Healthy Lunch Ideas Challenge-BLT Chicken Salad Sandwich

May 14, 2013 By Meal Plan Mom (Brenda) Leave a Comment

I don’t know about you, but as the end of the school year draws near, healthy lunch ideas seem to be a little more difficult to come by. We’re in a rut and just ready for a break! So when Jennifer of Crunch A Color asked me to participate in another round of the Healthy Lunch Challenge, I happily obliged. I know I can use all the help I can get coming up with lunch ideas for the kids these last few weeks until school is out.

Easy Healthy Lunch Ideas

A couple of months ago, I shared some simple ideas for delicious lunches with my secret tip to use some fresh-made foods from your grocery store deli. You can check out the first round of the Healthy Lunch Challenge where some of my fellow bloggers share their ideas too! This month features another round just in time for Food Revolution Day on Friday (check the Crunch A Color blog on Friday for a roundup of all the ideas this time!)

A Classic Sandwich Combination: BLT and Chicken Salad

A couple of weeks ago I stopped at Starbucks for a splurge to use a gift card I had received. I noticed one of their new menu items for a BLT Chicken Salad Sandwich. That sounded good but I wanted to try and make it at home with my own ingredients. I did a quick search online for a recipe and could not find just what I was looking for, so I created my own. It was really quite simple to prepare and it was a HUGE hit with my family. This recipe is definitely a keeper! I love that it also has a variety of healthy ingredients and scores 55 points in the Crunch A Color game in just one meal. On it’s own, my sandwich and a glass of milk is 45 points. Add a fruit for a side or dessert and I can add an extra five points to my lunch. Easy and nutritious–a great combo!

Here’s the recipe!

BLT Chicken Salad Sandwich

Ingredients

2 cups shredded or cubed cooked chicken (I used leftover rotisserie chicken)
6-8 strips of cooked bacon, diced
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Salt & Pepper to taste
8 Romaine lettuce leaves
8 slices whole wheat sandwich bread

Instructions

Combine chicken, bacon, tomato, mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Mix well and chill in refrigerator for about 30 minutes or longer to let flavors blend.
Toast bread if desired.
For each sandwich, layer lettuce and about 1/2 cup of chicken salad mixture. Top with another lettuce leaf and slice of bread.
Enjoy!

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You can purchase Crunch A Color games through Amazon or the Crunch A Color website. It’s a fun way to help your family remember to eat a variety of foods each day!
Disclaimer: I have not received any compensation for this post however I am an Amazon Associate so if you order a game through the link above, I receive a small portion of the sale. Thank you!

Filed Under: recipe ideas, Recipe-Chicken, Recipe-Lunch, Recipe-Make Ahead

New Recipe Challenge—Let’s Get Going Together in 4 Easy Steps!

April 23, 2013 By Meal Plan Mom (Brenda) 9 Comments

With the news events of last week (both nationally and locally for me), I was a bit distracted and didn’t get a whole lot of blogging done. I realize I haven’t had a weekly meal plan for a few weeks either. Our weeks have been filled with special events so my cooking has been a bit more on-the-fly or relatively non-existent (thank you others for making our dinner!) It’s no mystery though that I LOVE to collect recipes. I’m one of those people that can take a cookbook or cooking magazine and read it cover to cover like a novel! Add to that the many, many recipes I have found online through recipe boxes or on Pinterest, well, it’s enough to keep me cooking forever. And I just cannot seem to stop finding new recipes that I’d like to make.

The thing is, as I mentioned on my Facebook page week before last, I’m a bit more of a recipe collector and not-so-much maker. Are you like me? Do you like to collect recipes but rarely actually try them? I’ve been collecting recipes so long I can’t remember NOT collecting them! And, yes, I do make many of them but certainly not as many as I’d like!And, since I feel like I’ve been in kind of a meal planning rut lately, I thought it would be a good idea to issue myself a little New Recipe Challenge to actually start making those recipes I’ve been collecting and invite you all along too!

