Coconut Curry Chicken Lentil Soup Recipe

Disclosure: I’d like to Thank Canadian Lentils for the Gift Pack I recently received. I was able to connect with Canadian Lentils up close and personal at Mom 2.0 Summit back in May. #LoveLentils

I had the opportunity to create my own lentils in a jar at Mom 2.0. It was a curry based lentil that I could easily prepare and add chicken as an option. Red split lentils were used to prepare this delicious soup. This was my first time preparing Coconut Curry Chicken Lentil Soup. It was very easy to prepare. Everything was completed in under an hour and it feeds about 5-6 people. Lentils are a healthy option and great to add to your soup, salad or baked goods. Lentils are great for baking, boiling, grilling or frying.

Soups are a quick and easy meal to prepare especially in the Fall and Winter months when you just want a warm filling meal. It seems that I cook more soup and chili style dishes when the weather gets cooler. I haven’t really used my crock pot but, I need to change that. There are so many great crock pot recipes that you can quickly prepare. The ease of letting it cook while you handle other things you need to do. That’s my kind of cooking! There’s a variety of crock pot recipes on the Lentils website.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 5-6

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups red lentils
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
  • 1/4 tsp salt, pepper & tumeric
  • 1 1/2 cups boneless chicken, cubed
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 1 pinch of thyme

Optional:
Dumplings
Pasta
Rice

Directions:

Place water and coconut milk into a large pot and bring to boil on medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and let simmer for about 30 minutes.

Next, add lentils, spices and chicken. (I used raw chicken and had it cook with the soup. You can precook your chicken and add it if you prefer to do it that way.) cook 10-15 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients and stir until spinach has wilted completely. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

How do you like to prepare your Lentils?

Bourbon Balls Recipe for the Holidays

One of my favorite treats to make during the holiday season is Rum Balls or Bourbon Balls. It’s an easy no-bake recipe for the BEST cookie cocktail. There are so many recipes that differ with certain ingredients and the measurement of the liquor(s) involved. Be forewarned that eating one of my Balls of Bourbon is like drinking a shot of liquor! I always tell people NOT to eat too many because you will start to get a BUZZ! Lol! You can definitely get tipsy off of one too many Balls of Bourbon.

Rum Balls or Bourbon Balls are a great holiday pot luck contribution. It’s also great for holiday parties and holiday dinners. It can easily be used as pre dinner party hors d’oeuvres or after dinner dessert with other sweet treats. This year in addition to the Balls of Bourbon we are making deep fried Oreos, Brownies and Cupcakes. I think that should be enough to soothe our craving for sweets this holiday weekend. The recipe is easy to make and the hardest part is waiting for them to be ready to eat!

balls-of-bourbon

Ingredients:

2 12 oz. boxes of Nabisco Vanilla Wafers
8 tbsps. Light corn syrup
2 cups cocoa powder
1 cup Rum
1 cup Bourbon
5 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp salt
Nuts (Optional)

Preparation:

Set aside 2 cups powdered sugar to roll the balls in. Crush the Vanilla Wafers. Combine all other ingredients and stir well. Let batter thicken for 10 minutes, then grease hands and roll into 1 inch balls. Roll in powdered sugar and place in a sealed container. Refrigerate for at least a week before serving. Other options: Grated Orange Peel, cinnamon. Feel free to adjust the recipe to your liking. You can play with the amount of Rum, Bourbon or Cocoa that you use. I’m a chocoholic so the 2 cups of cocoa isn’t an issue for me. Enjoy!

Side Note: If you want to make Rum Balls just leave out the Bourbon. You can also add 1/2 tsp of Allspice and lessen your amount of cocoa powder.

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Chicken Penne alla Vodka #SandersonFarms

One of my favorite dishes is Chicken Penne alla Vodka. Some time ago I visited a local neighborhood pizzeria and ordered if off of their menu for the first time. It was delicious! There was a burning desire in me to re-create the recipe so I could make it for my family. I paid attention to the ingredients that were in my entrée and began to make a mental list of what I would need to make this dish at home. There are different ways to make this recipe and I researched some to figure out how I could put a spin on it to make it my own.

chicken-penne-alla-vodka

The first time I prepared Chicken Penne alla Vodka at home, I was pleased! It came out pretty good for my first try. My husband ate it and had no complaints so that was a plus. Lol! It’s pretty easy to make and takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. Being able to prepare quick easy meals is a plus, especially on busy work days. After a long hectic day I just want to relax and not come home to stand over the stove for an additional hour. My family of six is definitely considered when looking at quantity and portions when I’m preparing food.

