Delicious Cheesesteak Cups!

Pennsylvanians love their cheese steak! I've seen foot-long cheese steaks, cheese steak fries, cheese steak pizza, you name it! So when my boyfriend came to visit this past weekend and was craving a cheese steak, I found this awesome recipe on Facebook for Bell Pepper Cheese Steak Cups and knew we had to make it. They are a lower carbohydrate option for someone who doesn't want a very heavy meal, but still wants tons of flavor and protein. You'll be able to whip this up on a busy weeknight in no time. Best part, it hits all the food groups so you won't need to come up with any sides! 

Here's how to make them!

INGREDIENTS

• 4 bell peppers, halved
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 lb. sirloin steak, thinly sliced
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 16 oz.  mushrooms
• kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 16 slices provolone

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325º. Place peppers in a large baking dish and bake until tender, 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add steak and cook about 1 minute per side. Set aside.
3. Add onions and mushrooms to skillet and season with salt and pepper. Return steak to skillet and stir to combine.
4. Add provolone to bottom of peppers and top with steak mixture. Top with another piece of provolone and broil, 3 minutes.
5. Serve hot.

Tomato Soup-Just Like Mom's But Easier!

Do you ever get that craving for some homemade tomato soup on a chilly February night? Well, I did last week! I was craving a grilled cheese with tomato soup, but I was not going to settle for any old canned tomato soup. I wanted the real thing! Instead of hopping on Pinterest, I actually made this recipe up myself! It was super easy and tasty, especially if you like a little chunky cream of tomato soup.

I started by taking out a large stock pot and melting 1/3 cup of butter with 2 cloves of minced garlic and one chopped shallot. I was going to use a little onion, but I really enjoy the complex flavor of shallots, and I had one sitting in my pantry ready to use! Let the butter melt down and start to brown the garlic and shallots until they are fragrant. Once browned and fragrant, add in a 28oz can of diced tomatoes and a 28oz can of crushed tomatoes. Stir and let simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes. When the 20 minutes are up, add in salt and pepper to taste, and 1 cup of heavy cream. Let the soup simmer for 10 more minutes, and serve with grated parmesan on top.

 I did't have any cheese to make a grilled cheese so I made two little garlic toasts to accompany the soup. Super easy and very tasty! This recipe would also be really good for meal prep too!

I Did It So You Can Try It Too!

My boyfriend and I decided that due to this semester being very busy for both of us, that we would try to meal prep lunch every Sunday. So, that is what we did last weekend! We complied a list of what we would both need for the recipe and made it together. It makes mornings so much easier when you don't have to open the fridge and try to decide what you're going to make for lunch; it's already there and ready! Meal prep helps you make nutritious and healthy decisions every day, without having to put much thought into it.

To start our semester meal prep, we decided to keep it easy. I found a video on facebook of a recipe that looked delicious and very nutritious, that was Pesto Chicken with Green Beans and Tomatoes. This recipe was super easy and a great starter for more meal prep. Both my boyfriend and I loved it, and my fellow interns and classmates thought it smelled great too!

The only thing I would change about this recipe is use fresh pesto (avaliable on the Wegman's Olive Bar) instead of the jarred pesto. The fresh would have covered the chicken and vegetables a lot better. I would also recommend bringing a starch to accompany your lunch. Perhaps an apple or pretzels! That way you hit all the food groups in one sitting!

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1 pound green beans
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup basil pesto

PREPARATION

1. In a large pan, heat olive oil and add chicken thighs. Season with salt and pepper. When the chicken is completely cooked through, remove from pan, slice into strips, and set aside.

2. Add green beans and cook until crisp tender. Return the chicken strips to the pan, then add tomatoes and pesto. Stir until fully incorporated.

3. Serve immediately or divide into 4 food storage containers and store in the refrigerator. Can be kept refrigerated for up to 4 days.

4. Enjoy!

Recipe Adapted from BuzzFeed 

https://www.buzzfeed.com/robertbroadfoot/step-up-your-meal-prep-game

I used chicken tenders for this recipe instead of chicken thighs due to preference. We also doubled it in order for us to get 8 servings out of it too. 

Try it out and tell me what you think! 

Ditch the Dips!

When I was walking down the canned goods aisle the other day with my parents, I saw that cannellini beans were on sale so I had to pick some up! I wanted to make my own hummus to bring back to my apartment at school and knew that I didnt have a food processor there, so it had to be made here. Hummus is very easy to make and a very nutritious snack. It's a lot healthier than breaking out sour cream based dips at parties, or for a midday snack with something crunchy. Not only is hummus a good dip, but it can also be mixed into salads and used as a dressing, put on top of grilled meat to add some flavor, and even replace mayo in your sandwiches. There are endless possibilities with hummus!

Besides being mighty tasty, hummus is also high in protein and healthy fats. Cannellini beans have 6g of protein per half cup serving! Perfect for anyone on a meatless diet trying make sure you're getting enough protein. Hummus is also made, most of the time, with extra virgin olive oil. Olive oil is high in one of the heart healthy fats called Monounsaturated fat. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can help to reduce LDL cholesterol levels in the body, which can reduce the risk for heart disease.  

Next time you're trying to decide what to bring to a family gathering, or just want to make something tasty to snack on- Turn to Hummus! Delicious, easy, and nutritious too! 

When you make your own hummus, you can decide what type of bean you want to make it with! I like my hummus made with cannellini beans, but some may like it with chickpeas or even kidney beans. Why not try this recipe a few times with different beans!  Here is the recipe I used to make it!

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 

2 cans (15 oz. each) white beans (I used cannellini beans), drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons kosher salt

3 sprigs fresh rosemary, rinsed

Preparation

1.  In a 10-inch frying pan over medium heat, stir half the olive oil and the 2 cloves garlic until fragrant, being careful not to brown garlic, about 1 minute. Pour the oil and garlic into a food processor. Wipe out the pan and set aside.
2. Add white beans, lemon juice, and salt to the food processor and whirl until smooth. Pour into a serving bowl.
3. Return the frying pan to medium heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the rosemary sprigs. Warm the rosemary in the olive oil until fragrant, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally so the rosemary doesn't burn. Remove from heat and let cool 10 minutes.
4. Set the rosemary aside and drizzle the olive oil over the bean dip. Mince one teaspoon of the rosemary leaves and sprinkle over the dip.
5. Do-ahead tips: Make dip up to 2 days ahead. Store dip in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring dip to room temperature before serving. Prepare the rosemary oil right before serving.

Thank you diningwithadinergirl.blogspot.com for this great recipe!