Recipe: Harvest Grains Salad with Feta and Spinach

This recipe came from our friends Kaylee + John who made it for a Superbowl party. I've had it saved in my phone and had been meaning to re-create it and I finally got that chance over the weekend. Originally made with quinoa, I ended up switching up some ingredients based on what I had in the kitchen. I used the Harvest Grains Blend from Trader Joe's that had been sitting in my pantry for a few months now, just waiting to be used. The blend mixes together Israeli couscous, split dried garbanzo beans, orzo and quinoa - super hearty and filled with good whole grains. 

This salad is good just on its own - I've been piling it with spinach and love the salty crunches of cashew with the sweetness of the raisins. Make a whole batch on Sunday and you've got lunch for the rest of the week! 

Harvest Grains Salad with Feta and Spinach

• 2 cups cooked Trader Joe's Harvest Grains Blend, cooled (Quinoa would be good too!)
• 1 cup golden raisins or cranberries
• 1 cup cashews, broken into pieces
• 4 oz of feta cheese, crumbled
• 2-3 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped

for the dressing:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 
• 1 tbsp water
• salt and pepper, to taste 

Mix the cooled Harvest Grains, raisins, cashews and feta up. For the dressing, whisk up all the ingredients in a separate bowl. Pour dressing over the salad mix and stir to combine. When ready to serve, stir in the spinach. Makes 5-6 large portions.

chicken pot pie soup

My crock pot is likely one of my favorite tools in my kitchen. I barely use it during the summertime, but come fall and winter, it's heating up chili and soup, football apps and breakfast casseroles. For some times now, I've wanted to make pot pie but I knew we wouldn't be able to finish a whole pie on our own. So I opted to make the next best thing -- Chicken Pot Pie Soup! Served them with flaky biscuits and it was a delicious meal. This recipe makes enough for two hearty servings and one bowl for leftovers.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 can of Cream of Chicken soup
1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup
1 cup of water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 cups of frozen mixed veggies

1. In a crock pot, place celery and chicken on the bottom.
2. Sprinkle all the seasonings over the chicken.
3. Pour in the soups and water.
4. Cook on high for 4 hours.
5. Stir in frozen veggies, let cook for another 1.5 hours on low.
Be sure to bake your biscuits while your soup is finishing up!