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Sanderson Farms Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Fillets with Rib Meat were used in my recipe. My neighborhood Walmart Supercenter is where I purchased my Sanderson Farm products. The chicken breast fillets were a large portion allowing me to cut it up into pieces to prep for my Chicken Penne alla Vodka. In case you don’t know Sanderson Farms products are 100% natural with no salt or artificial ingredients. I can appreciate being able to support farmers locally. There are no hidden ingredients or pumping to worry about and it’s farm to market fresh!

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Recipe: Chicken Penne alla Vodka
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 8-10

Ingredients:
1 pack of Sanderson Farms Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Fillets with Rib Meat
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Tsp. Seasoning Salt
1 Tsp. Ground Black Pepper
1 jar of Vodka Sauce
1 ½ cup of chopped spinach
1 box (16 oz.) Penne Pastsa
1 clove of garlic & small chopped onion *optional
Shredded Parmesan, Romano, Asiago & Mozzarella Cheese. (Topping For Serving) *optional

Preparation:
Season the chicken with seasoning salt and ground black pepper. Heat Olive Oil in large skillet over medium-high heat and brown chicken. Remove chicken and set aside.

Fill a pot of water for your Penne Pasta. Bring to a boil and cook for 10-15 minutes or until al dente. Add salt to your water I you’d like to increase the time it takes for your water to heat up.

Cook Spinach and mix with chicken in pot. Stir in vodka sauce and cook 1 minute. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and let simmer.

Simmer covered 3 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Serve with hot cooked pasta and garnish with basil and shredded cheese. Optional: Add in your pasta and let simmer for an additional 3-5 minutes.

Tip: Mix in pasta and make it a one pot meal. Disclosure: I am a Brand Ambassador for Sanderson Farms Chicken Products. All opinions are 100% honest and completely my own.

Visit the Sanderson Farms website for more information on their products and great recipes. Do you have a quick go to chicken recipe for busy evenings?

Whole Roasted Young Chicken Recipe #SandersonFarms

Cooking and Baking are two of my favorite pass times. I’m a Foodie! I can say that I got it honestly and passed it along to my offspring. We love to cook and try new recipes and we also have our favorites along with traditional holiday recipes. There are certain things I only prepare once or twice a year! One of our favorite meals is a Whole Sanderson Farms Roasted Chicken with homemade gravy, collard greens, yams and white rice. Sometimes we substitute the rice for mashed potatoes.

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I recently went to my neighborhood Walmart Supercenter and purchased a Sanderson Farms Whole Young Chicken. It’s just the right size to feed my family in one sitting! I like Sanderson Farms Products because it’s 100% natural with no salt or artificial ingredients. The fact that there are independent family farmers living right in my community makes me proud. Hidden ingredients and pumping are things I don’t have to worry about. Sanderson Farms Chicken is farm to market fresh.

sanderson-farms-seasoned-chicken

There are so many recipe options when you visit the Sanderson Farms website. I love the convenience of being able to look for a specific product, see it’s nutritional value and then find recommended recipes that I can prepare for my family. I really like finding recipes like the Chicken Taco Salad or Chicken Burrito that we always seem to order when we eat out at our favorite Mexican Restaurant and now I can make it at home! I would much rather eat a homemade meal than eat out at a restaurant on any given day.

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Recipe: Whole Roasted Chicken
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Serves: 8

Ingeredients:
1 Sanderson Farms® Whole Frying Chicken, remove giblets (I use it in my homemade gravy)

Seasonings:
1 tablespoon seasoning salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash (Original)
1 tablespoon of Soy Sauce
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

Preparation:
Let the seasonings sit on your chicken and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove chicken from refrigerator 10 minutes prior to cooking. Place chicken in roasting pan.

Roast chicken for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 170°F in the thickest part of the breast meat, and 180°F in the thigh, or until all juices run clear.

When chicken is done, remove it from roasting pan and let it rest 10 minutes.

You can use some of the the chicken drippings as a base for your gravy. Place some of it into a bowl. Set aside to make homemade gravy.

sanderson-farms-chicken-dinner

Disclosure: I am a Brand Ambassador for Sanderson Farms Chicken Products. All opinions are 100% honest and completely my own.

If you would like some recipe ideas or additional information on Sanderson Farms Chicken Products visit the website. What’s your favorite part of the chicken and go to recipe?

Food Lion Frugal Cook-Off & Giveaway!

