Dinner



It's important. 

To eat dinner.  In case you didn't know what I was referring to.

I cooked this week.  A lot.  But I figured that I would just share the winners. 

Because your time is precious.  And also because it is no fun sharing the boring meals.

And just in case you wanted to know.... I'm sitting outside right now.  In perfect weather.  Watching my husband prepare our dinner for tonight.  And thinking that I might want to quit my job and become a back porch dweller.  Forever. 

Or at least until it gets really hot outside.  And then I would rather be an "under the fan-in air conditioning" couch dweller.

But you get the idea.  I just love this time of year.

So, this week was all about making meals that would last for days.  Meals that we could eat for lunches and dinners without getting bored.

I think I was successful.

I made this on Wednesday...

General Tsao Chicken.

We are HUGE fans of Asian food.  It has definitely become quite the favorite around this household.  So when I found the special sauce at The Fresh Market, I knew that I had to make this meal for Kev. 

He had requested it before when I used to get take out.

And I say "used to" because nowadays I try to plan enough in advance to not have to get take out.  It also helps with the "budget"... if you know what I mean.

Anyway, there was another lady buying the sauce on the same day.  And she suggested buying Chick-fil-a nuggets to put in the meal.  I thought it was a great idea until I priced the nuggets and realized that in order to buy enough to make the meal worthwhile, I would have to take a second mortgage out on my house.

Chick-fil-a, I love you.  But you are VERY expensive.

So, I used organic chicken breast.  And followed the recipe on the bottle of sauce.

It was so easy.  And yummy.

I had a "Girl's Night" dinner to go to the night I made it.  So, I let Kev choose what kind of rice he wanted to eat with it.  He chose white. 

I gladly obliged.  There is only so much brown rice a growing boy can eat, you know.

I had a bite before I left for the dinner.  And I LOVED it. 

I would definitely make it again.  And again.  And again. 

And here is where I would show you a picture of the sauce.   Just in case you wanted to buy it.  But because it is SO hard to maneuver pictures around in blogger you will just have to wait until the end of the post.  Because for some reason when I post pictures they like to move all around and do whatever they want.

It is like having teenagers.  Which is why I don't have them.  :)

On to the next meal.

Chicken Tortilla Soup.

The recipe is from Jenna.  At Eat Live Run.  She is fabulous!! And creates the most delicious recipes. 

And this is where I am going to suggest that you check out HER pictures instead of depending on mine to give you an idea of how the meal will turn out. 

Because mine look a little bizarre.  AND BURNED.

The recipe started with charring a poblano pepper.  I've never charred anything before.  Besides a marshmallow.  And maybe a hotdog.  So, it was new to me to put a perfectly beautiful hot pepper under the broiler and watch it burn to death.

While it was screaming for it's life, I sliced up some corn tortilla.  Because it is tortilla soup.  And it was necessary.

Then after following the recipe perfectly, this is what I had in my Dutch Oven.

I'm assuming hoping that the black charred bits floating around were from the poblano pepper.  Regardless, the soup didn't taste burned.  So, the black floaters were for looks?  Yes, that is what I'm going to say. 

Kev insisted on me getting a picture of his bowl of soup.  Because it was full of sour cream and cheese.  And he thought it made it "prettier" than mine.

I LOVED the soup.  It was SO filling and delicious.  And anything with peppers in it makes me foam at the mouth.

Literally.

And actually I am still eating it today.  Because the recipe makes a TON. 

I decided to serve it with these delicious chips.

As you know we have been trying healthy chip upon healthy chip.  And NONE of them disappoint!! I am so happy to say that we have gotten past the time of baked tortilla chips.  There are SO many options these days.  And they are so extremely healthy.  And freaking delicious.

In fact, Kev prefers the protein filled healthy flaxseed chips over the regular Tostitos that I have been purchasing for him for years.

It is crazy but true.

Please make this Chicken Tortilla Soup.  You will be so glad you did!

And finally, I would like to show you the picture of the General Tsao sauce.  The picture that REFUSED to post in the order that I wanted it to.  And decided to go to the end of the post and over to the right. 

I hope you all are having an amazing weekend.  And able to enjoy this beautiful weather. 

I am about to go dig in to some scrumptious BBQ.  And I will tell you all about it tomorrow. 

If I don't pass out from happiness.