mix (in a spice envelope) 1 block of cream cheese 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese Romaine lettuce heads or leafy lettuce to hold the chicken mixture Sliced onions - if desired Recipe: Turn oven to bake at 400. Then place breast on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Then drizzle some olive oil on top of the chicken and then salt & pepper.  Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.  Take chicken out and shred it. I put my in a mixing bowl and let the mixer do the work.  In a 13x9 pan - I lined mine with foil for easy cleanup - put half the brick of cream cheese sliced into tabs...

  We eat a lot of chicken. So pairing it with other things makes me feel versatile. Make it in a crockpot and I’m all in! Ingredients: 5-6 chicken breasts, skinless Salt & pepper Cooking oil - I used avocado oil 1.5 cups broth (chicken or vegetable) 3 Tbsp. Cornstarch  1 cup heavy cream or milk  2 tbsp garlic powder 2 tsp oregano 1tsp dried thyme Red pepper flakes - optional 1/2 jar of sun dried tomatoes, chopped 2 Tbsp. Butter More salt & pepper Favorite pasta Spinach Basil or parsley Grated Parmesan cheese Recipe: Drizzle a tiny bit of coooking oil on the bottom of the slow cooker. Then, place the chicken breast in the bottom of the slow cooker. Drizzle a tad more oil on top. Then sprinkle generously with salt and pepper over the chicken. In a bowl whisk together the cornstarch and chicken broth with a whisk. Add in all the seasonings and Parmesan. If you use red pepper flakes, just be careful as it can be spicy. Pour the mixture over the chicken. Then place the...

These are so easy to make, especially if you have small amounts of time to gather steps throughout the day. Also - this is great for a range of palates because it’s easy to keep items separate instead of it all cooking together.  This makes enough for leftovers for the week.  Ingredients: 3 lbs chicken breasts 1/2cup olive oil 4 limes 5 cloves of garlic, minced 4 tsp. Honey 1 1/2 Tbsp. Ground Cumin 2 tsp. Coriander  Salt & Pepper 1 pineapple, trimmed and diced into bite size  1/2 cup cilantro, tightly packed then chopped 1 tablespoon diced jalapeño  1/2 red onion 1 lime 1/4 tsp ground cumin  Sliced avocado 2 cups vegetable broth - or a bit more 2 cups rice Dash olive oil & salt Cilantro lime salad dressing Recipe: Cut chicken breasts in half to make smaller pieces. Place in large plastic bag for marinade. Set aside. In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, zest of 2 limes, 1/2 cup lime juice, minced garlic, honey, cumin, coriander, and 1 tsp each ...

This might seem like a lot of work but it really wasn’t. It’s mostly just dumping.  To make even easier:  You could make the chicken the night before and add all the ingredients to the pan just before baking.  You could make the whole dish the night before including baking it and the leftovers are delicious! You could purchase the tzatziki sauce I truly didn’t measure the spices, I just sprinkled everything on top and then let it sit.  **I’m always looking to make things more colorful so next time I will be adding chopped red and orange peppers and topping with fresh tomatoes.  Tzatziki sauce: 1 cup plain Greek yogurt Juice from one lemon 1/2 of a peeled, Grated cucumber Salt 1 clove garlic, minced 1tsp chopped fresh dill Black pepper   Casserole: 1-2 lbs. chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces Drizzle of olive oil Juice from 1 lemon   2Tbsp chopped fresh parsley   1 tsp, oregano, thyme, smoked paprika Sprinkle of salt SprinkleCumin Sp...

This is one of those wonderful one pot easy prep meals. No chopping! I made a less lactose version because someone in our family has a sensitivity. Use full lactose items if you feel so inclined Ingredients: 2 lbs. uncooked chicken 1 - 16 oz. chicken or vegetable broth 1 - 28 oz. can green enchilada sauce  Salt & Pepper to taste 1 - 14oz. can of corn, drained 1 - 14 oz. can of white beans   2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese or white cheddar cheese 1/4 cup whole milk (or regular) 3/4 cup almond milk (Or use all whole milk) 1 cup of soy yogurt (or greek yogurt or sour cream) 2 oz. cream cheese or cream cheese alternative (cubed and softened) chopped red onion chopped cilantro  lime wedges  tortilla chips green verde salsa for topping (optional) ***You could top with chopped avocado and more cheese.  ***We have also prepared rice per package directions and poured soup over top of rice when serving.  *** adding red pepper flakes is fun - but can bri...

