Vegan CHEEZZEE Sauce

I have this REALLY awesome friend who is letting me borrow a REALLY COOL cookbook!  She is vegan and we've talked a bit...   She sent me a message asking if I would like to look at it and I was like uh yeah!  :)  I LOOOOVE this book!

Its called Vegan, on the Cheap by Robin Robertson

I'm not sold on soy, infact, we don't do any soy products, just b/c of everything with Skylar.  She wasn't able to eat or drink any milk products, so being the mom that I was, didn't do much research, and went ahead and did what my doc told me to do...  Give her soy...  Gave me all kinds of papers how it was safe and no cause of estrogen, etc...  Well...  After a year of reading and research, I switched to Rice milk and took soy out completely!  Now, to each his own and decisions...  This is my decision and if you are ok with soy, then that's fine.  I'm not judging, just my personal preference.  After doing some different reading on the topic, and talking to friends on both sides of the fence on this topic, this is what I decided.  :)  Seriously, not judging anyone!  :) 

So...  I wanted to make this the other night but didn't have any nutritional yeast, which I did have some and it was all gone!  :(  So the kids and I made a trip to Whole Foods and got some, along with some different rice and black quinoa!  :)

I'm not goona lie, the night I wanted to make it, I was PUMPED and ready to try it...  The next night, not so much...  I was thinking, this is going to be disgusting, I can't do it.  Even though all 4 of my kids were WOLFING it down like nobodies business!  Then my oldest said, hey mom, this cheese tastes different..  I said oh yeah?  Well, ok guys, it's isn't the "REAL" cheese you are used too..  This is a more healthy cheese, it's safe for people who can't have milk stuff to eat this.  But it is good right?  So then I took bite and swallowed  and thought, wow, this is good!  Of course I made sure I added the EXACT amount of salt and garlic, I don't normally measure my ingredients, but that, I made sure it was exact!  ;)

I don't think I could eat it by the spoonful, but mixed with some homemade salsa, it would be REALLY good with chips...  or over top rice and beans...  ;)

I don't know if I will win my hubs with this, but in moderation I bet he will be ok with it and eat it with other stuff, like in tacos, etc.... ;)

Super easy to make...

I'm still learning on what is vegan and what's not, I think I am getting it confused with gluten, etc... ;)  I'm also to tired to remember much right now!  Been a CRAZY 3 weeks!  ;)

But I made this cheese, and then used our new volcano rice, and had already mix up mashed pinto beans with olives, onions, cumin, and salt together, then had spinach and the cheezzee.
So it was hard taco shell, volcano rice (which I am so buying more!!!  :)))  The kids LOVED it and plus its fun to say, I had volcano rice! ;)), then the bean mixture, spinach and cheezzee!  SOOO good!  The kids all ate 3 tacos, well, except my little one...  ;)

Ok, enough blabbering, here's the recipe....

Cheezzee Sauce


2/3 cup nutritional yeast
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/4 teaspoons salt (I used my pink sea salt)
1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 cups plain unsweetened soy milk or water
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon yellow mustard


In medium saucepan, combine the yeast, cornstarch, salt, and garlic powder.  Turn heat to medium and whisk in milk or water. Cook, sitrring until the sauce thickens.
Remove from heat and add, oil, vinegar, lemon juice and mustard. It's now ready to use. If not using right away, refrigerate sauce in a container with tight-fitting lid, where it will keep for several days.

*I didn't measure my cornstarch, so it was much thicker after it cooled!  Looked more like pudding!  haha!!  :)
I didn't have fresh lemon juice so I used my stuff from frig...
Also used my homemade apple cider vinegar...
And I used water...  I thought about getting hemp milk or almond, but wasn't sure how that would taste with the cheezzee...  I prob will get almond milk to try it next time!

