Ranch Chicken Tacos

Here is for super easy and delicious tacos!
(I never measure so you might have to take your best guess as to how much)

Put in crock pot (either on low for 4 or 5 hours or on high for 2 hours)
(2) Chicken breasts
(1 1/2 C) Chicken broth
(1 t) taco seasoning
1 packet ranch dressing mix- I didn't have it so I literally squirted some from the bottle and it tasted just as good!

Shred the chicken (put it back in the juice so it soaks up more flavor).  Juice will be runny, like water, so you might have to get the chicken out with a slotted spoon or drain it. 

Put it in your tacos with your favorite taco fixings. We love corn tortillas..warm them up on the stove so they tase fresh.  Also, limes are a must.  Yummy.

Roasted Vegetables

Maybe I am just behind in my culinary knowledge, but the last while I have discovered how amazing roasted vegetables are. I have always been one to steam or boil vegetables, but since roasting them, we have discovered a whole new world of taste! Truly, most have been amazing! Try it! We just but a little oil and salt (or whatever seasoning you want) with the vegetables on a cookie sheet and pop them in the oven. Depending on the vegetable, it can take anywhere from 10-30 minutes. Usually around 15-20. Here's a list of what we have loved - ASPARAGUS, broccoli, ZUCCHINI, summer squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, I'm sure there are more.

Last Saturday in our Bountiful Basket, we got something that looked like this:

I surely did not know what it was so after a little research, I my best guess is something called salad savoy which is a cross between cabbage and kale. It tastes like cabbage, but the leaves are more like a lettuce or kale I suppose. Well, the recipe that looked most appealing was simply roasting the leaves with a little oil and salt to make a light, crunchy, chip-like thing. I tried it last night and it was DELICIOUS! I wanted more. I think we'll definitely do that to the rest of the bunch. I'm not sure if you can find salad savoy in a grocery store, but I'm guessing kale would be just as delicious! Try it!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is a good soup! It's very thin, like broth, but when you add the toppings, it turns super delicious! The avocado is what makes this soup for me! So, wait until you have some to make it! For Dave, it's the fried tortilla strips and creaminess from the cheese and sour cream.


Some chicken - shredded or chunked, seasoned or not
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 cans chicken broth
1 15-oz. can chopped or diced tomatoes
2 jalapeno peppers (I left these out)
1/4 c. fresh lime juice (3-4 limes)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

TOPPINGS:
Store-bought tortilla chips, or 2-3 corn tortillas fried in oil in a frying pan
Sliced avocado
Grated cheese
1/4 c. cilantro
Sour cream

In a large stockpot, heat some olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and saute 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and minced jalapeno and cook a few minutes more until pepper is softened and garlic is fragrant. Add chicken broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer 15-20 minutes.
While soup is simmering, juice the limes and set aside. Start preparing the toppings: grate the cheese, chop the cilantro, cut up the avocado, and fry the tortillas. Right before serving, add lime juice and chicken to the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle soup into the bowls and add desired toppings.