Category: Lunch

Greek Chicken Bowl

I’m always trying to create healthy quick meals. Life can get crazy especially during the week so having a healthy meal you can partially prep ahead of time and put together quick is a good healthy alternative to take out!

This bowl can be adjusted to any specific flavors or food lifestyles. A Must try!

Greek Chicken Bowls

Ingredients:

Chicken:
1lb chicken breast or tenderloins
1 cup fat free greek yoguart
1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 tablespoon dried dill
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
3 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 tablespoon, red or white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil

Salad:
2 cups tomatoes, diced
4 mini cucumbers, diced or cut in half moons
1 red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced (or garlic paste)
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, sliced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon oregano
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Bowl:
Cooked rice
1 cup tzatziki sauce
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Pita Chips:
3 pitas, cut in triangles (I used a low carb high fiber option)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons garlic powder
sprinkle salt and pepper

Directions: In a medium bowl add the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, spices, vinegar and olive oil. Mix well till fully incorporated. Add the chicken to a large gallon zip lock bag (or a bowl) and add in the Greek yogurt mixture. Mix all together until the chicken is fully coated. Marinate 3 hours or overnight.

To make the salad add all the salad ingredients to a medium bowl with the seasonings. Add more or less to your liking. Start with less vinegar and add more if needed. Make the salad ahead of time and let chill for 1-2 hours. This will help marry the flavors.

To make the pita chips drizzle with oil on both sides and sprinkle with seasoning. Place in heated air fryer at 400° for 8-10 minutes flipping halfway through. Make sure they start to get crisp, set aside. Note: they will crisp more once out of the air fryer.

The chicken can be cooked on the stove, baked, grilled or made in the air fryer. I used chicken tenderloins and cooked at 375° for about 10 minutes flipping halfway through in my oven air fryer. Chicken must be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°.

To assemble the Greek Chicken Bowl add you’re cooked rice (or a low carb alternative) top with chicken and add the salad on the side. Top with tzatziki and feta cheese.

Chef Notes: If you prefer chicken thighs you can easily swap out the chicken. If you have a Greek seasoning omit the above spices and use that. YUM! I have made this with low carb alternatives like cauliflower rice and low carb pita. Add extra cooked veggies for more volume.

garlicandoliveoilveins

Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup

There is nothing more comforting than a nice bowl of soup. This chicken enchilada soup is full of flavor and is relativity healthy. I actually use no butter at all. Cheese just goes on top and it’s full of some delicious veggies.

Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup

Ingredients:

Chicken:
1.5 -2 lbs chicken breast
1 cup jarred salsa (red any spice level)
1/4 cup water
1/2 packet low sodium taco seasoning

Soup:
15 oz can black beans, no salt (drained and rinsed)
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 10 oz can mild red enchilada sauce
1/2 packet low sodium taco seasoning
2 T tomato paste
10 oz can Rotel with green chilies, no salt added
1 cup frozen corn
1 medium onion, diced
1 t salt
1 t pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Toppings:
avocado
sour cream
cheese
cilantro
onions
jalapeños
tortilla strips or chips

Directions: Add chicken to crockpot. Sprinkle with half the taco seasoning. Top the chicken with the 1 cup of salsa. Add in 1/4 cup of water and cook on low 3-4 hours or until the chicken is tender enough to shred. Once chicken is done remove and shredded using 2 forks.

Next Add the chicken back to the crockpot and add in the rotel, corn, black beans and onion and mix well. Next add in the chicken broth, the rest of the taco seasoning and cilantro. Then next mix in the tomato paste and let cook for 2 hours. After 2 hours add in the red enchilada cause and let cook another hour.

To serve add to soup bowl and top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Note: I cook for longer to build the flavors and give it a stronger taste. You don’t need to do that. Once the chicken is cooked you can really just add the rest of the ingredients and cook for like another hour or 2. This soup is healthy and great to freeze! I you have cooked chicken, just add that with all the ingredients to crockpot and let cook.

garlicandoliveoilveins

Cream Cheese Ranch Roll Ups

There are so many variations of these roll ups out there. You can really mix whatever ingredients you want and be able to create one that is DELICIOUS. However, this is one that I go to a lot. It’s my family’s favorite and it’s super flavorful and yummy. A super simple appetizer that can be made ahead of time and just sliced the day of. Give this a try and make sure to save for later!

