Lunch Bowls

As weird as this may sound, I am obsessed with eating out of bowls.  If you were to put every meal into a bowl, I would guarantee you that I would eat it.

Generally speaking, most people associate bowls with foods like soup, cereal, oatmeal, pasta etc and has become very popular in the term “breakfast bowls.”  With that said, I figured I would create a “lunch bowl” that was low in carbs and every high in protein.  As stated in a previous blog post, it is holiday season so it is very important to be conscientious of what we are putting into our bodies.

This adobo chicken bowl is super high in protein because of the chicken breast and black beans, and very low in carbs because I eliminated the rice.  However, if you are a rice eater, go ahead and add some brown rice to this dish. Below is this SUPER easy recipe.

Creamy Adobo Chicken Bowl with Chorizo and Corn Salsa

1 pound chicken breast

1/4 cup of chopped cured chorizo

1 can of adobo chilis with sauce

1/4 plain low fat greek yogurt

1 yellow onion, sliced

juice of 1 lime

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth

1 can of cuban style black beans

Trader Joe’s Corn Chili Salsa

In a large skillet, saute the chicken breast until they are just cooked through and remove.  In the same pan, saute the onions until they are translucent. While the onions are cooking, shred the chicken.  In a blender, add the whole can of chilis and adobo sauce, lime juice, chicken broth and greek yogurt.  Blend until smooth.  Once the onions are ready, add the chicken, adobo sauce and chorizo.  Cook until warm. In a bowl, add the black beans, chicken mixture and top with corn salsa and cilantro.  Enjoy!

Cook’s Notes: Depending on the chilis, the adobo sauce can be very spicy.  If you like spice and are okay with the temperature, leave it alone.  If not,  go ahead and add more yogurt. I also really like to use the Trader Joe’s Corn Salsa because it is super easy and very yummy!

xoxo Sarah

November 20, 2015 by Sarah Hoski Categories: Avocado, caramelized onions, Chicken, chili, Chorizo, Cilantro, Corn, Dinner, Easy, Food, Gluten Free, Healthy, holiday, lime, Lunch, Meat, Mexican, Recipes, salsa, Trader Joe's, Uncategorized, YogurtTags: beans, Chicken, chili, chorizo, Cilantro, Corn, Easy, Lunch, Meat, Mexican, Onions, Recipe, Salsa, Simple Leave a comment

The Taste of Thai

One of my favorite go-to cuisines, other than sushi, is Thai food. I love the freshness of the ingredients and the nice, sometimes subtle spice.  Thai food is known for its fresh herbs and spices as well as its use of chilis.  Because of this, Thai food is a flavorful cuisine that is relatively very low in fat because it does not use oils when cooking.  Other than the natural fat that comes from the meat, there is little to no added extra fat.

For the people that have some knowledge of Thai food, a big common dish is Pad Thai. Pad Thai is a stir-fried rice noodle dish commonly served as a street food and at casual local eateries in Thailand. It is made with soaked dried rice noodles, which are stir-fried with eggs and chopped firm tofu, and flavored with tamarind pulp, fish sauce, dried shrimp, garlic or shallots, red chili pepper and palm sugar, and served with lime wedges and often chopped roasted peanuts. While I do really love this dish, I wanted to introduce you all to one of my all time favorite Thai dishes that I generally always eat when I want to fill up on protein and not carbs.  This dish is called Larb.

Larb is a traditionally northern Thai dish this can be described as a minced meat salad. Not only is it extremely easy to make, but it is super low in carbs and fat, making it the perfect meal for when you are trying to cut carbs or eat light.  Below is the recipe.

Larb Chicken Salad

2/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 cup fish sauce (nam pla*)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons Thai roasted chili paste* in oil or chili-garlic sauce*
3/4 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
1 cup thinly sliced green onions
3/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
3 tablespoons minced fresh lemongrass*
1 tablespoon thinly sliced Thai chilies* or serrano chilies
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
2 small heads Boston lettuce, separated into leaves
*Available at Asian markets and some supermarkets nationwide.

Whisk first 4 ingredients in medium bowl to blend; reserve sauce.

Bring broth to simmer in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken. Simmer until cooked through, breaking up meat with spoon, about 8 minutes. Add green onions and next 3 ingredients. Stir until vegetables are tender and most of liquid has evaporated, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in sauce, cilantro and mint. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon into lettuce leaves; serve.

Cook’s Notes: One of the best parts about this dish is the flexibility of ingredients.  You are more than welcome to use ground turkey in place for the chicken and if you want to make it vegetarian/vegan you can just finely chop up some tofu in substitution for the meat!

