Broccoli, Chicken, Cheese Casserole

This is one of my favorite childhood comfort foods. I've added some steps that make it a tad more time consuming but largely improve flavor and texture. Perfect for taking dinner to a neighbor, to a pot luck or just feeding the family.

Serves 8

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked rice
2 cups water (to cook rice in)
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 boneless chicken breasts
Salt
Pepper
Chipotle pepper
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
1/2 (16 ounce) package broccoli
1/2 small white onion, chopped
1/2 pound shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Cut broccoli into bite size pieces and steam until al dente. Cook the rice. (If you cook the rice in a rice cooker, you may be able to steam the broccoli with it at the same time if yours has a steamer basket on the top, which many do.)

3. Heat a saute pan and add the olive oil. Season both sides of the chicken breast with a sprinkle of salt, pepper and chipotle pepper. Sear the chicken, then cook on low-medium heat until the center temperature is 165*. Let the chicken rest at least 5 minutes then cut into cubes. By searing and pan frying the chicken before adding it to the casserole you avoid the dried out, flavorless that is often found in casseroles.

4. Mix all ingredients together and pour into 9x13 inch baking dish. If desired, sprinkle a little additional cheese over the top. Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes.

Spicy Peanut Butter Sauce

I love eating raw vegetables, but plain veggies get boring fast and I am so tired of ranch and creamy dressings. This recipe is fantastic for those looking for something flavorful, delicious and very easy to make.

Ingredients:

-1/2 cup of smooth peanut butter
-1/2 cup warm water
-1 tsp salt
-1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
-1/2-3/4 tsp ground chipotle (start with less and add more to taste)
-3 medium garlic cloves
-1/4 cup minced cilantro

Directions:

Put all ingredients except the cilantro into a food processor and mix until well blended. Stir in the cilantro by hand. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours for the dip to become thick (I usually don't like to wait so I just dig in while the dip is thinner).

This sauce is great to dip vegetables in. If you add 2-4 additional tablespoons of water during the blending process, this sauce goes great over salads made with pork, shrimp or chicken breast.

This is my son trying and loving broccoli for the first time. It wasn't the sauce that made him like it, but just seeing me enjoying the broccoli made him want to try it. Studies have shown that kids who see their parents eating and enjoying vegetables are more likely to eat and enjoy veggies themselves. Food for thought.


I got this recipe during a holistic cooking class I took at Southwestern Institute of Healing Arts. The original recipe comes from "the Garden of Eating" by Rachel Albert-Matesz.

Hearty Beef Stew

I recently moved to the Seattle area with my family from Arizona. It is much cooler up here in April (highs in the low 50's) so stew makes a perfect dinner. Even though stew might not be what you want for dinner when it is 100 degrees outside, the flavors are delicious and the meal is easy to make. Also, if you have vegetables left over from other meals, you can toss them into this stew. It's a great way not to waste food.

Serves: 6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1.5-2 hours

Ingredients:

-1 lb of cubed beef stew meat
-1 tbsp of vegetable oil
-1 cup cabernet sauvignon
-4 cups beef stock
-1/2 tsp dried rosemary
-1/2 tsp dried parsley
-1/4 tsp ground black pepper
-1/2 large golden potatoes, cubed
-2 carrots, cut into cubes
-3 celery stalks, chopped
-1/2 large onion, chopped
-1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved*
-1/2 a bunch of kale, torn into bite size pieces*
-1 tsp corn starch or 2 tablespoons of ultragel
-cold water

*- optional; adds additional color

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a pot and sear the meat until it turns brown. Pour in wine and stock (if you want to forgo the wine, just add another cup of stock. The wine adds a lot of flavor to the stew and all the alcohol cooks out so I highly recommend using it). Stir in the rosemary, parsley and pepper. Heat to a boil, then reduce and let simmer for 1 hour.

2. Stir in all vegetables. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 teaspoons cold water and stir into stew. If you are using ultra gel (which is much easier to use than corn starch and is color and flavorless) sprinkle directly into the stew and stir. Add additional thickener if needed to reach desired thickness. Cover and simmer 1 more hour or until meat is tender. Serve with fresh bread.