Join the New Recipe Challenge!

Set a goal for yourself. For me, that will be to try 2-4 new recipes per month. Life gets busy so I don’t want to have a crazy high goal but having a number in mind will help me. Some weeks are better than others so who knows? Maybe I’ll bust out and make a few new ones in one week!

Think outside the main meal. For me, breakfast. lunches and side dishes are especially challenging so I’ll be trying to include more of those as part of my personal challenge. Perhaps for you it will be trying to find a new quick but healthy recipe that you can make for your family on a busy weeknight. Or maybe you want to find some easy recipes to make when company drops in or to have on hand in the freezer for a special occasion. The sky’s the limit so set your own goals!

Find your inspiration. Whether that’s from cookbooks found in your own collection, at the library or bookstore, things you’ve pinned on Pinterest, from cooking magazine or put into an online recipe box or even family favorites passed down through generations, there is recipe inspiration everywhere!

Share your recipe news! Challenges like this are a lot more fun when you do it with others who can encourage you. I’ll be posting a weekly update on Facebook as well as here on the blog. Be sure to check back regularly so you can let us know what you tried that was new and your experience (was it as tasty as you had hoped or not so much? Was it easy or more involved than you expected?) If the recipe can be found online, be sure to share the link! Be careful though, all this sharing might lead to more recipe collecting!

Over 100 boards and over 2, 000 pins on my Pinterest account.
Yep, I’d say I’m a certified recipe collector.

Lots of new-to-me recipes I borrowed from my mom’s collection. Recipes from her, my grandmothers and other family members. Can’t wait to try some of them out!

And then there's the magazine/soft cover style cookbooks that call my name whenever a new edition comes out. Thank goodness I can save 30% when I buy them at Sam's Club!

And then there are the magazine/soft cover style cookbooks that call my name whenever a new edition comes out. Thank goodness I can save 30% when I buy them at Sam’s Club!

And then there is the bookshelf with cookbooks. Too many–and this is only about 2/3 of them!

And another shelf. About half of the remaining third of books.

Can’t forget the books I pick up at the library to check out and try.
You can never have enough recipes. right?

And you can’t forget the online recipe boxes either!

A Pantry Challenge AND Recipe Challenge – Who’s In?

I’m going to pair my challenge with a Pantry Challenge as well to clean out my pantry and freezer and hopefully save a little money along the way too!

Who’s in ready to join the challenge with me?

Filed Under: Challenges, recipe ideas

Edamame and Great Northern White Bean Dip Recipe #EatA2ZRecipeChallenge

April 17, 2013 By Meal Plan Mom (Brenda) 4 Comments

Edamame and Great White Northern Beans combine in this unique recipe to make a delicious sandwich spread or dip. It may seem like an unlikely pairing but it’s something I’ve been thinking about trying ever since coming across similar recipes online (was it Pinterest, another blog? I can’t remember, but I know I saw it!)

These last few weeks have been crazy busy for me. I have been gone somewhere every weekend for the last month and a half! That means less time in the kitchen for me so this month’s Eating the Alphabet post is a few days behind. Oh well..better late than never!

Healthy Family Ingredients

When trying to decide what ingredient I wanted to feature this month, I knew I wanted to use edamame. My whole family loves to eat steamed edamame in the pods but I have seen lots of recipes here and there using this soybean in salads, dips or other dishes. I decided I wanted to make a dip sort of like hummus but also using white beans instead of the traditional cannellini beans. In searching the web I never really found a recipe exactly like what I was looking for so I created my own!

This is SO incredibly easy you will ask yourself why you don’t make it more often. It is delicious served with cut up vegetables like carrots or cucumber but also tastes great with pita chips (I was out of those so didn’t include them in the picture). Not only can you enjoy it as a dip but it is also delicious as a spread on a sandwich or wrap. Best of all it can be made ahead and will store in the refrigerator for two days.

