Generally, I don’t make up recipes. I like to follow specific instructions, so I know I’ll have something good in the end. Sometimes I’ll modify a recipe if it seems like it’ll work, or if I need to because I don’t have ingredients. But for the most part, I follow some sort of guideline.

Last weekend, both the boy and I were not feeling well. I was coming down off of a bad cold, and he was heading into one. I decided to make chicken noodle soup for us, in order to stave off further ickiness and perhaps provide some relief.

I decided to do something a bit different than the standard chicken noodle soup, and it turned out pretty good!

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I was surprised it turned out as well as it did. The seasoning gave it a robust Cajun-y flavor. The soup was a bit too spicy for me and almost just right for Andy. (Note: I have become much more tolerant of spicy foods, particularly seasoned with cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes. So when I say it was spicy, I really do mean it was spicy!) It reminded me of a conversation Aaron and I had about his blow-your-sinuses out Get Well chicken soup. His might be a bit hotter, but for spice weenie like me, this is a good start.

In my Christmas stocking this year, I got a “Best of Cooking Light: Superfast Weeknight Dinners” mag. 94 easy entrees to make on weeknights. Last week I made Roasted Chicken-Artichoke Calzones. They turned out FANTASTIC.

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I didn’t want to bother finding sharp provolone, so I used my trusty aged Australian sharp white cheddar. Cooking Light suggested serving the calzones with a side of marinara for dipping - I heated a bowl of chunky tomato soup instead.

Very tasty!

The best part is that they make awesome leftovers. It’s just like having a slice of cold pizza – you can reheat or eat ‘em cold – except they’re a lot easier to bring to work in a sandwich bag or small container.

I want to experiment making more calzones with different fillings. They’d make a yummy variation on my standard boring sandwich sack lunch I’ve been bringing to work.

Made this last week. It turned out pretty tasty. I didn't get any 'after' shots, just 'before' ones.

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I found this recipe in one of the many cookbooks I stole from my mom's storage unit. It says it yields 4 servings, but it seemed to make WAY more.

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From Cooking Light Magazine:

From 19th-century Virginia, this stew originally included squirrel meat (we opt here for chicken). Although the stew is sometimes thickened with stale bread cubes, this version uses flour to give it body and features garlic bread on the side. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs.

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I couldn't find lima beans in the frozen foods section, so I used a can of garbanzo beans instead. Also used chicken breasts instead of thights, and canola oil instead of peanut oil.

I'm not a low-carb expert, but it seems like this recipe was very low-carb friendly. I believe the recipe said 38 grams per serving, and I think that's with the bread. The stew itself is probably less.

It turned out surprisingly good - the flavors blended really well and the Tabasco gave it just enough of a kick to give it a pleasant heat without being too spicy. I'd definitely make it again.

Courtesy of Whole Foods. Recipe and photo behind the cut.

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Used chicken broth in place of red wine and mild Italian chicken sausage instead of pork.

If you’re interested in watching a video of this recipe being prepared, you can do so here.

Again, no photos, but recipe is behind the cut.

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Whole Foods didn’t have smoked provolone, so I got smoked mozzarella instead. The chicken breasts I bought ended up being SUPER thin, so instead of slicing them, I just layered two together with the stuffing between all sandwich-like. Surprisingly, everything held together just fine. (We tried skewers at first, but that didn’t work.) Less expensive ham can be used in lieu of the proscuitto.

Asparagus and sun-dried tomato scones on the side, and this was a tasty dinner. Mmm-mm!

Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray's 30 minute meals.

( Chicken Satay Stir-Fry )

I serve this up with orange-scented Jasmine rice (super easy if you have a rice steamer - just put the rice in, grate some orange peel in there with the water, and let it steam).