I've come to decide that nothing tastes better in the middle of the winter than a steaming bowl of warm soup. Chicken noodle soup came to mind right away, but after some additional pondering, I decided I wanted to try something new and unfamiliar. Enter Curried Chicken and Rice Soup.

T & I are of the opinion that curry is much under-appreciated in the midwest (and by midwest, I mean the state of Iowa and Western Wisconsin). Unfortunate, considering how delicious it is. Curry, which originates in Southern and Southeastern Asian countries, is a blend of spices and herbs, usually including chilis, that can be either dry or wet...aka powder or paste form. Curry powder, used in this recipe, is most common in Western cooking, and is readily available in the spice section of most grocery stores. For the more adventurous cook, you can find curry paste in the international aisle at the most grocery stores.

Step One: Gather the ingredients. Combine the chicken, carrots, celery, bay leaf and a pinch of salt in a soup pot. Add 4 C chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to low, cover and cook until the chicken is firm, about 20 minutes. Remove, let cool, an shred with two forks. 

While the chicken is cooking, in a separate pot, make the rice & onion mixture. After cooking, use an immersion blender to puree the rice until smooth. Once pureed, add to the chicken stock. NOTE: If you do not have an immersion blender, you can pour the rice mixture into a regular blender, and blend a little at a time.

Mince the fresh dill and mint and add to the soup. Don't forget the lemon! It's not just for looks. Make sure you squeeze the juices right onto the soup, it makes a world of difference to the overall flavor profile. DELICIOUS! T & I will definitely be adding this soup to our go-to dinner recipes!

Recipe adapted from Food Network

CURRIED CHICKEN AND RICE SOUP WITH LEMON | Yield: 8 servings | Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds bone-in chicken breast (about 3-4 breasts)
6 medium carrots, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 bay leaf
kosher salt
8 C low-sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 large onion, very thinly sliced
1 tsp sugar
3 tsp curry powder
3/4 C jasmine rice
3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh mint
3 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 lemon, cut into slices or wedges

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the chicken, carrots, celery, bay leaf and a pinch of salt in a soup pot. Add 4 C chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to low, cover and cook until the chicken is firm, about 20 minutes.

In a separate saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat. Add onion, sugar and 1 tsp salt. Cook 5 minutes, until the onion is soft. Add the curry powder and cook for 1 minute. Add the rice and the remaining 4 C chicken broth. Increase the heat to medium, cover and simmer 15-20 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the soup pot; discard the skin and shred the meat into pieces using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the broth.

Using an immersion blender, puree the rice mixture until smooth.* Pour the rice mixture into the soup pot, stirring to combine. Bring to a simmer and add the chopped herbs. Serve the soup with two slices of lemon, or one wedge.

*NOTE: If you don't have an immersion blender, use a regular blender, and blend a little at a time.

Old-Fashioned Meatloaf

On occasion, I find myself craving one of the ultimate comfort foods...no, not my most common go to - Macaroni & Cheese - but equally comforting meatloaf. There are insane amounts of meatloaf recipes floating around, the most appreciated usually being your own mother's version. For those of you out there that despised whatever family recipe you were forced to choke down as a child, I urge you to give it a second chance.

Meatloaf featured on the menu at least once a month for most of my childhood. By no means am I complaining. It was usually accompanied by another kiddo delight...tator tots...which T & I may or may not have indulged in for last night's meal. Moving on. While I appreciate and enjoy my mama's meatloaf, I was hoping to find a way to pack in more veggies than the standard onions mixed with meat, and ketchup topping used in almost all meatloaf recipes.

Lucky for you, I stumbled across a gem of an easy recipe, and altered it slightly to up the ante and include lots'o'veggies. YUM!

Step One: Gather the ingredients.

Step Two: Mix all of the meatloaf ingredients and ketchup glaze ingredients together. Press the meat mixture into the baking dish to make a loaf, of shape to your dish. Spread the ketchup glaze on top.

Step Three: Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and bake for 1 hour.

Step Four: Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving, then enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Food Network

OLD-FASHIONED MEATLOAF | Yield: 6-8 servings | Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 large red onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes with juice
3/4 C quick-cooking oats

Ketchup Topping:

2/3 C ketchup
4 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp prepared mustard

NOTE: I used grass-fed local organic ground beef for this recipe. I happened to be at the organic grocery store shopping for ingredients, and that's what I came across. You can use regular ground beef just as easily. I personally find that organic meat is usually more flavorful. If you get a chance to try it out for yourself, I'd love to hear your thoughts, or if you know anywhere in NW Iowa where I can purchase it!

