October 27, 2011: Quick and Easy Mushroom Wild Rice Soup Recipe

This recipe is one I concocted to use a can of soup I’d gotten for mere pennies via extreme couponing and leftovers from a chicken dinner. When put all together, they made a delicious, hearty soup perfect for a cold weekday night. It’s a snap to throw together and doesn’t take long at all to cook.

“Semi-Homemade” Mushroom Wild Rice Soup

2 t. olive oil

¼ cup finely minced onion

1 small carrot, peeled and shredded

1 clove garlic, minced

1 t. dried parsley flakes

1 can cream of mushroom soup (not condensed; I used Progresso)

1 cup cooked, shredded chicken

1 cup cooked long grain and wild rice

1/3 cup chicken broth

Heat olive oil over medium heat in saucepan. Add onions, carrot and garlic. Saute until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and heat through on low, about 15 additional minutes.

Serves 2 as a main dish, 4 as a side dish.

July 11, 2001: Chicken Salad Recipe

If you’ve got some leftover chicken from the previous day’s rotisserie chicken recipe, this is a great way to use it. This chicken salad makes a nice, light, summery lunch, particularly when paired with a green salad and a tall glass of limeade.

Summer Chicken Salad

1 ½ cups cooked chicken, cut or shredded into bite-sized pieces
1 T. minced red or white or green onion
½ cup halved red grapes
¼ cup pecan or walnut pieces
1/3 cup mayonnaise

Combine all ingredients.

Serving suggestions: in between slices of hearty, whole grain bread with a handful of mixed greens, on a soft bun, or in scoops over a bed of baby greens.