I do have left overs and plan on using it today for lunch!  With some veggies I think!  :)  Maybe mix in some salsa to go with some pretzels or chips?  ;)  Or on top of a rice cake!
The possibilities are endless!  :)

I got my nutritional yeast for $8.99 a pound, but I only got 2 bucks worth, which was WAY more than the container sold for the same price!  Um, let me do the math here folks!  ;)
Let me know if you try it and how you like it, or what you eat it with!  :)
I also recommend the volcano rice!  ;)

Seriously though, get over the fact that it isn't real cheese, it really is good!  And if you never had ever tasted cheese, you will never know!  But really, I do like it!  :)  Again, prob not by itself...  but def will be eating those leftovers!  :)

Mandy's Lazy Ratatouille

I was roasting some veggies for supper, and they are all what you would use for ratatouille. 

I wanted to add something to these roasted veggies, mainly for the kids.  They love veggies, but not a huge fan of eggplant.  I was trying to think of a way to make it yummy for them!

So, I created...  Mandy's Lazy Ratatouille!  :)

You roast the veggie at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, until soft.  Then just add some spaghetti sauce over the top and then some cheese.  Place back in oven til cheese is melted!  See, SUPER easy! :)

I got all but the eggplant at Farmer's Market.  I haven't seen eggplant quite yet there, I expect it to show up soon!  :)

This is what I cut up, I just sliced it up, not too thick or thin.  But it really depends on you, how thick or thin you want it!  :)

1 green zucchini
1 yellow squash/zucchini
1 medium sized eggplant
4-5 green onions
1 box mushrooms (I had gotten baby bellas at FM, it's about the same size as you would get in store)

Placed in a 9x13 pan and pour some garlic infused olive oil over the top, stirred it a bit, then place in oven at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Again, it's up to you how "crunchy" you want your veggies for this!  And how thick or thin you cut them!

Once they were done, I stirred it again, and just poured some spaghetti sauce over the top and grated some cheese for the top.  Place back in oven for 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Serve!

I roasted some green beans and poured some Italian dressing over the top.  That was our supper.  It was enough to feed me and the kids since hubs was away for the night.  If I were to make this again, I would probably add one more green zucchini...

Try it!  Let me know how you like it!
Or if you do anything different!  :)
ENJOY!!!!

Black Bean Tortilla Pizza

I made this for lunch, and it was YUMMY!!!  I wanted to add some frozen corn to it and totally forgot, next time!  ;)

This was SUPER easy!!

I took a can of black beans, drained and rinsed them off, threw them in my small Pampered Chef batter bowl...  I then added one tomato, half a green pepper, 2 minced garlic cloves, and then sprinkled on some lemon juice, and a little bit of our favorite hot sauce.  Since it was mainly for the kids, I didn't add too much hot sauce.  ;)

I didn't measure the lemon juice either, but it was just a tiny bit...

I mixed it all up and put on a tortilla and threw in oven at 350 degrees for no more than 15 minutes!  It made the tortilla nice and crispy!

Like I said, I wanted to add corn, and I think jalapeno pepper and onions would be a good mix to add to it as well!

Oh, I shredded some Monterrey jack cheese on top too...  not a ton, just enough to give off a bit of flavor.

The kids wolfed it down and I must admit, it was pretty yummy!

So give it a try, super easy, could work for supper or lunch!  just add a few things to make it more filling for supper, or make sure you make enough!  I only made enough for one for each of my kids...  next time I'll make sure to make 2 for each!!!  :)  Easy and cheap, what more do you want?  ;)  Oh, and tasty!  :)

Cheesy Cauliflower Pancakes

I know what you are thinking...  Seriously, CAULIFLOWER PANCAKES???  Really, have I gone in the deep end or what?

Well, I was looking through pinterest and saw this recipe and thought, oh, I've GOT to try these!  Then I had a friend tell me she made them and they were absolutely delish!

So I was like yeah, I can TOTALLY make these, no one will know it's cauliflower, the cheese will cover it all up....

