Simple Mexican-Style Chicken and Rice Soup

This is a perfect soup to use up leftovers. I made this soup because it is really similar to a soup I always ordered (along side a couple crispy tacos) at a Mexican restaurant when my husband and I lived in San Clemente, CA. It is really simple but between the barely cooked onions, the cilantro, and the simple rice and chicken, it packs in tons of flavor.

2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded
1 1/2 cups cooked rice (I always use brown)
4 cups chicken broth
1 onion, diced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup cilantro, minced
Avocado

In a large pot, add broth, chicken, and rice. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add onions and remove from heat. Add salt and pepper as needed. Spoon into bowls and serve with a couple table spoons of minced cilantro and sliced avocado.

Greek Quinoa Salad

This is a great twist on a Greek salad. The flavors of a Greek salad go along perfectly with the nutty flavor of the quinoa. Next time you want to cook perfect quinoa, try it in your rice cooker (1 cup dry quinoa to 2 1/2 cups of water). I love how versatile quinoa is!

This will serve 2-3

2 cups cooked quinoa (keep warm)
1 zucchini, thinly sliced (you could swap out this for cucumber for a more traditional salad)
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup of grape tomatoes, halved
2 cooked chicken breasts, sliced
1/4 cup feta, plus more to taste

Lightly saute the zucchini over medium heat in a little olive oil until warm and add the onion and cook another 2-3 minutes. Toss the zucchini and onion with the quinoa and add tomatoes, chicken, and feta.

Dressing:
1/4 cup white wine vinegar (you can use plain white if that is all you have on hand)
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1/2 tbs oregano
1 clove garlic, minced
a couple dashes of salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Mix together the vinegar, mustard, oregano, garlic, and salt and pepper. Whisk in the oil until blended and thickened slightly.

Toss quinoa mixture with dressing to taste. You won't need all the dressing, and use it sparingly, you won't want to over dress.

Chicken Caesar Wraps and Zucchini Fries

Caeser Wraps

1 recipe Real Caesar Dressing
1 head Romaine Lettuce, washes and torn into small pieces (about 1/2 cup per person)
Cooked chicken breast, cut into thin strips (about a 1/4 cup per person)
Shredded Parmesan cheese
Whole Wheat wraps

Mix lettuce, chicken, cheese, and dressing to taste. Place salad on wrap and roll up like a burrito. Yum!
Zucchini Fries
These were super yummy and pretty healthy. A really tasty alternative to fries or potato chips.

2 zucchinis, cut into fry size strips
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups panko bread crumbs
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350.

In a shallow dish, add eggs and about a 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Toss zucchini in the egg. In another shallow dish, add the bread crumbs and then toss in egg coated zucchini. You may have to work in batches, making sure to coat each strip well.

Coat a cookie sheet with nonstick spray and arrange the zucchini in a single layer. Bake until browned and crispy, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.