My sister and I used to hit up the China Buffet quite frequently as children with our grandparents on a Friday night. Now that my kids are so much older and mature (ha!) I thought maybe they would try it! This recipe makes a lot - perfect for a crowd. If you only want enough for 2 adults to have dinner and leftovers I would definitely halve this. I felt like this recipe was a little less salty and not so heavy in sauce, which I prefer. You CAN saute in broth instead of oil if you feel like you want it even healthier. Also - if you wanted to make it vegetarian, some pan seared tofu would be super tasty! ***TIP! Be sure and have all the ingredients prepped and ready to go BEFORE you begin sauteing. This food cooks quickly and can easily burn if you are trying to chop as you go. Enjoy! Ingredients: 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced 2 egg white 4 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons of cornstarch divided use 1  - 32oz chicken broth 3 teaspoons of sugar 2 Tablespoons of ...

This reciepe was a base taken from a blog, Cookin Canuck.  Thank you for the inspiration! I have been very intimidated by my insta pot. And Ironically I have felt rushed! Rushed into an appliance I didn't have time to work or figure out. Well, this quarantine has given me the space to be more "instant" - another irony I know. This recipe I made with homemade chicken broth. If you decide to do this, omit all the other salt besides the first salting of veggies because the broth will probably be salty enough. Of course always taste to see if it needs more salt. Omit the kale or mushrooms if you're not a fan, but they are some good for you foods. The leeks are similar to onions, but a step up in doing more for your body. You can omit these too. *****IF YOU DECIDE TO PUT LEEKs in the recipe...you need to cut into cross-section slices and then soak in water. Separate each layer of the leek by just pushing through them with your fingers. Then drain and lay out on a paper...

This dish was inspired from the blog: 40aprons.  This is fairly quick, not a lot of chopping and loads of flavor. The variety of natural occurring color gives notion of the many nutrients in this dish. I enjoy fresh, natural, organic food. And it’s even better if I can cut a corner or two without everything being made from scratch. If you want to make things easier on yourself, purchase some premade items (the bbq chicken, slaw, pickles). I LOVE tangy foods and my local grocer used to have a beet kraut that I loved. But they no offer that item so I came up with an easy slaw recipe. I added ingredients and recipe for slaw below.  Ingredients: 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubes Avocado oil (or your preferred cooking oil) - just enough to coat the cubes of sweet potato maybe a tablespoon or two.  A dash of cinnamon 2tsp chili powder or less if you like less spicy.  Sprinkle of salt.  2-3 chicken breasts 1 cup your choice barbecue sauce 2-3 tablespoons of Italian dr...

After an emotional week - both ups and downs comfort food on a crisp spring day sounded like it was needed. I used a plant based “cream cheese” this time because of my daughter’s dietary needs. But I have made this with regular cream cheese and it is also great. You can make your pie crust or buy Pillsbury - I will die on the hill that there is no ready made crust that is any better. We prefer chunkier veggies and more of them so there is less “cream” in the pot pie. This only took 20 minutes to prepare - including the chopping. It was on the dinner table within the hour. We served this with biscuits. My next challenge is to create this in a vegetarian version.  INGREDIENTS: Sauté oil (olive oil, avocado oil, or veggie broth).  3 chicken breasts, cut into chunks or bite size.  Salt Pepper Garlic powder Onion powder 4 celery stalks, chopped into bite size 4 large carrots, peeled and sliced bite size 1 brick of cream cheese 2 heaping tablespoons of flour 1/2 cup of vegetabl...