Now get chopping and enjoy!

xoxo Sarah

October 12, 2015October 12, 2015 by Sarah Hoski Categories: Asian, Chicken, Dinner, Easy, Gluten Free, Healthy, larb, Lunch Dinner, Meat, Recipes, salad, Simple, ThaiTags: Asian, Chicken, Dinner, Easy, Gluten Free, Healthy, larb, Lunch, Meat, Recipe, salad, Simple, Thai Leave a comment

Day Dreaming About College Days

I am a HUGE pizza lover. I find comfort in pizza when I am moody, tired, lazy, wanting something warm and cheesy….the list goes on and on.  However, I find that since graduating from college I do not eat pizza as often as I used to.  You’re probably thinking, duh! You graduated, you probably lived off of ramen and pizza. Yet, that is not the case at all.  I do not eat pizza like I used to because I do not have a pizza place in Asheville that I find is worth going to all of the time.

Back at Elon I literally lived 2 blocks away from the BEST pizza place.  Pandora’s Pies is a local restaurant right in the heart of campus and has some of the most innovative pizzas that I have ever come across.  They incorporate unique flavors and ingredients on their pizzas that people know and love.  While I always tried to branch out and try new pizzas, I always found myself getting the same one every time I went to the restaurant.  I always ordered the Chicken Cordon Bleu pizza, smothered in honey mustard dressing/sauce, it was the perfect hungover meal or anytime meal.

Because I have been craving this pizza lately and I live three hours away from Elon, I figured I would create my own version.  By adding a few new twists to this delectable pizza, I threw together a pizza as a ode to my all time favorite pie. Recipe is as follows.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pizza 

1 bag of Trader Joe’s Fresh Pizza Dough

honey mustard of your choice

1 cup of chopped pancetta

1 chicken breast

2 cups of mozzarella cheese

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Follow the instructions on the bag of the pizza dough.  In the meantime, cook the pancetta in a skillet until crispy and browned.  Once the meat is ready, remove the pancetta and cook the chicken breast in the same pan.  One the chicken is cooked through, remove and chop into small half inch pieces.  On a wooden dough sheet, flour the surface as well as the rolling pin an ball of dough (if you do not have a wooden dough sheet, use a clean surface on your counter and flour the surface as well). Roll out the dough into a 24 inch circle and place on an oiled baking sheet.  Take the honey mustard and coat the dough, use it as a sauce.  Top with pancetta and chicken, then add the cheese on top.  Cook the pizza for about 12-14 minutes, or just until the cheese is melted.  Once the pizza is ready, top with an extra drizzle of honey mustard and enjoy!

Cooks notes: Because I was being lazy today, I decided to use the pre-made pizza dough.  It is surprisingly very tasty and speeds up the process as well!

I hope you enjoy this pizza just as much as I have over the years! Now get cooking and enjoy 🙂

xoxo Sarah

October 10, 2015October 10, 2015 by Sarah Hoski Categories: Chicken, chicken cordon bleu, college, Dinner, Easy, honey mustard, Meat, mozzarella, pancetta, pizza, Recipes, SimpleTags: Cheat Day, Chicken, chicken cordon bleu, college, Dinner, Easy, honey mustard, Meat, mozzarella, pancetta, pizza, Recipe, Simple Leave a comment

Bikini Body Ready

It is less than 2 weeks until I have to be a DOPE Wildfox Couture Third Eye Bikini at the beach, which means that it is time to really be conscious of what I am eating.  Eating healthy is something that comes second nature to me, but so does eating sweets.  I LOVE SWEETS.  My insatiable urge to eat cupcakes and gummies and coconut popsicles is beyond out of control, but it is time to reign that need in.  Back to the land of salad greens, green smoothies, quinoa and veggies.  I will have to admit, this past Labor Day Weekend I was a chowhound.  I literally ate everything in sight from the candy corn that I picked up at the grocery store to the Cotton Candy Grapes that I end up finding.  Cotton Candy Grapes you may ask? Well they are grapes that farmers have bred to taste exactly like cotton candy aka #flavortripping.

However, enough about my crazy eating habits and back to this blog post.  I wanted to create something that would keep me feeling full, was full of flavor, and like everything else that I make, I wanted it to be Asian inspired.  Recently, I have come across a lot of posts on Instagram that have do with Korean food.  YUM! One of the most well known Korean dishes is called Bibimbap.  Bibimbap is a Korean signature dish that literally means “mixed rice.”  It is served in a bowl of warm white rice that is topped with sautéed and seasoned vegetables, red chili pepper paste and soy sauce.  A raw or cooked egg and sliced meat are common additions to this dish.  Generally, the ingredients are plated separately and they are completely mixed in right before eating.  Because I not only love the way that this dish is plated as well as the ingredients that are used, I wanted to create my own version.