A Nutritious Snack

Edamame has been around for centuries and is popular in many Asian cuisines. This legume is packed with fiber, protein and antioxidants such as vitamins C and A as well as being high in iron. A half cup serving of edamame has 9 grams of fiber—as much as four slices of whole-wheat bread and as much iron as a 4-ounce roasted chicken breast. Great Northern Beans are also full of fiber and iron as well as potassium. These legumes and beans are a powerhouse of nutrition and taste great together too!

Edamame and Great Northern White Bean Dip & Spread #EatA2ZRecipeChallenge

Ingredients

1 15 oz. can Great Northern White beans, drained and rinsed
1 ½ cups edamame, unshelled and cooked per package directions
1 medium garlic clove, minced
¾ tsp. salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup tahini
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup water
¼ cup cilantro

Instructions

In a food processor, blend all ingredients together until smooth, about one minute. Transfer the dip/spread to a bowl or storage container. Cover and chill until the flavors are blended, at least 30 minutes. Serve cold. This dip/spread can be refrigerated up to two days.

Notes

Add more cilantro if you'd like a little more zip!

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Simple ingredients and SO easy to make!

Steamed edamame–love the bright green goodness!

Just a touch of a button for a minute or so and that’s it! Chill to blend flavors.

And these soybeans are Non-GMO. My husband picked them up for me and probably had no idea–but yay him!

Bloggers, Join the Eating The Alphabet Healthy Recipe Challenge!

For all the details check out my post from earlier this year (or if you are a blogger and want to join in, there is a sign-up form to complete which you can find here).

Don’t forget to check out the Eating the Alphabet Pinterest board. There you can keep track of all the recipes that are added month-to-month but also find new recipes from last year too. What’s your favorite fruit, vegetable, grain or legume that starts with the letter E or F?
Be sure to check out all the other blogs shown below to discover new recipes and ideas!

Filed Under: Letter E or F, recipe ideas, Recipe-Eating the Alphabet, Recipe-Make Ahead, Recipe-Snacks

Food Bloggers Against Hunger, A Budget Friendly Recipe & A Call To Action

April 8, 2013 By Meal Plan Mom (Brenda) Leave a Comment

Today, along with 200 other food bloggers, I’m happy to be participating in the Food Bloggers Against Hunger campaign. I’m happy because together we hope to get the word out to our readers and the world that hunger in America is a real problem that needs to be addressed,

As part of the challenge, I was asked to make a budget-friendly meal based on the monetary restrictions that a family of my size would receive if we were participating in the SNAP (food stamp) program. That means $4 per person per day. Since there are four members in my family, that is $16. Now before you think that might seem impossible, read on!

I wanted to make something that was healthy but also kind of “fancy”. You know, not the usual beans and something kind of thing. Luckily for me tilapia was on sale for $4.97/lb. last week at my local HEB grocery store. I got just about one pound exactly (I think it was 1.03 lbs. to be exact). And guess what, broccoli crowns were on sale too—just 97 cents each! Score! So I thought, there I have my protein and my veggie so I would just add a rice pilaf and we were good to go! The extra ingredients added up to just about $3 but I didn’t use them all so they can go towards another meal. In all, this meal cost about $7 total, so $1.75 per person. You can’t go through a drive thru and get a decent meal for that price! Plus, we actually ended up having leftovers…enough for another small serving (lunch size I’d say) for one person so the per person cost is really lower.

I remembered an old recipe that I used to make when I was in college and for many years when I first got married, but I had not made it for my family in years. It was a tomato topped mild fish and I knew it would be perfect…easy to make and budget friendly!

I picked up a few more ingredients like the tomatoes , garlic and parsley and was on my way. I knew I had some of the spices on hand at home.

The only thing I didn’t calculate was the drink. We normally have milk with our meals or sometimes water. Pretty boring you may say but no one really complains and it’s easy to stay within my budget by doing so.