I almost fooled them, not that I want too, because like I've said before, I WANT my kids to be EXCITED and to know EXACTLY what they are eating!  I FULLY believe in telling them what they are eating, so one they know, and two, they can continue those healthy eating habits as teenagers and adults...  Or so I can hope, right?  ;)

I guess I'm also trying to "trick" my husband and see if he can taste it!  He ALWAYS finds out what's in them because the kids either tell him or I will after he's taken the first bite or two!  ;)

I did have them ALL on the cookie dough one though!  That was pretty awesome, not gonna lie...  I think I still need to post that recipe too...  Hmm...  I'm behind...

Ok, back to the recipe...  I'm tired..  I prob should've post things when I'm this tired!  ;)

Give them a try, they seriously are good!  REALLY easy to make too!  Gonna make these yummy pancakes again!!  :D
(I thought I had pics of it getting mixed up, but I didn't... or I can't find them, so here are the last few...  you get the idea though, REALLY easy!)

Here they are on the griddle cooking on one side...

Nice and brown, flip them puppies over!  ;)

Here they are all done, nice and brown ;)

Hee hee, it looks like 2 eyeballs with the bacon making it look like a frown face!  Should've turned it around a bit!  ;) Anyways...  Here they are done!  My kids gobbled up the pancakes AND the bacon! It was a very easy meal and it was good and healthy!  Can't go wrong can you?
For the bacon, I put it in a Pampered Chef Bar Pan (It has to have sides) and put it in the oven at 375.  It took about 15 minutes, but it was so much easier than frying it!  I put a piece of foil on top of the stone so as soon as it was cool, I just lifted the foil up and right in the trash!  Talk about EASY clean up!  Try it!  ;)



Cheesy Cauliflower Pancakes


1 head cauliflower
2 large eggs
1/2 c cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 c panko
1/2 t cayenne pepper (more of less to taste)
salt
olive oil

Cut cauliflower into florets; cook in boiling water until tender about 10 minutes. Drain. Mash the cauliflower while still warm. Stir cheese, eggs, panko, cayenne & salt to taste.

Coat the bottom of a griddle or skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat. Form the cauliflower mixture into patties about 3 inches across. Cook until golden brown & set, about 3 minutes per side. Keep each batch warm in the oven while you cook the rest.

*I served this with a bit of sour cream on the top.  I know, it sounds weird, but it was actually really good!  I think next time I make this, i will put this in my Vita Mix and really blend it.  ;)

These aren't that bad!  The hubs said I could make them again!  ;)

Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

I don't know about you, but I LOVE using my crock pot!  I usually have a meal from that on Thursday.  We have SPEAR every Thursday from 2-3, so by the time we get home, I am not in the mood to get supper around and cook.  There are times I forgot to get it going, and we do something easy, but most times I actually remember to get something in there!  ;)

This is so easy, most recipes that are crock pot recipes are easy, if for some reason they aren't, I usually don't do them!  ;)

This will seem like a LOT of liquid, but the noodles really do absorb it all.

You could use this as a side dish, or as a main meal.  I actually did put some wings on the grill with this.

Pour milk in crock pot

Then a layer of noodles

Then a layer of shredded cheese

More milk, noddles and top off with cheese

Here it is...  It looks kinda like scrambled eggs, I probably will only use 1-2 eggs instead of 4 next time.  But it was still really good!


Again, it doesn't look like mac and cheese, but it's really good!
Give a try, super easy to put together and it tastes GREAT!!  It's alot healthy than those boxes of mac and cheese.  I haven't bought a box of mac and cheese for soooo long!  It really is way easier than you think to make, even if you aren't using a crock pot!  ;)


Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

1 pound noodles (whatever kinda you want, I used elbow- Infact I may have use more than 1 pound, I had a 2 pound box and used all but 1/4 of it... we eat alot... ;))
7 cups of milk
1 egg
4 cups cheese (I used sharp cheddar, cheddar and pepper jack)
Salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste
1 tsp dried mustard

Grease crock pot VERY well! Scrambled the egg in the milk,  and add seasoning, then place a bit of milk in bottom of crock pot. Then add some noodles, then some cheese...  Repeat layer, and then put lid on.  Cook on low for 2-5 hours...  It took mine about 4 hours on low.

