Taco Salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Josh Rating: Loves it (with chicken, not beans)

Corn chips

Refried beans, heated (or chicken)

Shredded cheese

Corn, heated

Tomatoes, diced

Cucumber, diced

Lettuce, chopped

Ranch dressing

I wasn't going to include this on my blog because it is so simple it seems unnecessary to have a recipe for it, but since we eat it pretty much once a week I figured I might as well put it on here. The reason I like to have this meal so often is that it is quick, healthy (depending on the amount of ranch you add), tasty, and can be easily made to satisfy vegetarians and meat eaters. For the chicken version, I boil and shred a couple of chicken breast then heat them on the stove with a pack of taco seasoning and a cup of water until the water is gone. Josh was out of town a couple of weeks ago so I didn't make any chicken with this meal and it was so quick to make! Love that!

Creamy Gnocchi Soup

Prep + Cooking Time = 20 minutes

Josh Rating = Loves it (with chicken)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 stalk celery, diced

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 carrot, shredded

1/2 onion, diced

4 cups chicken stock

2 cups half-and-half

1 teaspoon thyme

16 ounces gnocchi

1 cup fresh spinach, chopped

salt and pepper

1-2 tablespoons cornstarch plus 2-3 tablespoons boiling water

Meat Option: 2 - 3 chicken breasts, shredded

1. Sauté the onion, celery, garlic, carrot in oil over medium heat until onion is translucent.
2.  Add chicken stock, half and half, salt and pepper, thyme. Heat to boiling then add gnocchi. If using chicken add it now. Gently boil for 4 minutes, then turn down to a simmer for 10 minutes.
3.  Add spinach and cook for another 1-2 minutes until spinach is wilted.
4. Heat to boiling and add cornstarch dissolved in boiling water to thicken the soup.