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix all meatloaf ingredients together, and transfer to a glass baking dish. Pat down to shape of baking dish.

NOTE: I used a 8" x 10" baking dish, but whatever you have available is fine.

Ketchup Topping:

Mix all ketchup topping ingredients together and spread on top of meatloaf in dish. Bake for 1 hour. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

Do you have a favorite meatloaf recipe?

Cheesy Corn with Red Pepper Flakes

There may not be an easier side dish that requires less time and tastes as amazing as this recipe. NO JOKE. Not to downplay, but when I came across this recipe, I didn't expect much. I had all of the ingredients on hand, so thought I'd give it a whirl since I didn't want to spend much time on a side dish for my main meal. WOW! T & I were thoroughly impressed. Not only does this dish pack in the veggies, it also has some kick to boot! Yum.Yum.Yum. Seriously. Try it.

We liked it so much that I think next time I will make a meal of it. I like to think of it as a veggie mac & cheese, without the mac, and with LOTS of healthy veggies to balance out the cheese. This recipe could easily be doubled, tripled, or quadrupled. If you do decide to make more, I would suggest cutting down on the salt, and just seasoning after cooking if you feel like you need or want more.

Step One: Gather the ingredients.

Step Two: Melt butter, saute chopped green pepper 5 minutes. Add the remaining veggies and seasonings and heat for another 5 minutes.

Step Three: Sprinkle in the cheese just before serving.

Step Four: Be amazed at how delicious this simple dish is!

Recipe adapted from Budget Savvy Diva

CHEESY CORN WITH RED PEPPER FLAKES | Yield: 2 servings | Total Time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1 can (14.5oz) corn (approx. 2 C)
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
3/4 C tomato, chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 C cheddar cheese, shredded
1 Tbsp butter

NOTE: I used a can of corn, but frozen or fresh corn would easily work for this recipe. You could also try adding additional veggies if there are others that you like or have on hand. Jalepenos, red bell peppers, and red or green onions would all make excellent additions.

DIRECTIONS:

Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add chopped green peppers, and saute 5 minutes. Drain corn (if using from can), and add to skillet along with tomatoes, salt, pepper, red chili flakes. Continue heating, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

Just before serving, mix in shredded cheese until melted.

This side would be excellent with any grilled meat or BBQ dish, or served on it's own as a veggie alternative to Mac & Cheese.

Do you have any favorite side dishes that don't take much time?

Chipotle Orange Chicken with Cilantro Lime Rice

Mmmm...The sweet tangy citrusy taste of orange, and the spicy smoky flavor of chipotle in adobo. Mix the two together, and its like....like....like magic. Like quite possibly fireworks like magic. Hold onto your hats folks, because this one is for the books.

Believe me, this chicken recipe is a stunner, and perfect for a QUICK and EASY weeknight dinner. Listen up all you single men out there...this one's for you! Luckily for me, T likes to prove his prowess not only at work, but also in the kitchen. He took the reigns and made this delicious recipe all by himself. I am so proud. Not only did I not have to cook, but this recipe was simple enough for him to follow and turned out quite impressive.

Step One: Gather the ingredients.

Step Two: Saute the chicken, remove to a plate and tent with foil. Make the sauce and add chicken back to skillet, turning to coat.

Recipe adapted from Clean Eating Mag and SkinnyTaste

CHIPOTLE ORANGE CHICKEN WITH CILANTRO LIME RICE | Yield: 4 servings | Total Time: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
1 tsp olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, rinsed and patted dry, pounded 1/2-inch thick
2 oranges, juiced
4 Tbsp pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp chipotle chilis in adobo sauce, chopped
2 tsp adobo sauce (from can of chipotle chilis)
2 tsp orange zest

CILANTRO LIME RICE
1 C extra long grain or jasmine rice
1/2 lime, juiced
2 C water
1 tsp salt
3 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
3 tsp olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin and 1/4 tsp salt. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the chicken with chili-cumin mixture, and cook 3-4 minutes per side, or until it is no longer pink in the middle. Remove from to a plate and tent with foil while preparing the orange-chipotle glaze.

Add maple syrup and the juice from 2 oranges to the bits left in the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in chipotle chilis, adobo sauce and orange zest. Add chicken back to the skillet, and cook for 2 minutes, turning constantly to coat.

Serve chicken over cilantro-lime rice.

CILANTRO LIME RICE

In a small pot, add rice, water, 1 tsp oil and salt. Boil on high until most of the water evaporates. When the water just skims the top of the rice, reduce to low and cover about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and keep covered an additional 5 minutes before serving.