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

Staying True to My Roots

Even though I am born and raised in North Carolina, I must admit, I really do not cooK Southern food very often. On the other hand, I really do enjoy the traditional Southern dishes like fried green tomatoes, pulled pork, and collard greens. On very rare occasions, my mother will make her homemade fried chicken, which is completely to die for, but other than that my family does not keep many Southern food staples within the house. However, one can always find a bag of stone ground grits in our pantry. 

Now dinner in the Hoski household must always have meat for the boys, generally some sort of red meat, and while I do love a nice steak, I’m quite bored with the usual protein. Thus, I bought some shrimp and thought I would  make some shrimp and grits. However, this isn’t just any typical Southern shrimp and grits. Instead I put an Italian twist on it by using prosciutto, tomatoes and parsley. Below is my recipe that somewhat stays true to my roots, but also brings two very different cultures together. 

Shrimp and Procuitto on Grits 

1 cup stone ground grits

4 ounces prosciutto, chopped   

4 ounces applewood smoked bacon, chopped 

2 garlic gloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes 

3 tablespoons extra Virginia olive oil, divided 

21 ounces of can diced tomatoes in juice 

1 pound cleaned large shrimp 

1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley 

1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

Cook grits according to package instructions in a heavy medium saucepan until thickened and creamy, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt, then cover. 

Cook prosciutto, bacon, garlic and red pepper flakes in 2 tablespoons of oil in a 12 inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring until garlic is pale golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juice and simmer until liquid is reduced to about 1/2 a cup, 6 to 8 minutes. In a separate skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil and cook shrimp, until shrimp are just cooked through. Season with salt and add to the tomato mixture. 

Spoon grits into shallow bowl and top with the shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and parsley. Enjoy! 

Because bacon and prosciutto are naturally very salty, be careful when adding additional salt to the dish because it probably won’t need it! Other than that enjoy this dish just as much as I did! 

Xoxo Sarah 

July 15, 2015July 15, 2015 by Sarah Hoski Categories: Breakfast, Brunch, Corn, Dinner, Garden, Gluten Free, Grits, Herbs, Italian, Meat, Shrimp, Southern, Summer, TomatoesTags: Cheese, Gluten Free, grits, Italian, shrimp, southern, tomatoes Leave a comment

Farmers Market Fresh : Locally Sourced Ingredients

It is that time of year when farmers markets are full of fresh wonderful produce that is grown locally from your surrounding area and is full of nutrients.  Just walking around the stalls of all different fruits and vegetables, one can get inspiration to create a wonderful dish for a summertime meal.  While I have an unbelievable vegetable garden at home, I still like to visit the market to see what kind of produce they are bringing in.  Because I am from the South, okra is a staple vegetable that I will always be guaranteed to see along with cucumbers, kale, cabbage and corn.  

Personally, I think that there is nothing better than fresh sweet corn on the cob grown at a local farm.  If you ever get a chance to try locally grown corn, definitely do because it has such a different taste than the corn you can find at your local grocery store.  It is sweeter, crispier and is the perfect vegetable for any summer salad.  Corn is nutritious vegetable, that provides fiber, which aids in digestion, plus folate, thiamin, phosphorus, vitamin C, and magnesium.

There is nothing like grilling corn on the cob and incorporating it into a fresh salad on a hot summer’s day.  With a little help from Bon Appetit, I was able to transform the corn that I bought from the farmers market and herbs from my mother’s herb garden into a summer salad that is to die for.  It is light, healthy, full of flavor and vegetarian! It can be found by clicking this link Corn and Fregola with Halloumi Cheese and below!

Corn and Fregola with Halloumi Cheese 

1 cup walnuts
1 cup fregola or Israeli couscous
Kosher salt
4 ears of corn, husked
2 tablespoons plus ¼ cup olive oil, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces Halloumi cheese, sliced lengthwise ¾-inch thick
3 scallions, thinly sliced
½ cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup basil leaves
¼ cup mint leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons (or more) white wine vinegar

Preheat oven to 350°. Toast walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 8–10 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop.
Cook fregola in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain (do not rinse) and spread out on a baking sheet to let cool.
Prepare a grill for medium-high heat. Rub corn with 1 Tbsp. oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and tender, 8–10 minutes. Transfer to a platter and let cool.
Meanwhile, brush cheese with 1 Tbsp. oil and grill, turning once, until lightly charred in spots, about 5 minutes. Transfer to platter with corn; let cool.
Cut kernels from cobs and place in a large bowl. Add scallions, parsley, basil, mint, walnuts, and fregola. Using your hands, tear Halloumi into bite-size pieces; add to bowl and toss to combine. Add lemon juice, vinegar, and remaining ¼ cup oil. Toss to coat; season with salt, pepper, and more vinegar, if desired.

I made this for my family and allowed my father to grill the Halloumi cheese and corn on the Big Green Egg! It was a total hit at dinner and the left overs were even better the next day because the ingredients could meld together! I hope you enjoy this just as much as I did!

xoxo Sarah

July 2, 2015July 22, 2015 by Sarah Hoski Categories: Cheese, Corn, Dinner, Farmers Market, Garden, Grill, Healthy, Local, Meatless Monday, Recipes, Summer, Vegetables, VegetarianTags: Bon Appetite, Cheese, Corn, Dinner, Farm To Table, Farmers Market, Garden, Greek, Grill, Healthy, Local, Side Dish, Summer, Vegetables, Vegetarian Leave a comment