Delicious Tomato Topped Tilapia

Ingredients

3 green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 t. olive oil
2 T chopped fresh parsley
1 t dried basil
1/2 t salt
1 large or 3 Roma tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
4 1/4 lb. tilapia filets

Instructions

Sauté green onions and garlic in olive oil in a medium skillet until tender. Add parsley, dried basil, salt and cook over low heat until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in tomato & set aside.
Cover broiler pan with foil (optional). Place under broiler in oven Preheat 3 minutes. Carefully remove heated tray and arrange fish in pan. Broil 6 inches from heat for 5 minutes. Top each fillet with 1/4 cup tomato mixture and continue to broil 3 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

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Just a few basic ingredients–many bought on sale–is all it takes!

Roasted broccoli three ingredients and SO easy and delicious!

The meal is almost ready–just add rice and that’s it!

In our country we are overweight yet undernourished due to poverty and our food supply. Many people on a fixed income believe that they cannot prepare healthy meals on a budget and then turn to convenience and packaged foods instead. Food insecurity is not just an urban problem. It occurs in more than 2 million rural households too. And the US spends$190 billion in health care and lost productivity as a result of obesity.

While I’m always glad to share a budget friendly recipe with you, today’s post is about more than that. Share Our Strength, the non-profit organization that helps address and combat hunger in America has put out a call to action asking for your help in letting your representative in Congress know that you think federal spending cuts should NOT be made and that nutrition programs for those in need should be available.

Still not convinced that hunger is a real problem here and that it’s only in third-world countries? Then I urge you to take some time to watch the compelling film, A Place at the Table. You can view it on Itunes, Google Play, Amazon or watch it on demand or find out if there is a screening near you

As a matter of fact, last week the West Virginia Senate unanimously passed the Feed to Achieve Bill. Senate Majority Leader Unger was the major sponsor and said that seeing A Place at the Table in March is what compelled him to be such a supporter of this bill. Tomorrow, Participant Media is hosting a special screening of the film for the entire House and Senate in West Virginia, and the filmmakers will participate in a post-screening discussion.

View the trailer here and find out more information about how to get involved.

Many thanks to Nicole Gulotta, founder of The Giving Table for coordinating this group of bloggers and for helping us to get the word out. Be sure to check out the Pinterest board for today’s posts by all the other bloggers to get more budget friendly ideas.

I hope this post will inspire you to try a new recipe but more importantly, let your voice be heard about hunger in America.

Filed Under: Food Charities, recipe ideas, Recipe-Family Friendly, Recipe-Fish & Seafood

No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Energy Bites Recipe #EatA2ZRecipeChallenge

March 18, 2013 By Meal Plan Mom (Brenda) 4 Comments

Can you believe it’s already the middle of March? That means it’s time for another Eating the Alphabet Healthy Recipe Challenge! I’m a few days late because I was out of town on vacation for Spring Break. If you’re new here, this blog hop features fruits, vegetables, grains or legumes to help us discover delicious new ways to enjoy these healthy foods. And hopefully make some of them a little more interesting by choosing a different letter each month. For more details on how it all works, see the end of this post (and if you’re a blogger, find out how you can join us!)

A Healthier Natural Sweetener (and Vegan!)

This month I chose dates. I have been seeing all sorts of things on the web about how to use these vitamin and fiber-filled powerhouses as natural sweeteners in tasty treats so I knew I wanted to give them a try. Plus, I needed a reason to use some of that big bag of dates I bought at Costco a few months ago! It seems like there have also been a lot of recipes popping up about how to make homemade energy bars like Clif or Lara bars. I knew I wanted to try something like that but in a bite-size form. So the other day I had a craving for something with peanut butter and chocolate. I couldn’t find a recipe that had just the right combination of ingredients so I came up with my own based on a compilation of some of those I had seen. Did you know that dates are an excellent source of iron and also potassium? They are also rich in lots of minerals like calcium and manganese and many other anti-oxidants. They are also full of fiber!

