Time to Cook!

Inspiration for wholesome weeknight & weekend cooking.

Posts tagged ‘gluten-free’

Buffalo Chicken Chili

I’m always looking for a tasty slow cooker recipe.  The slow cooker is such a time saver during the week or on the weekend – after a little bit of prep time, set it and get on with your life.  Then, when it’s dinner time, your kitchen will smell wonderful and dinner is ready!  It’s just hard to find recipes that TASTE good, but this one does!  This chicken chili is great over rice.  Feel free to add extra hot sauce to your bowl if this is not spicy enough for you.

buffalo-chicken-chili

Recipe adapted from Katie Lee on Food Network.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 4 hours

Serves: 8 people

Ingredients:

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
One 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
One 4-ounce can chopped green chiles
1/2 cup Buffalo wing sauce (or 1/4 cup butter and a scant 1/8 cup hot sauce)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 bay leaf
1 rotisserie chicken, skin discarded, meat shredded
1/2 jalapeno, seeds and membranes removed, minced (optional)
1 medium yellow onion, diced

Directions:

In a slow cooker pot, combine the chicken broth, beans, chiles, wing sauce, salt, pepper, garlic, celery, bay leaf, shredded chicken, jalapeno and onion and mix. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
Serve over white rice with desired toppings: celery leaves, blue cheese, Cheddar cheese, hot sauce, and/or cilantro; cornbread on the side.

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Crazy Good Spinach Smoothie

My neighbor Jess was telling me about a smoothie that she made everyday for a year.  I figured if she did that, it had to be good.  But once she starting telling me the ingredients, I wasn’t so sure about the peanut butter.  Peanut butter in a drink?  But trust me.  It’s delicious.  I’ve now been making this smoothie for a regular afternoon snack and my boys can’t get enough of it.  Enjoy!

Crazy good spinach smoothie

Recipe from my neighbor Jess

Ingredients:

1 cup milk, almond milk, or coconut milk (I use unsweetened almond milk)

1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1 tablespoon of peanut butter or almond butter

3 handfuls of fresh spinach (pre-washed)

1 banana, sliced

1  1/2 handfuls of ice

Directions:

Combine all ingredients into a blender and puree, adding ice at the very end.

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Chorizo and White Bean Stew

If you’re in the mood for comfort food, this is the dinner for you!  Serve with a toasted baguette on the side.  Note: I used a bit less garlic and I prefer to use fresh cooked white beans (any kind) over canned.

Chorizo and white bean stew

Recipe from Bon Appétit.

Chorizo and White Bean Stew

Total time: 45 minutes

Yield: makes 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 pound fresh Mexican chorizo or Italian sausage links
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • 2 15-ounce cans cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
  • 5 ounces baby spinach (about 10 cups)
  • Smoked paprika (optional)

Preparation

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 15-20 minutes. Transfer sausage to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet. Add onion, garlic, and thyme sprig. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5-8 minutes. Add beans and broth and cook, crushing a few beans with the back of a spoon to thicken sauce, until slightly thickened, 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add spinach by handfuls and cook just until wilted, about 2 minutes.

Slice chorizo and fold into stew; add water to thin, if desired. Divide stew among bowls; drizzle with oil and sprinkle with paprika, if desired.

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Japanese Style Sesame Dressing

I’m always looking for a fresh, new salad dressing and when I learned how easy this one is to throw together, I was thrilled.  My mother-in-law Cille served this to us this summer and I’ve made it a handful of times since.  I tend to double the recipe so I have it in the fridge for the next night or two.  Great on a salad with toasted nuts/seeds, avocado, edamame, and/or chopped yellow peppers.  Enjoy!

Japanese Style Sesame Dressing

Recipe slightly adapted from La Tourangelle Artisan Oils.

 

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1 Tablespoon rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

 

Directions:

Blend ingredients thoroughly and enjoy.

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Spinach Smoothie

I don’t own a Vitamix.  I’ve never done a cleanse or a detox.  But I do love a good, healthy smoothie every now and then.  This is a great way to start your morning or makes a great snack.  My kids love this too (although I could put just about anything into a blender and they’d be hard-pressed to not like it!)  I try not to have juice around the house (we have diabetes in the family and juice is filled with sugar) but this smoothie is plenty sweet without it.  This has become my “go to” green smoothie because it actually tastes good and it’s good for you.  It’s from Brit Morin, who is a young Martha Stewart type.  Her website Brit + Co is fun to check out for DIY and craft ideas.  Enjoy!

 

Spinach Smoothie

Recipe from Brit + Co.

Ingredients:
– 2 cups spinach
– 1/2 cup almond milk (original recipe uses sweetened, but I buy unsweetened)
– 1/2 cup frozen mango
– 1/2 of a small banana (2 ounces if you have a scale)

Directions:

Place your spinach in the blender. Add the almond milk and frappe until smooth. This step is key for a smooth texture. Add the frozen mango chunks and banana. Blend again until smooth. Your smoothie will be thick, but not so thick that you can’t drink it from the glass without the help of a spoon.

Total Calories – 145 calories.

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Zesty Chicken Thighs

This is one of my ‘go-to’ grilled chicken marinades – very flavorful, fresh and healthy.  I do think marinating the chicken overnight makes a big difference (and makes for one less thing to do the day of!)  I whiz up my marinade, toss with my chicken pieces in a bowl, and store in Ziplock bags in the fridge overnight.  Let sit on the counter 15-30 minutes prior to grilling.  Recipe is easy to double if you’re having friends over.

 

Zesty Chicken Thighs

Recipe very slightly adapted from the blog healthyseasonalrecipes.com

Zesty Chicken Thighs

Active Time: 1 hour

Makes: 8 – 10 thighs or drumsticks

Make ahead: Prepare marinade 1-2 days before adding the chicken.

Ingredients

  • 6 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1/2 cup plain low-fat or Greek yogurt
  • 3 tablespoons minced ginger
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 
2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Approx. 4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and/or drumsticks, any extra fat trimmed
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro for garnish, optional

Instructions

  1. Fit food-processor with steel blade attachment. With motor running, drop garlic cloves one at a time through feed tube and process until finely chopped. Remove lid and add yogurt, ginger, honey, lime juice, curry powder and salt. Process until smooth.
  2. Place chicken thighs and/or drumsticks in a large bowl and toss with marinade. Pour everything into a resealable plastic bag and seal. Allow the chicken to marinate in the refrigerator a minimum of 4 hours or up to 1 day for maximum flavor.
  3. Oil grill rack and pre-heat grill to medium heat (375 degrees). Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on the grill and cook without turning for 10 minutes. Turn chicken over with a thin flexible spatula and continue grilling, turning and rotating occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat (without touching the bone) registers 170-180 degrees F, 20 to 25 minutes longer. Note the chicken may stick to the grill slightly. Serve hot or cold garnished with cilantro.
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