.italian meatball soup. {husband's choice}

Words can not describe how obsessed the hubby and I are with this recipe. He has helped me make it twice already and the second time we changed it up a bit and added orzo instead of macaroni. We love us some orzo. I even made it for the in-laws and it was a big hit. The original recipe can be found on this amazing blog here.

Ingredients
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cup of diced onion
2 large garlic cloves, minced
8 cups of low sodium beef broth
2 cups of water
1 6 oz can of tomato paste
1 14.5-oz can of diced tomatoes
½ lb Orzo or Macaroni pasta
2 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley
2 Tbsp chopped basil
Meatballs:
1 lb lean ground beef (90/10 or higher, you won't be able to drain the grease!)
½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 large egg whites

Preparation
Warm olive oil in a large 6-8 quart stock pot over medium high heat Chop carrots, onions, and garlic. Add the carrots and onions to warm pan, and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook an addition 1 minute. Add broth, water, tomato paste and tomatoes. Stir to combine. Cover and bring to a boil. Meanwhile combine all meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Mix with hands to combine. Using a 1 tablespoon scoop to portion, lightly shape the scoops into meatballs using your hands to roll them. Drop them into the broth, distributing them evenly around the pot. Cover. Allow to boil for 5 minutes. Stir meatballs gently. Add pasta. Cook 10 minutes or until pasta is done. Add basil and parsley, stir and serve. ENJOY! :)

.honey garlic chicken.

This meal was so beyond easy and delicious AND healthy. Triple win and even better because its a crockpot meal. I love anything in a crockpot. The original recipe with amazing pictures can be found here. I changed it up a bit and made it more suitable for my lazy ways. Try it yourself and enjoy!

Ingredients
3 large chicken breasts (I used frozen)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup blackberry jam
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
Sliced scallions, for garnish
Sesame seeds, for garnish

Preparation
Arrange the chicken breasts in the slow cooker so that they are not overlapping. In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, blackberry jam, hoisin, olive oil, garlic, onion and crushed red pepper flakes, and then pour the sauce over the chicken. Cover the slow cooker and cook the chicken on LOW for 4 to 5 hours until the chicken is fully cooked. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of cold water to make a slurry. Shred chicken and mix in cornstarch, let cook for another 15-30 minutes. Serve the chicken topped with sliced scallions and sesame seeds.