Delicious Peanut Butter & Chocolate-A Great Combination

These little bites were SO delicious that I could not stop eating them! They kind of reminded me of some no-bake cookies I used to make growing up. But what’s great about these is that they are a guilt-free treat because they are all natural and vegan too (for those who follow that diet). The reviews from my family were a little more mixed. My son LOVED them and has had one for a snack nearly every day for a couple of weeks. He thinks he is getting a real treat just like a cookie or brownie but I feel much better giving him one of these! My daughter liked them too but thought the bites were a bit too rich so my second batch was just a one-bite version. My husband didn’t care for them but I realized later it’s probably because he does not like anything fudgy—which these are very similar to. I shared some with my neighbor and she had similar results—she loved them and her family liked them too.

I am so glad to have found this delicious way to enjoy dates and satisfy my sweets craving at the same time in a healthy way. They make up so quickly, I bet you’ll always want to have some of these on hand! And an extra bonus? They are vegan too (for those of you who watch that kind of thing!)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Energy Bites

Ingredients

1 ½ cup dried dates, chopped
1/2-¾ cup peanut butter
½ cup unsweetened flaked coconut
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
½-2/3 cup old-fashioned oatmeal (start with 1/2 cup and add more if it's still too sticky)

Instructions

Place dates and peanut butter in food processor. Cover and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Add coconut, cocoa powder and oatmeal until fully blended. The mixture will form a ball and be very sticky. Using a 1-inch scoop, form balls and place on baking sheet lined with silicone mat or parchment paper. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving. May be kept in refrigerator for up to a week or frozen for up to three months.

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Just a few simple, natural ingredients is all it takes to whip up these delicious, nutritious sweet bites.

Dates and peanut butter ready to be blended!

Blend the dates and peanut butter first until a creamy mixture forms.

After you’ve blended the dates and peanut butter, add the rest of the ingredients. Just a few quick pulses is all it takes!

Use a scooper to help make rolling into balls a bit easier.

All the balls are ready to be chilled then enjoyed!

Bloggers, Join the Eating The Alphabet Healthy Recipe Challenge!

For all the details check out my post from earlier this year (or if you are a blogger and want to join in, there is a sign-up form to complete which you can find here).

Don’t forget to check out the Eating the Alphabet Pinterest board. There you can keep track of all the recipes that are added month-to-month but also find new recipes from last year too. What’s your favorite fruit, vegetable, grain or legume that starts with the letter C or D? Be sure to check out all the other blogs shown below to discover new recipes and ideas!

Filed Under: Letter C or D, recipe ideas, Recipe-Eating the Alphabet, Recipe-Snacks, Recipe-Sweet Treats

Easy Homemade Stovetop Mac & Cheese Recipe

March 1, 2013 By Meal Plan Mom (Brenda) 2 Comments

Easy Homemade Stovetop Mac & Cheese Recipe | Meal Planning Magic

My kids love macaroni and cheese. Shoot, I do too! I craved that stuff in the little blue box when I was pregnant with my son! But after I started learning what was in those box mixes, I decided I wanted to try and find a recipe that I could make from scratch. It was somewhat challenging to find a recipe that provided the convenience of the box mixes with the same creamy texture and flavor that we liked.

Several of the recipes I first tried included mustard but my family didn’t care for that flavor so I continued my search. Then I came upon a recipe for a basic cheese sauce and knew it would be a great start. I modified it a bit to make it better for pasta (and with more cheesy flavor) and it was a hit!

Of course, you know I like to see if things freeze well so I can take it one step further to make meal prep even easier! So I tested this by freezing some of the leftover sauce and when I thawed and reheated it, it was just fine. Yay for extra simplicity. So feel free to make up a big batch of this sauce so you can freeze it into smaller portions for a quick and easy meal or side dish. I’ll be adding this to my

I hope you enjoy it too!

