French Onion Chicken Pilaf

October 25, 2019 rebeccahoopLeave a comment

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.

Dinner · Meal prep · Soup · Uncategorized

Italian Sausage Soup

October 11, 2019 rebeccahoopLeave a comment

Fall has finally arrived in Columbus! The cool, crisp temps make me crave soup. I made this hearty soup for a bunch of friends, who devoured it. Serve with garlic bread to dip in the broth.

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1 lb raw Italian sausage. If you use links, remove the casing.

1 yellow onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can crushed tomatoes

2 cups chicken broth

2 T tomato paste

2 T Italian Seasoning

1 T granulated garlic

1 T granulated onion

Salt to taste

1 cup parmesan cheese *

1 cup green lentils, cooked

2 cups sweet potatoes, diced and roasted

2 cups spinach, chopped

In a 6 qt cast iron dutch oven or stockpot, brown the sausage. Use a wooden spoon to break the sausage into small pieces.

Add the onion and garlic, stir to combine.

Add the canned tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, granulated garlic, and onion. Stir to combine. Allow simmering for 30 minutes or so until flavors start to come together.

Add the parmesan cheese* to help thicken the soup and add flavor.

Add the lentils, sweet potatoes, and spinach. Stir until heated through.

Serve with more parmesan on top if desired.

* I used the rind of parmesan wedges. It is a great way to utilize waste. Shredded parmesan is perfectly good to use as well in the soup.

Breakfast · Gluten Free · Salad · Uncategorized

Breakfast Salad Bowl

September 5, 2019September 2, 2019 rebeccahoopLeave a comment

I like to make a salad for breakfast to pack in as many savory nutrients as possible. I mix the proteins with potatoes and serve it on a bed of fresh spinach. I kicked my sugar addiction a few years ago, so sweet pancakes usually make me feel sluggish the rest of the day.

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1 egg

2 turkey sausage links

1 cup diced sweet potatoes, roasted

1 cup fresh spinach

Place a saute pan on medium heat and add sausage and potatoes to heat through.

Add the egg and scramble into the sausage and potatoes until the egg is no longer runny.

Season with kosher salt and black pepper

Pour mixture onto spinach on your serving plate or bowl.

Add hot sauce of choice for extra flavor.

Dinner · quick dinner · Vegetables

Grilled Chicken and Vegetables

July 31, 2019August 1, 2019 rebeccahoopLeave a comment

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.

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 · Gluten Free · Meal prep · Vegan

Quick Curry

September 14, 2016 rebeccahoopLeave a comment

Curry is like a cozy blanket, warm and comforting.

I grew up in rural Ohio, and never even heard of curry until Culinary school. My first taste made me wonder where it had been all my life.

Of course I developed a super quick version. It is vegan and gluten free, but I always add some roasted chicken for extra protein.

I’m serving it with brown rice and green lentils.

1 cup of brown rice and 1 cup of lentils in the rice cooker with 4 cups of water. Start this before you start chopping veggies so everything will finish around the same time.

This recipe makes about 6 portions and holds great for a week

1 red onion, sliced

1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 bell pepper, diced

1 head of cauliflower, chopped

1 head of broccoli, chopped

5 carrots, sliced

2 cans of coconut milk

4 T curry powder

Salt as desired

2 limes, juiced

In a large pot, sauté onion in olive oil until caramelized.

Add ginger, garlic, bell pepper and carrots, stir and allow to sauté for a minute.

Add broccoli and cauliflower, stir

Add 1 cup of water to deglaze

Add coconut milk and spices, stir to combine

Reduce heat to medium and allow simmer for about 20 minutes until veggies are softened. Stir often

Stir fresh lime juice and adjust seasonings just before serving.

Enjoy!

Dinner · Gluten Free · Meal prep

Cajun Chicken Pasta

September 9, 2016 rebeccahoopLeave a comment

This is a quick not so healthy, but still better than takeout recipe.

I tend to make waaaaaaay too much, so this reheats nicely for leftovers. This recipe makes about 6 portions

1/2 pound pasta, any variety. I usually opt for gluten free brown rice pasta

1/2 pound chicken, cooked and chopped. Today I chose andouille chicken sausage

1 zucchini, sliced

1 bunch asparagus, chopped

1 head broccoli, chopped

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 T butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 T Cajun seasoning*
Cook pasta as directed

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Toss vegetables in a bowl with a splash of olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt

Place veggies on a parchment lined baking sheet. Add chicken and mix together on the sheet

Bake for 10-15 minutes until veggies are golden

Once the pasta is cooked, drain in a colander in the sink

In the same pot used for cooking pasta, return to the stove and melt the butter.

Mix in the Cajun seasoning and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer for about 30 seconds to thicken

Toss the pasta, cooked veggies and chicken into Cajun cream sauce

If you want to get crazy, add some Parmesan cheese

Enjoy!
* Cajun seasoning

You can buy from the store, I like Paul Prudome’s spice mixes.

Here is a recipe for Cajun seasoning

1 T kosher salt

1 T granulated garlic

1T granulated onion

2 T smoked paprika

1 T crushed pepper flakes

1 t thyme, dried

1 t dried oregano

1 t fresh cracked pepper

Dinner · Meal prep · Uncategorized

Quinoa with Fresh Veggies

September 7, 2016 rebeccahoopLeave a comment

Before my ride this evening, I prepped dinner so when we were finished and famished we wouldn’t just pick up dirty fast food on the way home.

Earlier in the afternoon, I put 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs into the crockpot with Cajun seasoning, salt, and a couple cups of water. Cooked on low for about 6 hours.

I put 2 cups of quinoa and 3 1/2 cups of water into the rice cooker, turned it on right before we left

I prepped the vegetables before leaving so all I had to do was toss everything together and serve.

I hit up the farmers market over the weekend and scored some beautiful tomatoes and peppers

4 cups of quinoa, cooked

1 red onion, diced

2 bell pepper, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 cups of spinach, chopped

2 tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup fresh parsley, leaves chopped

Pinch of salt

I sautéed the onion and pepper until caramelized, then stirred the garlic in before removing from the heat. I placed them in a bowl and chilled in the fridge until dinner.

Once ready for dinner I tossed everything together and topped with the chicken

This recipe makes several servings and holds well for a few days so you can enjoy multiple times.
Tonight was a beautiful night for a ride, I hope you were able to enjoy it as well!