Cream Cheese Ranch Roll Ups

Ingredients:
2 8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 Ranch seasoning packet
3 green onions (white & green), chopped
1 4 oz can diced green chilies
1 can pimentos
1/2 can black olives, drained & chopped
tortillas, any size (Note: if you use bigger burrito size tortillas you this recipe should make about 4 roll ups)

Directions: In a medium bowl add in the soften cream cheese and smash down with a fork. Next add in the ranch seasoning packet and all remaining ingredients, green onions, chilies, pimentos and black olives and mix until everything is fully incorporated.


Take a few scoops of the cream cheese mixture and put in the middle of the tortilla. Spread the mixture evenly across the tortilla, do not go fully to the ends of the tortilla. (This will make it easier to roll) Once fully spread, start with one side of the tortilla and roll as tight as you can. Complete with all the cream cheese mixture.

Wrap the tortillas in saran wrap and place in the refrigerator for a least 3 hours up till over night. When ready to serve, remove from refrigerator, take off saran wrap and slice into thin slices and serve. Just wait and see how fast these go at your next gathering!

garlicandoliveoilveins

Creamy Potato Soup

Fall is upon us here in Chicago. I love fall for some many reason, but mostly for the food! I love a nice comfort dish, like a delicious bowl of soup, or a stew or chili. Anything I can put in a cute little bowl and enjoy on a crisp fall day.

Potato soup is one of my favorites. It’s usually the first kind I think about when I am craving soup. This potato soup is nothing short of delicious. I use half and half vs. heavy cream to keep it a little lighter. This is finished off with some sour cream which really takes this soup to the next level. You can easily adjust the flavors. Keep in mind all recipes of mine have my taste buds in mind. However, the spices can easily be adjusted.

I need to talk about these adorable soup/chili bowls I got from Amazon. I ordered them and couldn’t wait for them to arrive and couldn’t wait to use them. They are absolutely perfect for soup, chili, pasta, stew, or anything that need to go in a bowl. Check out my Amazon favorites https://www.amazon.com/shop/garlic_and_oliveoil_veins for the bowls. They are fairly inexpensive and they are oven, microwave and dishwasher save! I can’t wait to use them over and over!!

So, check out this delicious recipe!

Creamy Potato Soup

Ingredients:
4 T butter
2 T olive oil
1 1/2 cups celery, diced (about 4 stalks)
2 cups onion, diced (2 medium onions)
4 cups russet potatoes, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 -32 oz chicken stock
1 cup half and half (or heavy cream)
1/4 cup light sour cream
8 oz shredded cheese ( I used cheddar jack)
2 T grated Romano cheese
6 slices cooked bacon, chopped
3 T flour
2 t thyme
2 t rosemary
1 t crushed red pepper flakes
2 t garlic powder
2 t onion powder
2 t salt
2 t pepper

Toppings:
cheese
chopped bacon
green onions

Directions: Heat a large stockpot/ soup pot on high heat. Add in the olive oil and let heat 2 minutes. Add in the celery, onions and garlic, cook till tender and fragrant. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add in the butter and let melt. Sprinkle the onion mixture with the flour and mix well. Let the flour cook about 3 minutes.

Next add in the chicken broth and mix well. Add in the potatoes and half of the thyme and rosemary. Reduce heat to medium and cover. Simmer 30 minutes until the potatoes are tender. After the 30 minutes make sure the potatoes are fork tender.

Remove pot from the stove and use an immersion blender to break up the potatoes. If you want to keep the soup a little heartier you can keep some of the potato pieces whole. I prefer a smoother finish so I make sure all the potatoes are pulsed.