Easy Homemade Stovetop Mac & Cheese Recipe

Ingredients

3 cups 1% low-fat milk, divided
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoons salt
1 – 1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
¼-½ teaspoon ground black pepper, to taste
16 oz. whole wheat pasta (gemelli or shells work well), uncooked

Instructions

FOR SAUCE:
Combine 1 cup milk and flour, using whisk to blend into a smooth mixture. Stir in remaining 2 cups milk and salt and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often to avoid burning or sticking. Turn heat to low and simmer for about 3 minutes, until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add shredded cheese and pepper, stirring until cheese is melted. Set aside.
FOR PASTA:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.
FOR MAC & CHEESE:
Add cheese sauce over cooked pasta in pan and serve.

Notes

TIP! This sauce freezes well! Add to freezer safe containers, then label and freeze. When ready to use, thaw sauce over low heat in pot or in microwave until melted and warm, stirring well to recombine and make smooth. Add cooked pasta for a quick and easy meal or side dish!

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Just a few simple ingredients to a delicious mac & cheese!

Blend a bit of the milk and flour to make a smooth mixture.

Slowly pour in the milk.

Remove the pan from the heat before adding the cheese to avoid curdling.

Love this golden yellow!

Filed Under: Real Food, recipe ideas, Recipe-Family Friendly, Recipe-Freezer Friendly, Recipe-Make Ahead, Recipe-Pasta, Recipe-Quick & Easy, Recipe-Real Food Fridays

Easy Beet Chips {Eating the Alphabet series} #EatA2ZRecipeChallenge

February 15, 2013 By Meal Plan Mom (Brenda) 5 Comments

Easy Beet Chips recipe | #EatA2ZRecipeChallenge | Meal Planning Magic

Welcome to the first month of the Eating the Alphabet Healthy Recipe Challenge for 2013! This blog hop will feature fruits, vegetables, grains or legumes to help us discover delicious new ways to enjoy these healthy foods. And hopefully make some of them a lot less intimidating! Each month we’ll choose from a couple of different letters (this month it is A or B) so we can explore a variety of options. For all the details check out my post from last month (or if you are a blogger and want to join in, there is a sign-up form to complete). http://www.mealplanningmagic.com/2013/01/eating-the-alphabet-healthy-recipe-challenge-new-for-2013.html

This month I chose beets! I’ll admit I haven’t tried many dishes with beets unless you count the occasional pickled beets on a salad bar. But did you know that beets are a great choice for cardiovascular health? They are a rich source of betaine which helps lessen your body’s concentration of homocysteine, which can be harmful to your blood vessels. Beets also reduce high blood pressure. And they are also a great source of vitamin C.

There is a local restaurant that my husband and I like to go to called Guru Burgers & Crepes. I love that they use a lot of organic and locally sourced ingredients. But their food is also super delicious! It was there that we first tried beet chips. They come as an option for a side dish. We could not stop munching on these! They are slightly sweet and salty. And I love that they are all natural and healthier for us too.

I’ve wanted to try and make them at home. I’ve made kale chips before so why not beet chips? These were SO easy! And they tasted almost like the ones we got at the restaurant (not quite as crispy but maybe because mine were baked and not fried).

Easy Beet Chips {Eating the Alphabet series} #EatA2ZRecipeChallenge

Ingredients

3 medium sized beets, thinly sliced
½-1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tsp. sea salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside (this will help keep your baking sheet from staining)
Trim stem and leaves from beets (save for another use like pureeing into a smoothie).
Scrub beets then slice VERY thinly. It might be helpful to use a mandolin if you have one (I didn’t—I just used a big chef’s knife).
Toss sliced beets with olive oil and salt and spread out in single layer on prepared baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or longer, until crispy. Flip partway through to achieve more "crisp". Cool and enjoy!