I stirred it after 2 hours of cooking, then again right before serving.  I did taste it to see how the seasoning was and if I needed to add anymore, but ti was fine...

Super easy! ;)

Mini Frittatas

What a yummy and easy breakfast! And a GREAT way for your kids to get involved in helping out! :)

I'm also thinking this would be a good breakfast after having turkey all day yesterday!  ;)

I wasn't sure if these would turn out in my stone or majorly stick...  But I sprayed it really good, so was hoping it wouldn't stick, and they didn't!  ;)

Again, this is something really easy that either your kids (if old enough) could just about do by themselves, or you can have them help you.  I think having your kids help you in the kitchen is a great way to not only get them involved, but usually kids like to eat what they have made or helped make..  It also helps teach them what they are eating and how healthy it is, etc...  If they are younger, you can talk about where the eggs come from, the milk, etc...

My kids LOVE breaking eggs...  I don't always let them, or like them too.. but that's another story.. ;)

Here are the eggs scrambled with a bit of milk added...

Pour it into your muffin pan...

Add whatever goodies you want to it.  You can add ham, or mushrooms, just make sure whatever you add is chopped small.  I only added about a tablespoon of green peppers and onions to each muffin cup.  Anymore and it would be to full.

Then I put a small amount of cheese on top.

Here they are ready to go in the oven! ;)

And they are done!  Yummo!!!!

I served 2 eggs per kid and a nice big breakfast cookie!  Talk about a packed and ready to tackle the world breakfast!  ;)

Here's a plate for my hubs!  ;)

Mini Frittatas

6 eggs

1/4-1/2 cup milk

seasoning (only if you want)

anything else you would want in your frittatas:

cheese, green pepper, onions, sausage, mushrooms, etc...

Scramble eggs in a bowl and pour in milk.  Grease a muffin pan very well.  Pour in your egg mixture in muffin pan.  I filled up 12 muffin cups with the egg mixture, then I put a tablespoon of green pepper/onion in each cup.  Then put a pinch of shredded cheese on top.  Place in 350 degree oven and bake for 20-30 minutes.  A knife inserted in middle will come out clean if it's done.

Serve with breakfast cookies, or toast, or whatever else you want to serve it with!  ;)

My kids GOBBLED these down, and LOVED that fact that I gave them a COOKIE with their eggs! (these cookies had NO sugar in them...)

Corn Confetti Eggs

Ok, here it is!  Just like I promised, and on time!  Someone should get me a medal!  ;)  Just kidding...

These are easy, and a good breakfast!  The muffins were actually really good, but I don't remember where the recipe is for the muffins, will have to do some digging.. ;)

But when I find it, I will post it!  ;)

There really isn't a recipe for these.

I just had some leftover filling from the Corn Confetti Quesadillas, so I decided to try something.  I knew I wanted to fix eggs for the kids for breakfast, but I didn't just want the plain ole plain old ones.  I also had just given them the eggs in a flour tortilla, so I didn't want to do that again...

Light bulb went off as I was looking in my frig for things to use.  Ah-ha, leftovers with eggs... Works for me!  So I scrambled 9 eggs (that's just for the 4 kids... :\), poured that into a skillet, then dumped in the leftover corn confetti and added a bit of cheddar cheese.  I probably had anywhere from 1/2 - 3/4 cup of the filling left over.

I stired it around until they were done, added a muffin, and fixed them a smoothie.  We called it a good day! And a good filling, nutrious breakfast!  :)

So really the "recipe" is left over corn confetti filling, how many eggs you need, a skillet and some coconut oil.  Mix it all together, until the eggs are cooked, then serve with fresh fruit, muffins and/or smoothies!

