Green Bean Chicken + Rice

I found this recipe a few years ago (check the original recipe out here) and my family absolutely loved it! I've shared it with many friends and it has become a great go-to meal for me! It only uses one pot, which means less dishes, and takes very little work! Although it's very, very simple, It's a seriously addicting meal.

Green Bean Chicken + Rice

• 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken, diced (I use boneless skinless thighs or breasts) 
• 3 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• 2-3 teaspoons dried dillweed
• 1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut (I've used fresh & frozen!) 
• 2 cups basamati rice (cooking time is for white rice, brown rice will take longer)
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade) 
• 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. In a large stockpot or dutch oven, heat coconut oil to medium-high. Add chicken & cook until browned, then remove and place into a bowl.

2. Reduce heat to medium, add another Tablespoon of oil (if necessary) to pan, and then add chopped onion, sliced celery, salt & dillweed, cooking for a few minutes until the onion starts to become translucent. 

3. Stir in rice & cook for a minute more, then add chicken back in.

4. Add dijon mustard into your chicken stock & whisk to combine, then add to chicken & rice mix, bringing it all to a boil.

5. Once mix is boiling, *place green beans on top (do not stir them in!). Cover with a lid and reduce heat to medium low, letting simmer and cook for 20 minutes. 

6. When 20 minutes is done, turn stove off and let set for 10 minutes more. 

7. Stir everything together,  salt & pepper to taste, serve & enjoy!

*I like adding the green beans in early on because I like mine done all the way. If you want your green beans al dente, cook the rice mix for 10 minutes before adding the green beans.

Fancy Food Thoughts contains some contextual affiliate links which advertisers have agreed to pay a commission if a purchase is made from that click-through. Everything I recommend are products I use & love!

Easy Minestrone Soup - (Gluten Free/Vegan)

I very much enjoy a good minestrone soup. This is a really simple recipe, and it's the perfect meal to make a day in advance for the next evenings meal. An added bonus is that it tastes even better the next day! There is no meat, so it's extremely budget friendly, but still very filling because of all the hearty veggies and mung beans.

Easy Minestrone Soup

• 1-2 Tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 pound carrots
• 2 medium yellow squash
• 2 medium zucchini squash 
• 1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes (I've used fire roasted & regular!) 
• 1 pound frozen green beans
• 8 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock!) 
• 1 cup mung beans or green lentils (soaked overnight!) 
• Salt and pepper to taste

*Make sure you soak your lentils or mung beans overnight prior to making soup. If you forget, you can do a quick soak by washing your beans or lentils, bringing them to a boil in a medium saucepan and then reducing heat and simmering on low for 15 minutes. They will cook a few minutes longer once you add them to the soup, so don't worry if they're not completely soft after the quick soak.

Heat oil on medium heat in a large stockpot. Add chopped onion, garlic, salt and pepper and cook for 7-8 minutes until onions are softened and garlic is browning. Add chopped carrots and cook a couple minutes more. Add vegetable or chicken stock, crushed tomates, zucchini, yellow squash and frozen green beans and simmer on medium low until veggies are tender. Once soup is almost done, add lentils or mung beans, cooking just a few minutes more until lentils/beans are soft. Add more salt and pepper as needed, serve & enjoy. 

Fancy Food Thoughts contains some contextual affiliate links which advertisers have agreed to pay a commission if a purchase is made from that click-through. Everything I recommend are products I use & love!

Dairy Free Lasagna - Gluten Free/Vegan Options

I all but gave up on lasagna long ago when I stopped eating dairy. It just didn’t seem like it was possible to have a delicious satisfying dish without cheese. I’ve learned over the years to be more content living without, but believe me, after eating this dish, you will not be missing cheese at all because you will fully believe you are eating ricotta! This lasagna is full of homestyle italia goodness and whenever I make it, everyone begs for the recipe! I also love how diverse this can be. If you’re vegan, just omit the meat. If you’re gluten intolerant, use gluten free lasagna noodles!

