A Healthy Meal...

to warm you up and make you healthy. I try to get my husband to eat healthy at least once and a while. He loves things like nachos, burritos, pizza, ramen noodles, macaroni and cheese, and other carb loaded things for his dinners. When I make something different it takes him some getting used to. I always say to him that I have made a healthy meal and he knows that it's going to be something he's not used to. He is such a good sport though and always thanks me for dinner no matter what it was or how much of it he ate. haha Last night I made homemade soup and biscuits. I really enjoyed it and I know he loved the biscuits and ate the soup to please me. Oh well...I will keep trying to get him healthy!

Cream of Chicken-Rice Soup
4 qts wager
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/4 c fresh parsley, minced
1/4 c butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c rice, uncooked (not instant)
salt to taste
2 c milk
1/2 - 3/4 c cornstarch

► Bring water to boil. Add chicken and cook until tender and juices run clear; reserve broth. (I actually didn't follow this part of the recipe. I had some left over chicken from another night and just chunked it into bite-size pieces and mixed it with 3 cans of chicken broth and 3 cans of hot water)
► Meanwhile, in a frying pan, saute onion, carrots, celery and parsley in butter until tender. (Again, I didn't follow the recipe exactly. I didn't have an onion or any fresh parsley. I used 1 1/2 tbsp of onion powder and the about the same of dried parsley.)
► Add garlic and cook for one minute.
► Cut chicken into bite-size pieces ( if you haven't done that already.) Add sauteed vegetables and chicken to reserved broth (or canned broth).
► Stir in rice and salt and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Mix together milk and cornstarch; add to soup. Stir until thick. Makes 16-20 servings.

Biscuits Supreme
3 c flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 c butter or 1/2 c butter and 1/4 c shortening
1 1/4 c buttermilk or 1 c milk

► In a large bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cream of tartar. Using a pastry blender (or fork) cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add buttermilk (milk) all at once. Using a fork, stir just until moistened.
► Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surafce. Knead dough by folding and gently pressing dough for 4 to 6 strokes or just until dough holds together. Pat or lightly roll dough until 3/4 inch thick. Cut the dough with a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter (or a cookie cutter like I did to make it more festive).
► Place biscuits 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 8-12 minutes or until golden. Remove biscuits from baking sheet and serve immediately.