Dinner · Easy Recipe · Gluten Free · Meal prep · quick dinner · Uncategorized

French Onion Chicken Pilaf

I love the flavors of French Onion soup, but it is not hearty enough for a full meal. I added some chicken and rice to make a hearty one-pot dinner. I also served this with roasted brussels sprouts to add some greens.  This recipe makes enough for four people or a great meal prep option.

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4-5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Olive oil

1 onion, sliced thin

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup sherry wine

1 cup rice, I used white basmati

2 1/2 cups beef broth

1 t granulated garlic

1 t granulated onion

2 t dried thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

In a cast iron dutch oven or 5 qt saucepan, sear chicken thighs in about 2 T olive oil. Remove chicken to a plate.

Add onions to the pan and caramelize on medium heat. Try to remove the seared bits on the bottom of the pan with a spoon

Add garlic and rice, saute for about 1 minute

Deglaze with sherry wine, reduce to sec

Return chicken to the pan, add beef broth and seasonings. Stir to combine

Bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover the pan with a lid. Simmer for about 25 minutes or until rice is cooked.

Enjoy.

I garnished with fresh parsley and rosemary.

 

chicken · Dinner · Meal prep · Uncategorized · Vegetables

Creamy Poblano Pasta

I scored some delicious treats from the farmers market that inspired this dish. A vegetable stand was smoking poblanos on-site and it smelled amazing! The tomatoes were perfectly ripe and beautiful. Corn is finished for the season so I picked up some frozen at the natural grocery store. This recipe is easily adjustable; omit the chicken for vegetarian, use sweet potatoes for gluten free, or serve the sauce over rice. This recipe makes a lot so portion it for meal prep.

2 chicken breast, diced

1 half white onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup corn kernels

1 can black beans, rinsed

1 tomato diced

5 poblano peppers, smoked and peeled

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup of water

2 t granulated garlic

2 t granulated onion

Salt to taste

1 lb pasta, cooked

Purée poblanos, heavy cream and water in a blender. It may be thick, that’s ok.

Heat a 4 qt pot and add about 2 T olive oil. Add chicken and sauté until white on the outside. Sprinkle chicken with some salt while sauteeing.

Add onion, garlic and corn. Sauté until golden.

Add the sauce and seasonings, stir to combine. Allow the sauce to simmer while stirring often.

Once the sauce is heated and the chicken is cooked, add the tomatoes and pasta.

Serve and enjoy.

 

Smoking Peppers

Place peppers on an open flame. It could be a grill or gas burner.

Once the skin starts to turn black, turn the pepper with a pair of tongs. Repeat until the majority of the skin is blackened.

Place blackened peppers into a bowl with an air-tight lid. Allow to steam for about an hour.

Remove lid and peel the skin from the peppers. I like to wear a pair of disposable gloves for this. Simply put the pepper in your hands and wipe off the blackened skin.

Then chop the pepper as directed by your recipe.

Refrigerate what you did not use, or freeze for another time.

 

 

 

Dinner · quick dinner · Vegetables

Grilled Chicken and Vegetables

This is an easy dinner to make on a hot summer night when you don’t want to use the stove or oven in your house.

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Grilled Chicken

8 oz chicken breast

2 T olive oil

1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes

1 sprig of fresh rosemary, or any herb you have on hand

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup of water

Mix all ingredients except chicken in a blender. Pour over chicken in a bowl and mix to combine. Allow marinating for at least 30 minutes. You can also prep this in the morning to extra flavor and tenderness.

Grill until center has reached 165 degrees F

Vegetable Mix

1 small zucchini, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 ear of corn, kernels removed from the cob

1 sweet potato, diced and roasted

2 T olive oil

Pinch of salt

2 T shredded Parmesan cheese

Place a grill skillet on the grill to preheat

Mix veggies, oil, and salt in a bowl. Put onto grill skillet to cook until caramelized, stirring occasionally.

Return veggies to bowl and mix with cheese before serving.

Dinner

Dijon Maple Chicken

This is an easy fall dinner

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

2T Dijon Mustard

 1T maple syrup (the real stuff, not the corn syrup national brand stuff)

Pinch of kosher salt

A few grinds of fresh black pepper

1 t thyme, dry or fresh 

1/2 t granulated onion

1/2 t granulated garlic
Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Combine all ingredients in a bowl

Place chicken on a parchment lined baking sheet. Allow to marinate for about 10 minutes.

Place in the oven for about 20 minutes or until cooked to 165 degrees. 
I served with this roasted butternut squash and Brussels sprouts.
  

Make a serving extra of both chicken and veggies for a big salad tomorrow. 

2 cups spinach

1 diced Apple

1/2 oz of blue cheese or goat cheese, if desired 

Diced chicken breast, cold or warmed

Brussels sprouts and butternut squash, cold 

This does not need dressing, but if you need it feel free to drizzle a little olive oil on top.