Chicken Broccoli Casserole *without the cream of chicken soup.

Some people hate Disney, others hate Walmart(can't blame them), but I hate cream of whatever soups.  I absolutely will not ever use them.  Loaded with MSG, oil, sodium and who knows what else - if a recipe calls for them - I don't even consider it.  I know, I'm a snob.

So today, with a surplus of broccoli in my fridge I thought a broccoli casserole would be just the way to go only to discover that EVERY recipe under the sun requires the use of some can of creamed soup.   Still wanting the casserole, I knew it was time to figure out how to make my own cream of chicken soup.  So with this recipe for cream of chicken soup in hand, I made a good old fashioned broccoli casserole without too much guilt or MSG! 

I love the cream of chicken recipe from Apartment Therapy's kitchn site.  It seriously took like a minute and a half.  And here is my completely made up and RIDICULOUSLY yummy recipe for

Broccoli Chicken Rice Casserole:

1 C Brown Rice
1 Chicken Breast - salt and peppered
1 large head of Broccoli - chopped up to smallish pieces - abt 4 cups
2 - 3 cloves of garlic - minced
1 yellow bell pepper - diced
Salt & Pepper and other spices to taste(I dashed in some dried basil and oregano)
A double recipe of cream of chicken soup
3(ish) cups of sharp cheddar - grated
1/2 C Wheat Germ



Start cooking one cup of brown rice in 3 cups of water first - this will take about 45-50 minutes so start early.   Next add some butter and olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium high heat.   Add your chicken breast and cover with a little bit of tin foil and cook until no longer pink - about 6-8 minutes per side.  Remove your chicken and leave the drippings - and add a little more oil to the pan.  Add your garlic - cooking for about 30 seconds and then add the broccoli, peppers, salt and pepper and spices and a little bit of water - stir and cover for about 5 minutes until slightly softened and quite flavorful.   While it's cooking dice your chicken breast up and  put it in a large bowl.  Once your veggie mixture and rice are done - throw them in as well as the 2 cups of the cheese and the soup and stir it all together.  Lightly spray a 9 x 13 casserole and put the mixture in.   Top with the remaining cheese and the wheat germ and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until the cheese is melted and a little golden.  And then prepare yourself for a ridiculously good and pretty darn healthy comfort food for dinner!

Popcorn

Did you know that popcorn is actually a really good snack idea?  We eat tons of it around here.  Here is some info on the health benefits of popcorn:

     A new study carried out at the University of Scranton showed that popcorn has some surprising health benefits. Popcorn is high in antioxidants, most notably, polyphenols – a group of natural plant chemicals that have a variety of health benefits. Polyphenols are the same group of compounds that give red wine, tea, olive oil, and chocolate their beneficial properties. Not only do they scavenge free radicals and protect against cell damage, they’re being investigated for their anti-cancer properties and heart protective properties. In fact, the researchers found that the polyphenol content of good, old-fashioned popcorn rivals that of many fruits and vegetables.
     Another health benefit of popcorn? It’s a whole grain in the same league as oatmeal, barley, brown rice, and millet – grains that are known for their health benefits. All of these grains retain the bran and germ of the plant which is the source of most of the vitamins and minerals - in contrast to refined grains where these vitamin-rich components have been stripped away. Three cups of popcorn is equivalent to a single serving of a whole grain food. Popcorn is also a good source of fiber which helps to increase satiety and give a sense of fullness and satisfaction that lasts for hours. This can be helpful for weight control since popcorn without butter is low in calories.

Though popcorn is my snack of choice, I am really really REALLY against microwave popcorn.  Ok, so maybe I overstated that a bit but I just can't bring myself to buy it.  It's sooo overpriced, it's REALLY awful for you, and it makes your house smell like fake "popcorn scent" for days.   I know, my horse has gotten so high I just might hurt myself.  Really though,  here is some interesting info I found on another site about microwave popcorn:

      A report from the FDA indicates that a chemical coating used in microwave popcorn bags breaks down when heated into a substance called perfluorooctanoic (PFOA). The Environmental Protection Agency has identified PFOA as a “likely carcinogen.” Another study has found an acid that can be extracted from the chemical causes cancer in animals and is “likely to cause cancer in humans.”
       A second potential danger in microwave popcorn is diacetyl, an FDA-approved chemical found in the fake butter flavoring. There’s even a debilitating respiratory disease called “popcorn workers lung,” (the medical name of the condition is bronchiolitis obliterans) suffered by microwave popcorn factory workers caused by extended inhalation of the chemical’s fumes. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, (NIOSH) concluded that diacetyl needs further study so that workers in the flavorings and snack industry are no longer at risk

  And now that I've gotten you good and scared about eating it anymore let me tell you some other options.  First off, you can cook it in a little oil on your stovetop.  There's some instruction for that here.

Or did you know that you can make your own microwaveable popcorn with a cheap paper bag?  Click here to read more about that.

Or you can use my method of choice - the air popper.

We own a simple air popper that we got at the grocery store and we are totally happy with it.  Even though it's loud, here's what I like aboutit - I can make a serious amount of popcorn instead of the small amount I'd get in a bag.  I've got four boys so that is important to me.   Second, I can pour the popcorn in and walk away.  I don't have to worry about anything burning or scorching or being undercooked.  The popped kernels fly out and the old maids that take a little longer stay in until they're ready.  And lastly, it's a clean slate - I can add or not add oil, salt, or other flavorings.

Our favorite way to eat popcorn is to drizzle on some extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle some nutritional yeast flakes on and add a little salt.  Nutritional yeast is a heavy hitter when it comes to nutrition and it gives the popcorn a really good savory flavor that my kids go nuts for.   And for a sweet treat just like Kettle Corn but much healthier try drizzling on some maple syrup and a dash of salt.

Recipe: Slow-cooker Black Beans & Rice

This morning as I was going through my options for dinner I knew I had a bag of black beans, knew I wanted to be able to throw them into a pot and forget about them, and knew I wanted to have a tasty (and cheap) dish for dinner.  So beans and rice it was.  I got this recipe by doing a quick search on the internet.  It was simple - I cut it all up and threw it in the crock pot and my kids loved it - my toddler ate two big bowls of it!  Not to mention it was all REAL food.  The recipe calls for canned tomatoes but  I used fresh partly because of this article and partly because I had a couple ripe romas sitting on my counter in need of eating.  And we ate it on white rice just because we were out of brown. But it would have been good on brown as well.

I got a new crock pot (or slow cooker) back in December and it has rejuvenated my desire to cook this way.  It makes it possible to make some really healthy soups, stews, and main dishes with very little work.  If you've got one you know what I'm talking about and if you don't - you're really missing out.

Here's the recipe:

1	pound dried black beans (2 cups), sorted and rinsed
1	large onion, chopped (1 cup)
1	large bell pepper, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
5	garlic cloves, finely chopped
2	dried bay leaves
2	cups diced tomatoes (from 28-oz can), undrained
5	cups water
2	tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
4	teaspoons ground cumin
2	teaspoons finely chopped jalapeño chilies
1	teaspoon salt
3	cups hot cooked rice

1. Mix all ingredients except rice in 3 1/2- to 6-quart slow cooker.

2. Cover and cook on high heat setting 6 to 8 hours or until beans are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove bay leaves.

3. Serve beans over rice. We added lime and cilantro to really make it authentic. Easy, healthy, yummy!