I love me some buttered lemon chicken with pasta - but I’m nearing 40 and have all this time to experiment. So, I changed the ingredients to be slightly healthier. A version to add protein for vegetarians is at the bottoms;) this is another where you can do a lot of the prep in steps and come back to it. Or do it all at once and cook at the end of the day.  Ingredients: - 3 chicken breasts - 1 lemon - 1/3 cup avocado oil (or other cooking oil) - 1 tsp paprika - 1 tsp onion powder -  6 garlic cloves - 1/2tsp red pepper flakes - salt - pepper - 1/3 cup broth (I used chicken broth) - 1 spaghetti squash - 1&1/2 cup chopped tomatoes  - kale, ripped into pieces, maybe 1 cup total   - regular spaghetti (for those who are not fans of spaghetti squash - shredded Parmesan cheese RECIPE :  1. First we marinate the chicken.      - place the chicken into a gallon ziplock. Zest half the lemon over the chicken. Squeeze half the lemon over the chicken. Add th...

This rain makes me want to play this song... let's stay home tonight and snuggle...plus make one of Tim's favorite dishes.  This is a recipe adapted from my friend Sarah years ago.  It's a go to and I'm fairly certain Tim dreams about this chili.  Plus, it's SUPER EASY!!!! Ingredients:   1/2 of one large white onion, chopped 2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed 2 cans of pinto beans, drained and rinsed 2 cans of kidney beans, drained and rinsed 1 can of chili beans 1 can of diced tomatoes 1 can of corn 2 (10.5) oz can of diced tomatoes with chilies 1/2 can of taco sauce 2 Tbsp. of chili powder 2 tsp. ground cumin 1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder 1 tsp. dried oregano 1/4 tsp. paprika 1 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional) 3 chicken breasts Cilantro (optional for topping) ***You could make this even easier and substitute the seasonings for one taco seasoning packet.*** Place all ingredients besides the chicken...

I don't know about you, but when it comes to the summer, fresh ingredients call my name.  And the less I use my oven and stove-top the better! Plus we are always on the go to the pool or some other activity and I'm packing more than ever before.  I revel in the fact that we don't have a schedule in the summer so anything to make my morning lazier, the better.  I hate having to chop every single morning, so the less that occurs, then the easier my morning is and the faster we get out of the house! My favorite way to quickly have a healthy/fresh salad on the go is to chop up Salad Toppers!  I have about 5-6 salads that I cycle through.  They all require no extra dressing so it is super easy to pack them up.  I usually have spinach and a head of romaine lettuce in the fridge.  So that is all I need to prepare in the morning after I have made a large batch of a salad topper earlier in the week.  I take a handful of spinach, and two leaves of romai...

This is a little healthier than regular, store bought chicken, and it's quick to make.  I feel less guilty when I eat this than if I buy it at a restaurant.  Plus, it tastes so fresh, and crunchy...I love me crunchy tasting things.  I make a big batch and then have it for the week to put over top of lettuce. Chicken Salad 2 cups of cooked chicken breast, Chopped (I bought an already cooked bird at the grocery, to save time, and just cut the breast meat off the bones). 1 Fuji apple, chopped into small pieces 1 &1/2 cups of chopped celery 1 avocado, chopped 1 cup of grapes, halved 1/2 cup of mayo (I used olive oil mayo) the juice from two, thick lemon wedges salt & pepper 2 Tbsp. of dijon mustard Mix all the ingredients together.  Eat right away or let it sit in the fridge for a while (I think it tastes best this way).  I eat it over top of spinach leaves and then sometimes I add cut tomatoes and chopped onion.  Or put it on toast wit...

My kids eat chicken most of the time.  This dish is made probably twice a month. It's super easy and takes about 30 minutes from getting the pans out to plate. The veggies listed below are what I had in the fridge that day, but I put more or different things in. Other good veggies are: kale, mushrooms, peppers, carrots, brussel sprouts, onion, the list could go on. Just pick a few you like and it'll be great. The same goes with the potatoes. We eat potatoes very infrequently, but they beef up the veggies a little bit and give it a nice texture. When I put the veggies and potatoes into the skillet, I just keep chopping and adding until I think I have enough for however many people are here. That's why there aren't exact measurements. The chicken I usually buy is chicken thighs because the kids seem to enjoy it better, but sometimes we do a pack of breasts and a pack of thighs.  If you get the combo of thighs and breasts, make sure you cut the breast pieces in half so...