Next add in the shredded cheese and half and half and mix well. Make sure that the cheese is fully melted. Season the soup with the garlic and onion powder, the rest of the thyme and rosemary, the crushed red pepper and salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Add in the chopped bacon. Let simmer on low for 10 minutes mixing a few times .

To finish the soup, add in the sour cream and Romano cheese and mix till it’s fully melted. To serve using a ladle add into a soup bowl and top with shredded cheese, chopped bacon and green onions. Enjoy!

Notes: You can adjust this to make it vegetarian. Use veggie broth and remove the bacon! It will still be delicious. I use low sodium chicken broth in this as well. Keep in mind with doing that you will need to make sure the soup is seasoned enough with salt. I prefer to add my own salt vs getting all the salt from the broth, therefore I can control the salt level.

garlicandoliveoilveins

Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce

This chicken recipe is a super healthy take on a gyro. It’s made with marinated chicken with Greek yogurt and herbs. The good thing about this is you can put anything else you’d like in the pita. Below I gave a few options. This particular one I made I put feta cheese, onion, tomato and kalamata olives. Yum! This comes out really delicious. It’s super simple to make and great for left overs. This chicken is great even on a salad. The marinade really makes it!

Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce

Ingredients:

Chicken:
6 chicken breasts, diced
2 T olive oil
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 lemon juice and zest
3 garlic cloves, grated
2 t salt
2 t pepper
1 t dill
2 t oregano
1 t parsley

Directions: In a medium mixing bowl add the above ingredients except the chicken. Mix well to incorporate. Next add in the diced chicken and mix to make sure all the chicken is coated. Cover and place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

Tzatziki Sauce
1 1/2 cups cucumbers, grated
1 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
3 T extra virgin Olive Oil
1 T dried dill, (2 T fresh)
1 T lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 t salt

Directions: Once cucumbers are grated wrap in a towel and squeeze out the excess liquid. Do this until most of the excess moisture seems to be removed. Add to a bowl. Add in all the above ingredients. Mix well. Place in the refrigerator to let the flavors marry. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Save for later.

Gyro Extras:
Pita bread
Onions
Tomato
Kalamata Olives
Feta Cheese
Cucumbers
Lettuce
Peppers

Directions: Heat a large non stick skillet on medium high heat. Once heated, add in the chicken. Make sure the chicken is completely flat and not overlapping. Turn the pan up to high. Let the chicken cook 3-4 minutes and then mix and let cook another 3-4 minutes. In order to get the nice coloring of the chicken you may need to drain any excess liquid. Sometimes the marinade produces to much liquid. If that happens, just drain out the liquid and that will help the chicken brown and get crispy.

To assemble the gyro warm the pita slightly. You can either warm in the oven in foil or the microwave wrapped in paper towel. Add the tzatziki sauce to the pita and top with a few spoonful of chicken. Next top with your favorite toppings. I personally like onion, you can use white or red, tomatoes and some kalamata olives, add some crumbled feta and enjoy!

Note: This chicken is great frozen. You can freeze any extra for another meal. Use any toppings you like to make the gyro delicious to you.

garlicandoliveoilveins

Chili Cheese Baked Hot Dogs

Sometimes you just need a meal that’s more indulgent and a little fun! That’s where these baked chili cheese hot dogs come in. They are best eaten with a fork! They are fun to make, can be made super quickly and you only need a few ingredients! They are prefect for when you have friends over, after a night out drinking or just a fun meal for kids!

Chili Cheese Baked Hot Dogs

Ingredients:
1 package all beef hot dogs
1 can no bean chili
1 package hot dog buns
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup shredded cheese
1/2 cup cheese sauce/dip, optional

Directions: Preheat oven to 375°. In an oven save dish add the hot dog buns with the hot dogs. Spoon on an even amount of chili over each hot dog. Sprinkle with onion and then cheese sauce (if using) finally sprinkle with shredded cheese. Put in the oven for 15 minutes until heated through and cheese is melted. Serve immediately! You’re need a fork!!


garlicandoliveoilveins