chicken tortilla soup

Perfect for a cold day when you feel the sniffles coming on. Serves 4 but easily doubled based on the size of your Crockpot.

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

• 1/2 onion, diced

• 15 oz. canned black beans, drained/rinsed

• 1 cup frozen corn (fresh or canned/drained works too)

• 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes (do not drain)

• 3 cloves minced garlic

• chili powder to taste

• red pepper flakes to taste

• 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

• 1/2 cup water

• to serve: tortilla chips, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, diced avocado

Combine all ingredients in the Crockpot. Add the chicken last so you can stir the soup. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.

When there is about 30 minutes left of cooking time, remove the chicken and shred with two forks. Return to Crockpot, stir, and finish cooking.

shrimp stir fry

cheaper and quicker than ordering Chinese. Serves 4.

• 1 pound raw shrimp (any size but the smaller ones are easier to work with)

• 1 tbs olive oil

• salt and pepper to taste

• 4 cloves minced garlic

• 1/2 onion, diced

• 12 ounces frozen vegetable mix (carrots, corn, peas)

• 1/2 cup water

• 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce

• 2 cups uncooked quinoa

• 2 scrambled eggs

In a large skillet, cook shrimp in olive oil, salt, and pepper until pink - about 2 minutes on each side.

Remove shrimp from pan. Add garlic and onion, and saute until onion is translucent. In the meantime, scramble the eggs in a separate pan.

Add vegetables, water, quinoa, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Simmer 15-20 minutes or until the quinoa absorbs most of the liquid.

Add eggs and shrimp back to the pan. Stir to combine.

salsa chicken

Two ingredients. Set it and forget it. Perfect as a taco filling. Quantity is easily variable.

• boneless skinless chicken breasts

• your favorite jarred salsa

For each chicken breast, add 8 ounces of your favorite salsa. Two chicken breasts = 16 ounces salsa.

Cook on low for 4 hours or until cooked through. Shred and stir before serving.

sausage quinoa skillet

One pan. Great at using up leftovers. Serves 4.

• 1 tbs olive oil

• 4 cloves minced garlic

• 1/2 onion, minced

• 1 zucchini or squash, chopped

• 2 precooked skinless sausages, sliced

• 1 cup of fresh or frozen sweet corn, peas, or carrots

• 1/2 cup quinoa (1/2 cup before cooking)

• 2 handfuls baby spinach or kale

• black pepper to taste

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Heat up the olive oil in a large skillet. Saute the garlic and onion until fragrant and onion has softened.

Cook the quinoa according to package directions.

In the skillet, add the zucchini/squash and the sausage. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until the sausage slices have just slightly browned.

Add the veggies and black pepper to taste. Stir until heated through. Add the spinach/kale and cook until just wilted. Add in the quinoa.

Serve with Parmesan cheese.

honey soy crockpot chicken

Flexible and works with any side dish. Serves 4 but is easily doubled if your Crockpot is big enough.

• 2.5 pounds boneless/skinless chicken thighs or breasts

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1/3 cup honey

• 1/3 cup soy sauce

• 6 cloves minced garlic

• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (or more)

• sliced scallions to serve

Season chicken with salt and pepper; place in Crockpot. Whisk together remaining ingredients and add to Crockpot.

Cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 2.5-3 hours.

Shred or slice chicken into chunks and return to Crockpot for an additional 10 minutes. Serve with sliced scallions.