Most people who know me know that I really hate rice, unless it is in my sushi.  Thus, instead of using rice, I wanted to use mung bean or cellophane noodles.  I also wanted to make this dish vegetarian as well as gluten free.  So after scavenging through my always packed refrigerator, I was able to throw this dish together without even having to go to the grocery store! Win! Below is my recipe!

Mung Bean Noodle Bibimbap

1 serving of mung bean noodles (generally one small round ball) hydrated according to package

1 fried egg

1/4 cup chopped tofu

1 small red onion sliced

1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

1/2 avocado, chopped

1/4 cup of Shibazuke (can be found at local Asian market)

1/4 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms

liquid aminos or soy sauce

1 tablespoon Chili Garlic Sauce

sesame oil

Slice the red onion very thinly and in small bowl, add seasoned rice vinegar and let sit for about 15 minutes.  This way they can pickle while you prepare the rest of the dish.  In a small sauté pan, heat 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and saute mushrooms and tofu separately adding some liquid aminos or soy sauce for flavoring.  Once you have the toppings prepared, make sure they you have them all separated and ready to use.  Place your noodles in a bowl and top with 1 tablespoon of liquid aminos or soy sauce and add 1 tablespoon of chili garlic sauce as well.  Then fry up your egg and place it directly top of the noodles in the center of the bowl.  Take each of the toppings separately and place around the yoke of the egg, almost like a color wheel. Once you have placed all of the ingredients on top of the noodles, enjoy!

What I really love about this dish is the versatility. If you prefer rice over noodles, go ahead and go the more traditional route.  In addition to that, you can use meat like chicken or beef as well as all different kinds of vegetables like sautéed bok choy, cucumbers, eggplant, etc.  The sky is your limit! It is also very filling and keeps you going for the rest of the day, thus I would recommend this as a lunch or even dinner! I hope you enjoy this dish and don’t forget to taste the rainbow!

xoxo Sarah

September 9, 2015September 9, 2015 by Sarah Hoski Categories: Asian, Avocado, Bok Choy, Chicken, Colorful, Dinner, Easy, Eggs, Gluten Free, Healthy, Korean, Lunch Dinner, Noodles, Onions, Recipes, Simple, Tofu, Vegetables, VegetarianTags: Asian, Avocado, Bok Choy, Chicken, Colorful, Dinner, Easy, Eggs, Gluten Free, Healthy, Korean, Lunch, mushrooms, Noodles, Onions, Recipe, Shiitake mushrooms, Simple, Tofu, Vegetarian 1 Comment

Cleaning Out the Refrigerator

Every time I look into my refrigerator I seem to always have tofu and chicken breast stocked. I do not know if I subconsciously buy some every time I walk into Trader Joe’s or if we just never use both ingredients in my household, but I am going to go with the latter argument (sorry for sounding so legal right there, I have been watching a lot of The Good Wife).  While I personally enjoy eating tofu almost every day, the rest of my family seems to not share the same taste as me.  Because of my tendency to buy copious amounts of tofu and have it sit in my fridge, it starts to pile up.  In addition to this, my dad and brother are not the biggest fans of chicken.  Thus, I have a problem.  I have ingredients that can go to waste if I do not use them in a timely fashion, but they are also the ingredients that I seem to only enjoy. Therefore, I am faced with the challenge of having to come up with a dish that “hides” these ingredients but will still be a huge hit at dinner.

At the current moment, my garden is overflowing with eggplants. I have the normal eggplants that you might see in your local grocery store as well as the long Japanese eggplants that would work perfectly for the dish that I am about to share with you. By using the chicken, tofu, and eggplants, my three main ingredients, I knew that I could throw together some sort of stir fry that would not only fill everyone up, but would also be super healthy as well.  It is jam packed with protein and full of flavor.  The best part, is that my stir fry sauce is homemade, so there is no having to worry about the unwanted ingredients in the pre-made stuff that you can find in the Asian section of your grocery store.  The recipe is as follows!

Szechwan Eggplant, Tofu and Chicken Stir Fry

1 pound chicken breast

1/2 block of tofu, cubed

5 Asian eggplants, about 2 pounds

3 tablespoons peanut oil

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 green onions, white and green parts, sliced on a diagonal

1 -inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 fresh red chile, sliced or a nice little pinch full of dried Korean red chili pepper

1/2 cup chicken broth

3 tablespoons tamari

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Thai holy basil and fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Cut the eggplants in 1/2 lengthwise and then slice crosswise into wedges, no more than 1-inch wide.

Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high flame and add the oils; tilt the pan to coat all sides. When you see a slight smoke, add a layer of eggplant, stir-fry until seared and sticky, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the eggplant to a side platter and cook the remaining eggplant in same manner, adding more oil, if needed.

Once the eggplant out of the pan, add more sesame oil if needed and cook the chicken breast until just cooked through.

After all the eggplant and chicken is out of the pan, add the green onions, ginger, garlic, and chile; stir-fry for a minute until fragrant. Add the broth. In a small bowl, mix the tamarin, vinegar, sugar, and cornstarch until the sugar and cornstarch are dissolved. Pour the soy sauce mixture into the wok and cook another minute, until the sauce has thickened. Put the eggplant and chicken back in the pan along with the tofu, tossing quickly, until the sauce is absorbed. Garnish with sesame seeds, Thai basil, and cilantro and serve.

I served this with a side of rice and sriracha! It was a total hit at dinner and I even had left overs that my father took to work the next day! I used tamarin instead of soy sauce to make it gluten free, but if you do not have access to tamari go ahead and use soy sauce! I hope you enjoy this recipe! Now get chopping and enjoy 🙂

xoxo Sarah

August 14, 2015 by Sarah Hoski Categories: Asian, Chicken, Chinese, Dinner, Easy, Eggplant, frecipe, Garden, Gluten Free, Healthy, Meat, stir fry, Summer, TofuTags: Asian, Chicken, Chinese, Dinner, Easy, eggplant, Garden, Gluten Free, healty, Meat, Recipe, Stir Fry, Summer, Tofu 1 Comment

The Meshing of Cultures

I will be the first to admit that I have an addiction to everything and all things Asian food.  There is something about the fresh ingredients that are used along with the spices that constantly have me craving some sort of Asian dish.  In addition to that, I am a huge fan of all of the condiments that are used.  Because of this, I have a whole shelf in my refrigerator designated to all of my different Asian condiments.  The other day I was looking at food posts on Instagram and I came across post about Hawaiian dishes, one in particular called, Chicken Long Rice.

Chicken Long Rice is a traditional Hawaiian dish mainly used in Lu’au’s that roots in the Chinese culture. The name “long rice” might cause some people to think that rice is used in this dish, however, long rice is a term used to describe cellophane noodles. Cellophane noodles are glass-like noodles made of starch and water.

While I really love the traditional dish and the ingredients used, I wanted to add a few more ingredients to kick this dish up a notch. By add fish sauce, liquid aminos, lime juice and some dried chili pepper, this dish is transformed into a meal that has a nice Thai twist.  Because the dish is so simple, it is a great base for all different flavors and can be transformed into whatever your heart desires. It a filling without weighing you down and leaves you feeling satisfied. The recipe is as follows!

Chicken Long Rice with a Thai Flare 

3 pounds of Chicken leg quarters

3 cartons of low-sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon Hawaiian sea salt

1 inch piece of fresh ginger root

1 large sweet onion, cubed

10 ounces uncooked cellophane noodles

1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

1 small head of bok choy, chopped

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons amino acids

1 tablespoon dried red chili flake

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 jalapeno, sliced

Place chicken, chicken broth, salt, and ginger into a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the chicken is tender and no longer pink, about 35 minutes. Remove chicken, and strain broth into a new pot. Discard the solids.

Stir onion into the broth, and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Meanwhile, remove the skin and bones from the chicken and discard. Roughly chop the meat and set aside. Add the noodles and let them hydrate for about 30 minutes.  They should soak up most of the broth.  Add the chicken meat, green onion, bok choy, fish sauce, amino acids, lime juice and dried red chili flake.

Once the noodles are cooked and the meat is heated back up, serve and top with a few slices of jalapeño.  Enjoy!

Because I am a HUGE fan of cellophane noodles, I really enjoyed this dish.  I served mine with some sriracha on the side because I am a lover of the heat, but if you do not like spicy things than just skip the jalapeño step! You can even use this dish as a base for a “pad thai” and add a homemade peanut sauce if you would like.  I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I did!

xoxo Sarah

August 12, 2015 by Sarah Hoski Categories: Asian, Bok Choy, Chicken, Chinese, Dinner, Easy, Hawaiian, Healthy, Liquid AMinos, Onions, Recipes, ThaiTags: Asian, Bok Choy, Chicken, Chinese, Dinner, Easy, Hawaiian, Healthy, Liquid Aminos, Onions, Recipes, Thai Leave a comment