I recently had the AWESOME opportunity to participate in a FUN Local Food Lion Frugal Cook-Off thanks to a couple of special NC Bloggers Jessica Lieb @BKeepsUsHonest & Rachel Withers @FitTriangleMom. The Food Lion Frugal Cook-Off took place at the Driftwood Southern Kitchen in Raleigh, NC. I am a loyal Food Lion Shopper but, I got a chance to learn more about the brand and what they offer. We were able to meet and mingle before the event. It was great to see local bloggers I have known for a while and reconnect as well as meet new bloggers to connect with. I met Melissa Vera @MMGMOM3 for the first time, who is also a local NC Blogger and we were paired together as partners. I love meeting new people and a new blogger connection was definitely made! It was so nice for the Driftwood Southern Kitchen to open up their space to us and give us full access to anything we may have needed. The chef was super nice giving us a tour, showing us where everything was and offering his support. So here’s the deal! No pun intended! Lol! We participated in this FUN Food Lion Frugal Cook-Off Challenge on the spot! Food Lion provided the cooking supplies and ingredients that we would need. There were four meats that each team would be surprised with. We then had ten minutes to plan and coordinate our meal. We also got ten minutes to go shopping in the pantry with the Food Lion ingredients on hand and we had to keep our cost below $15.00.

Unveiling The Protein

The meat we randomly selected was pork chops and it was time to plan a meal with sides to compliment that choice. We decided to prepare Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops with Pasta and Sautéed Spinach. The ingredients that we got out of the pantry were eggs, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, Pasta and a fresh bundle of Spinach. I also want to mention that all ingredients that we used were Food Lion branded items and we were able to keep our costs under $15.00. We had to prepare our meal and have it on plates for the judges within 45 minutes. I’ll share our recipe with you…

Condiments & Seasonings

Jen & Melissa Food Lion Frugal Cook-Off

Jen & Melissa Cooking

Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops
Makes 4 servings
Cost of meal: (not including pork chops and spices) $10.23
Cooking method: Fried on medium heat

Ingredients:
¾ cup Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 lemon
1 cup bread crumbs
3 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 lb. boneless pork chops

Directions:
Whisk eggs to blend.
Place bread crumbs on one plate, cheese on another plate.
Dip pork chops into egg and coat completely with breadcrumbs and cheese. Patting to adhere.
Sprinkle salt & pepper over chops.
Heat olive oil over medium heat.
Add pork chops and cook until golden brown (approximately 6 minutes per side).
Transfer to plate and serve with lemon wedge.

The Sautéed Spinach
Ingredients:
1 bundle of fresh Spinach or 10 oz bag of Spinach Leaves
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper (optional)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
1 tablespoon of soy sauce

Directions: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach to the skillet and cover; allow to cook 5 minutes. Stir in the salt and cover again for another 5 minutes; add soy sauce remove from heat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to serve.

Spiral Egg Noodles:
Boil Water & add salt
let noodles boil for 10-15 minutes
strain the noodles
add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to keep them from sticking to each other
when plated, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to serve.

Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops

After preparing our meal we created our dish on four small skillets to present to four judges who selected the winning dish based on taste, presentation, creativity, adherence to challenge rules and affordability. Alex Butler co-host of My Carolina Today was a among the judges for the Food Lion Frugal Cook-Off. It was great to meet her and she was so fun! The winning team’s dish will be featured on the menu at the Driftwood Southern Kitchen, be at WNCN studio on November 7th for a live segment and all participants received some Food Lion Swag! Melissa and I finished cooking our meal and put it on a plate within 26 minutes. We prepared four small skillets for the judges to taste and waited patiently. Team #1 WON the challenge with their amazing Southern Surprise Turkey Burgers! I’m so happy for Malise Terrell @CarolinaMama she is awesome! I really enjoyed the chance to participate in the Food Lion Frugal Cook-Off and had a good time, met some nice people and made some great memories! It was a really fun experience and I guess that’s why I wasn’t nervous or feel pressured. In the end I was just having fun!

Food Lion Frugal Cook-Off Judges

Food Lion Frugal Cook-Off Group Shot

So, do you think you would compete in a Food Lion Frugal Cook-Off? I have an awesome giveaway for one lucky winner to receive a $100.00 Food Lion Gift Card! I think this is perfect timing with Thanksgiving right around the corner! What would you do with a $100.00 Food Lion Card? Visit the Food Lion website to learn more about their brand and find a store location near you. Good Luck!

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error: Ask And You Shall Receive!!