Notes

TIP: use a darker cutting board if you have one. I have a red one so used that to prevent staining.

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They may not look very beautiful on the outside but on the inside these beets is a gorgeous red color waiting to be eaten!

Just a few simple ingredients are all you need to make delicious beet chips!

I used a red cutting mat to avoid staining on my white cutting board.

All the beet sliced and ready on parchment paper to be baked.

I used tongs to flip them partway through so they would crisp on both sides!

I will definitely be making these again and hopefully expanding my repertoire when it comes to beets.

One thing I know I want to try is making all-natural food dyes. Recently, for my daughter’s birthday party, we got her cake from Whole Foods (her birthday is very near the holidays and I just wasn’t up to baking it myself). It was fantastic and best of all everything is all natural! The pinks and blues of the flowers were made from beet and purple cabbage “dye”. One other great thing is that the quarter sheet cake was no more expensive than a cake of similar size from another bakery. Ok, that was a little tangent but it has made me more intrigued to discover new uses for beets!

Be sure to check out all the other blogs shown below to discover new recipes and ideas!

Filed Under: recipe ideas, Recipe-Eating the Alphabet

Chicken, Rice & Bean Tortilla Soup {Real Food Friday}

January 18, 2013 By Meal Plan Mom (Brenda) 3 Comments

Chicken Rice & Bean Tortilla Soup | Meal Planning Magic | #soup

Real Food Fridays are back! Perhaps you were starting to think that the only thing I knew how to do was bake cookies for the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats. I’m hoping to bring back this feature on a more semi-regular basis. Now on to the recipe.

I have been making this soup forever! I got it originally from a recipe I clipped out of the newspaper back when I was in college (and that really was forever ago!). It was based on a famous Houston area restaurant’s recipe but over the years I have tweaked it and made it my own. My family loves it and I love that it is so easy to put together!

Did you know that January is National Soup Month? Well, it only makes sense since it is winter here in the U.S. and it feels so good to warm up with a hot bowl of homemade soup! (We also love this Homemade Chicken Noodle soup)

Love soup as much as I do? How about organizing a Soup Swap? The concept is simple: Make soup, get together with friends and bring your soup, swap soups into different freezable containers and take home a variety of soups to enjoy later. Easy, fun and delicious!

What’s your favorite kind of soup? I hope you’ll give this one a try too!

Chicken, Rice & Beans Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

1/2 cup sliced green onions, including tops
1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies, undrained (or use one small fresh jalapeno, diced)
2 cups chicken or turkey breast, cubed (shredded rotisserie chicken works great for this too!
1 14.5 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels, uncooked
2 cups rice, uncooked (white converted or brown works best)
2 cups water
1 tablespoons lime juice
Tortilla chips
2 cups low-fat, part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
Sliced avocados, optional
Salt and pepper to taste.

Instructions

In Dutch oven or large saucepan, sauté onion in oil over medium heat. Add chicken broth, tomatoes with green chilies, chopped green chilies, chicken or turkey breast, beans, corn and rice. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in lime juice. Just before serving, pour into soup bowls; top with tortilla chips and shredded mozzarella cheese and optional avocado. Makes 4-6 servings.

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Filed Under: recipe ideas, Recipe-Soup/Sauces

Eating the Alphabet Healthy Recipe Challenge–New for 2013!

January 15, 2013 By Meal Plan Mom (Brenda) 11 Comments

Last year I started the Eating the Alphabet Challenge as a way to encourage myself and others to make foods that featured fruits, vegetables, grains or legumes (beans!) I was inspired by the book by Lois Ehlert by the same name, but mainly I was inspired because I feel like these foods are often one of the last things thought about when it comes to making meals for our families. Sure, it’s easy to cut up some fruit or veggies to serve raw along with your meal but how about recipes that FEATURE those ingredients? Since my repertoire was somewhat limited I thought others’ might be too.

