My Lemon Chicken whatever...

I was asked for the recipe to the lemon chicken soup I made. I used Pampered Chef's recipe for "Greek Lemon Chicken Soup" from their cookbook It's good for you. I won't be sharing that recipe there, as I it's copyrighted. I will say that I used it as a springboard for the recipe I created. They used ingredients I couldn't (allergies) and ones I didn't want. To be honest, I don't really care for soup. I don't like drinking my meal. Bad memories. Anyway, what I really wanted was the flavor. I love the lemon, chicken, pasta combination, but I wanted something easier than heating up the oven, etc.

Here's another aspect of the problem: I'm single. It isn't easy finding really good recipes for one or two. Most recipes doesn't translate well into smaller portions. The recipe has to be so good I don't mind eating it for the next week. I've tried freezing and lost a lot of food that way. So, I only choose recipes I truly love. Actually, I'm learning to keep what I truly love and let everything else go. Life is too short to hang onto things I like when there's so much I love.

So, here we go. My recipe for Lemon Chicken yumminess...

Makes 8 generous servings:

Coconut oil and butter (about a 1 teaspoon each)
1 lb of carrots chopped (I was short by 2 medium-sized carrots and liked it)
2 cloves of garlic pressed
1 lemon zest and juice (about 1 teaspoon and 1/4 cup respectively)
Sprinkling of dehydrated onions (I never use as much as a recipe suggests. I want a hint of onion not to be overpowered by them.)
1 large and 1 small can of cooked chicken (about 16 oz)
1 can cream of chicken soup (condensed)
3 cans of chicken broth
2 cups of little pasta, which usually calls for a cooking time of about 5 minutes. (I used an alphabet variety because I had it on hand)

Prep, once you start, this goes fast:

Chop carrots to about the size of the end of your fingertip. I used a chopper. It's easier. Zest and juice lemon, save rind. Open all the cans and drain the chicken.

Heat coconut oil and butter in large sauce pan on medium. Once the oil is melted, add carrots and garlic. Saute for about 2 minutes.

Add sprinkle of dehydrated onions, chicken, zest, and juice.

Mix in condensed soup.

Stir in chicken broth and bring to a boil.

Boil for 10 minutes.

Add pasta and cook for another 5 minutes.

Serve.

It's very thick, exactly the way I like it. If you prefer soupier, reduce the pasta.

Why didn't I use orzo, the way it is called for in most of the recipes? Since I'm not overly familiar with it, I don't keep it on hand. I'll have to try this with orzo sometime.

To remove carrot stains from your cutting board, turn half the lemon rind inside out and scrub board.
To remove garlic scent from your hands, use the other half of the lemon rind to rub all over your hands and rinse.

Did you know you can buy lemons in season when they're juicy and cheap. Zest them, juice them, and freeze them for use when they aren't so cheap.