You can EASILY make this into a lunch, or even brinner, which we call breakfast for dinner!  ;)

Feed back is ALWAYS welcome!!  :)



Corn Confetti Quesadillas

LOVE the colors in this!  Not only does it look pretty and good, it tastes good!  :)

This is something that you could easily make a big batch of and just keep the extras in the freezer for a really quick and easy meal when you are short on time or just don't feel like cooking!  :)

The ingredients in this is probably items that you have all the time, and if not, they are REALLY easy and cheap to get!  I don't know about you, but I like easy and cheap!  ;)  But yet, it has to taste good!  ;)

I don't have an after picture because when I cooked these, my husband was out of town on a missions trip and he had the camera, and all I had was my phone, so this is the only picture I got!  I was to lazy to take pics as I went, but really, this is soooo easy!

Corn Confetti Quesadillas

2 cups fresh or frozen corn (I sued a frozen mixed, as in yellow and white, sweet corn, yummy!)

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 green pepper, diced

1/2 onion, diced

8 (9-10 inch) flour or wheat tortillas

8 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Heat skillet to medium-high heat, butter, corn, onions, and pepper and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.  Take out of skillet and wipe the skillet clean.

Lay 4 tortillas on counter and place 1/3 cup cheese on each one, then about 1/2 - 3/4 veggies on top of cheese, then add another 1/3 cup cheese.

Place tortilla in skillet, then place one of the remaining tortillas on top, press down with spatula to get out air pockets.  Cook until lightly browned and flip, do the same, cook until lightly browned.

Repeat until done...

Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

My kids also gobbled these down!  I think they ate 2 each of this one too!  ;)  Like I said, I think I am going to make a big batch of this and just put in freezer...  It will be easy enough to break apart what I need. 

I used the leftovers for a breakfast the next morning...  will have that posted tomorrow, so stay tuned!  ;)

Let me know if you made this, any changes, and how you liked it!

Oh, I remember what I did for mine, I didn't have enough cheese for all of them, so I put Pepper Jack cheese on mine, boy was it good and that extra kick!  Yummy!!!  :)

I should also mention, that I HARDLY EVER measure, so these are more like guesses...  If it seems like too much, then back off a bit, but if it isn't enough, add more!  You can't hurt it!  ;)

Butternut Squash Quesadillas

Can we say YUMMY???? This time of year this are PERFECT!

You can get butternut squash pretty cheap, since it's in season right now. You can get it cheaper out here at the farmer's market! I've gotten a squash for a buck, yes, it's a little bit smaller, but it still works for 4-6 of these quesadillas!

You don't have to use this type of cheese, I just wanted to try it. It's a really good mild cheese, not such a huge strong bold flavor! You don't have to add the walnuts either, it's really good without, but I think it just adds a nice crunch and yummy flavor.

These are REALLY easy to make! They are GREAT for lunches, but you could easily do this as a supper too, just add something to go with it! Maybe a side dish of spiced apples! ;)

My kids all ate 2 of these, they LOVED them!

You can also cook a few squash, let them cool, then put any leftovers in the freezer so all you have to do it pop out the already cooked squash. I would heat it a bit to make it warm, sometimes the outside of the quesdailla cooks faster than the inside, so if its still really cold, it may not get hot on the inside. (if that makes any sense? ;))

Here's the quesadilla inside! :) One tortilla, some squash, nuts, and then the cheese... Then place another tortilla on top!

All done and oh soooooo good!!!!!! :)


Butternut Squash Quesadillas

1 whole butternut squash, cooked
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium yellow onion
1 tablespoon brown sugar
8 (9 to 10 inch) flour or wheat tortillas
8 oz fontina cheese, grated, or thinly sliced
1 cup diced or chopped walnuts or pecans

Dice your onion and place in frying pan with butter and brown sugar.  Cook until caramelized, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Lay 4 tortillas on the counter. Spread the filling on each, 1/3 cup cheese, 1/2 cup squash, sprinkle some onion, then some nuts if desired.  Top off with another 1/3 cup cheese. 