I had a group of dedicated bloggers that joined me each month by sharing their recipes. Many of which have pinned their recipes to the Eating the Alphabet Pinterest board (and we have nearly 1,000 followers as of today with new followers weekly!) I’m reading for a new round in 2013 to start again in February. Read on for more details!

Here’s a round up of the recipes I featured on my blog in 2012:

Love the caramelization on these sprouts!

Letter A or B- Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Letter C or D-Balsamic Parmesan Cauliflower

Letter E or F-Easy Eggplant Parmesan

Some of it got a little overcooked–shh, don’t tell! Just look at the prettier green florets!

Letter G or H–Ginger Garlic Broccoli

Letter I or J–Jicama, Avocado and Crab Salad

Letter K or L—Fruity Kiwi Salsa

Letter M, N or O–Mango Quesadillas

Letter P, Q, R–Peach Pecan Muffins

Letter S or T–Tomatillo Salsa with Sweet Potato Chips

Letter U, V or W—Watermelon Lemonade Slush

Letter X, Y, Z—MIA (did anyone notice—I just never got to it—doh!)

Who’s ready for the 2013 Challenge? If you’re a blogger, read on for more details on how you can share your recipes each month. If you’re not a blogger, that’s ok! You can still follow along by checking out the posts on the 15th of each month for new recipes and ideas for eating more fruits and vegetables! We’re kicking thing off in February so be on the lookout!

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Join the Eating the Alphabet Challenge!
Every month I will post a recipe for the letter that we’re on. Since it’s a monthly challenge, I’ve paired up most letters and for some of the more difficult letters, made groups of three. If you’re a blogger, you can prepare and post about your own recipe. If you’re a reader, then add your own ideas in the comments each month.
It’s easy to join! Just complete the form below. After it’s received you will be added and receive a monthly email with more details on what to do. Please allow a couple of days to receive the email as I will do them in batches rather than each individual entry. There are a few simple rules to follow so that we can all benefit from what this linkup is intended to be all about!
< strong>Who:
Bloggers who want to try out and share via a post on their own blog featuring a vegetable, fruit, grain or legume that corresponds to different letters of the alphabet each month.

What:
Choose a recipe from any source. It could be from another blog (credit, please, if so!), one you found in a favorite magazine, cookbook or online, or even a recipe you’ve prepared for years. Just be sure to include the recipe in your post!

When: *Change from 2012*
I will be approving the link-ups on the 15th of each month but you can link up any time within the month if you have the code in your blog. You do not need to post on this day but I just ask that your post be no more than a month old. I will be posting mine on the 15th of each month so if you want to be linked up at the same time and receive maximum exposure, plan to have yours linked on or before that day!

Why:
The main reason is so that we can develop a resource that makes eating fruits and vegetables fun and interesting for our families. Another benefit is to increase traffic to your blog and because it’s fun!

Commitment Level:
Once you’ve entered your info. into the form below I will have it forever. I will be touching base with you via email each month to see who’s in and who’s not so you can participate some months and other months maybe not. Think of it as a personal challenge as well as a blogging challenge to try new recipes!

The Fine Print—Keeping With the Theme & Keeping it Timely:
I will be checking each of the linkup entries to see if it fits with that month’s criteria. PLEASE do not link up any old random blog post. It must be from THAT month’s challenge theme letters. If you try to link up anything that does not meet the criteria, it will not be approved. I just want to make sure all of our readers are getting what they hoped for. I’m sure I’m not the only one that has clicked on a link thinking I’m getting more ideas to a specific theme and realize that it’s not at all related. No one likes to waste their time, right?

Here’s the form…be sure to include your Social Media links as well so I can follow you and add you to the group Pinterest board so you can pin your posts each month. As of today, there are nearly 1,000 followers!

Any questions, please use the contact form to send me a message. Happy cooking and recipe sharing!

Filed Under: Eating The Alphabet, recipe ideas