Slide one of the cheese covered tortillas into a frying pan over medium heat.  Place one of the remaining tortillas on top, press down with spatula to get all air pockets out.  Cook until light browned, then flip until the other side is lightly browned.

Place on plate and cut, serve immediately!

Repeat until you are done!  You can easily make more than the 4 here.  I think I've made about 8 at a time!  ;)

I've made it with and without the nuts, but I really like it with the nuts!  I used walnuts because I didn't have any pecans, but pecans would be REALLY good on this as well!

You could also just use a Munster, provolone, or even a mozzarella cheese.  I just wanted to try this cheese, it's really good!  But a bit more expensive than the other 3 I listed!

Try it and let me know what you think!  :)

Scrambled Eggs with Cheddar, Avocado and Sauteed Onions

I wanted to make something for my kids this morning for breakfast, other than cold cereal.

I had not been feeling so hot the last few days... Ok, I'm gonna take that one back, it's been since Wednesday of last week that I fixed them a nice hot yummy meal. I woke up Wednesday with a really bad head-ache, which was basically a migraine, then by Thursday, I was toast. To top things off, my hubs was gone, so, that never helps things! My oldest daughter loves to help in the kitchen, and her way of helping is getting some cereal out and getting the milk for all the kids. Don't get me wrong, it's GREAT! And I soooooo appreciated her help! But I knew it was time to make something for them. I am still so very tired, but this is pretty easy to make!

I was also itching to use my fresh farm eggs that I got Saturday at the Farmer's Market. PERFECT opportunity to use them! Well, half of them anyways! ;)

Let me just say one thing. Farm fresh eggs are THE best! And I am not joking on that one! They are soooo much bigger, fresher (well duh!), yellower, they are just way better!



One avocado mashed and ready (I am going to apologize for the pics, they are dark... I was in a hurry to get this up, so I didn't take the time to go through all of them and lighten them up! ;))


My lil man helping to break an egg!


My oldest really concentrating on her egg breaking! ;)


Saute some onions in some coconut oil


Here are my yummy farm fresh eggs!!!


I whisked the eggs, then added the cheese


Pour your eggs and cheese right over the onions


Cook and stir so they will be scrambled! yummy!


Turn off heat, add your mashed avocado


And viola! Yummy!!!



Scrambled Eggs with Cheddar, Avocado and Sauteed Onions

1 avocado
1 small onion, chopped
6 eggs
1/2 - 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Take your avocado and mash up in a small bowl, set aside.
Place a little bit of coconut oil in a skillet big enough to hold your eggs. Saute the onions until tender. While onion is cooking, break eggs in bowl and whisk. Add your cheese and stir. (You can add some salt and pepper here if you would like).
Add your eggs to the skillet and cook until desired tenderness. Keep stirring to get the scrambled eggs! ;)
Turn off heat and add mashed up avocado. Stir to combine and serve hot!

*You could also dice your avocado and stir it in gently to your cooked eggs.
Add a splash of hot sauce, or red pepper flakes if you want it a bit more spicy. Or you could add a hot cheese instead of a cheddar cheese.

Hummus Wraps

I made some hummus the other day for my kids lunch, but I wanted to do something other than just crackers and veggies with it. I was racking my brain as to what I could do with it. I saw that I had some small flour tortillas, then my I was like, hmm, they like refried beans in the tortilla, why not use the hummus and bit of cheese and fry it up!

So that's exactly what I did and held my breath as I tried it. ;) I thought, wow, this is really good! So I served it to all my kids and they LOVED it! They all ate 2 hummus tortillas! Plus the half of a pear I served with it! It's for sure a make again in this house!

Can't wait to try this with different hummus combo's that I make!!!


Place as much hummus as you want on your tortilla

Then add some shredded cheddar cheese, again, as much or as little as you want! I just like the cheese melting out of mine when I make it for me! ;)



Fold up the right side

Then the bottom


Then the left


Then fold the top down


Spread a little bit of coconut oil on the side that has the seams


Place seam side down in frying pan


Then while that side it cooking, spread a little bit of coconut oil on the top
Then flip and cook until cheese is melted or lightly brown!

Serve with whatever else you like! This time I served it with a pear!


The inside...


This is another way you can roll it, and cook the same way!




Hummus Wraps


Tortilla - as many as you want and any kind you want!
Hummus - any kind you want and as much as you want!
Shredded cheddar cheese

Take your tortilla and place a big spoonful of hummus on it. Then put a little bit of shredded cheddar cheese. Roll it up, either way the picture shows, then place a bit of coconut oil on one side of the tortilla. Place the oil side down in the frying pan, heat until the tortilla is light brown. Before flipping it over, spread some more coconut oil on the side that's facing up. Then flip it over until the other side is nice and golden brown, and the cheese is nicely melted.
Enjoy!!!

Chicken and Rice

This is another really easy one!

I am not a huge fan of the "cream of" soups... Don't get me wrong, they are great for when you need them... But have you seen, and I mean REALLY seen how they come out of a can? That really can't be good for you, can it? But of course, they are my go to when I am making a casserole or something. SO I guess I can't say too much, because I really do use them alot! ;) sigh, oh well.. but atleast this time I made something healthy! :) And I didn't use the cream of soups, not just because I don't have a working can opener, (yes, my hand held can opened bit the dust, I am so depressed! Now I need to go buy another one....) but because I wanted to try something different! ;)

There is a bit of prep work involved though, but as long as you REMEMBER to turn your rice cooker on, it's all good! ;) I've forgotten that MINOR detail, alot!!! You would think by now I would remember to hit that button that says cook, but yeah, anyways....


Saute mushrooms and onions


(sorry about the lighting here on these pics... my fan light above my stove is dead, and when you turn the flash on the camera, it's too bright! I just can't win here!!!)
Here are the sauteed mushrooms and onions in a bowl


Now cook your chicken with your minced garlic


Add some sour cream (it's about a cup)


Now the cheese! You can use whatever kind you would like, I use cheddar and mozzarella, because I didn't have enough cheddar.


Then add the rice and cooked chicken and mix it all up...


My bowl wasn't big enough to mix everything, so I just dumped it all in my casserole dish and mixed it all up ;)


Here it is before cooking, and in all honesty, it doesn't look much different coming out of the oven! ;)


Here it is ready to be eaten! nice and warm and sooo good! :)



Chicken and Rice


1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Small Onion, diced
1 8oz package Mushrooms, sliced
1 Tsp salt
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Lb Chicken Breasts (about 2), boneless, skinless, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 Cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded (plus additional for sprinkling on top)
3 Cups Cooked Rice

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Place 1 tbsp of coconut oil in a large saute pan over medium heat and cook the onions for 2 minutes.
3. Add the mushrooms, season with 1/2 tsp of salt and cook another 4 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender and the onions are translucent.
4. Remove the mushroom mixture and place in a bowl.
5. Heat 1 tsp of oil in the sauté pan and cook the chicken, minced garlic and remaining 1/2 tsp of salt for 3 minutes or until cooked through.
6. Combine all the ingredients together, place in an 9 x 13 inch baking dish and sprinkle with additional shredded cheese.
7. Bake for 20 minutes.
8. Serve.

*This is sooo easy! Like I said, as long as you remember to turn your rice cooker on! :)
You could also use wild rice for this... I use jasmine rice for pretty much anything, it's sooo good! Not as healthy as brown or wild, but it's good! ;)
You don't have to add all the mushroom either, but the sour cream and mushrooms act like the cream of mushroom soup, just a healthy version. ;)
You also don't need to add all 4 cloves of garlic, but it wasn't too strong! We LOVE garlic! ;)
Also, if you are looking for dairy free, just get the dairy free sour cream and cheese.
Enjoy!!!