DAIRY FREE LASAGNA (WITH GLUTEN FREE AND VEGAN OPTIONS)

2 Tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil 4-6 cloves garlic, minced 1 large brown onion, diced 3-4 assorted baby bell peppers, diced 2 packages crimini mushrooms, cut in slices 3-4 zucchini’s chopped 1/2 cup baby spinach, chopped 1 lb hamburger (omit for Vegan option) 3 or 4 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped 1 lb can of marinara or your favorite pasta sauce 1 28 oz can tomato sauce 9-12 lasagna noodles (Or use Gluten Free Option) cooked, drained & rinsed OR use no boil noodles Salt and pepper to taste 1 recipe vegan ricotta cheese (see recipe below) First, prepare vegan ricotta cheese. This can be done a day or two in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. In a large pan saute garlic, chopped peppers, and onions in olive or coconut oil until tender. Add mushrooms & zucchini and cook until juices start flowing. Add baby spinach and cook a couple of minutes longer until the spinach is wilted. In another pan brown hamburger (if using meat. You can also add extra garlic & onion to the browning beef if desired) and when it’s finished add the marinara & tomato sauces bringing to a simmer. Add chopped basil, salt and pepper to taste. To assemble lasagna, the pattern is sauce, noodles, ricotta, then veggies. First spread a thin layer of pasta sauce in bottom of a 9×12 inch dish. Place lasagna noodles in the bottom of pan. Spread vegan ricotta over each noodle, add a layer of veggies, (drain off liquids from the veggies) then add a layer of sauce. Repeat for 3-4 layers depending on how deep your dish is. Cover with tin foil and bake in a 400 degree oven for 40-45 minutes or according to the instructions on the box of lasagna noodles used.

VEGAN RICOTTA 1 3/4 cups raw cashews soaked 30 minutes or over night in water just to cover 1/4 cup lemon juice 1/2 cup filtered water 4 Tablespoon olive oil 2 cloves garlic 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard 1  teaspoon salt Pulse garlic in food processor or blender until chopped. Add remaining ingredients and process/blend until thick & smooth. Can be placed in an airtight contained and put in fridge a couple of days before using.

Fancy Food Thoughts contains some contextual affiliate links which advertisers have agreed to pay a commission if a purchase is made from that click-through. Everything I recommend are products I use & love!

Sweet Potato Shepherds Pie

This is the easiest recipe you will ever make! It's my go-to meal and a sure crowd pleaser. A much healthier version of the classic, but nobody complains when I make this dish. It's also a most requested meal when either of my brother's come to visit, which isn't that high of an honor because they'll eat almost anything, but it makes me feel special. I make this in large quantities because the entire family loves it, but also because it makes fantastic leftovers! Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Shepherds Pie

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 pound carrots, chopped into rounds
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 1 bag frozen mixed veggies
• 5-6 sweet potatoes (or more! yum!)

Peel and chop sweet potatoes & then boil until fork tender. Drain off water & mash.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

While potatoes are boiling, brown the ground beef in a dutch oven or large stainless steel pan that is oven safe. When the meat is almost done, add chopped onions and carrots and cook for a few minutes more. Salt & pepper to taste. Once onions are translucent and carrots are starting to soften, add the bag of mixed veggies and cook for two minutes longer.

Spoon mashed sweet potatoes over the top of meat and veggie mix and flatten down with a fork. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Serve & enjoy!

I just found this random picture of me that my sister took a while back. This is what my life looks like on a daily basis.

Fancy Food Thoughts contains some contextual affiliate links which advertisers have agreed to pay a commission if a purchase is made from that click-through. Everything I recommend are products I use & love!

Meatloaf (Egg free, gluten free option)

I've been married for almost six and a half years and would you believe just a few weeks ago was the FIRST time I've EVER made meatloaf?! Isn't that like housewife fraud? Both my husband and I were scarred as children by meatloaf. Him by his mother's and me by mine. (Sorry if you're reading this, mom.) We both have these pictures in our mind of saltine cracker, heinz ketchup, eggs and hamburger in a mashed up nasty mess. I think it was only a couple months ago I said that I "hated" meatloaf. Those are strong words, so I'm assuming mom's meatloaf was psychologically damaging. I probably should have gotten therapy. But alas, I overcame the fear & took the plunge. I can now be truly initiated into housewife-dom. Meatloaf. Siggghhhh.  It's become something both the hubby and I dream about now. We've seen the light & realized how delicious & comforting this iconic food can be. I found the original recipe here if you want to see it, but have tweaked mine a bit to suite our personal tastes.

I did not take pictures of the raw meatloaf. You're welcome. No matter how good it tastes, it's just ugly.

I used homemade breadcrumbs from my einkorn sourdough bread that I made, but feel free to use gluten free! Croutons and breadcrumbs are so simple to make, once you do you will never buy them again! Check out my crouton/breadcrumb recipe HERE!


Meatloaf

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs (My Crouton/Breadcrumb Recipe) 
• 1/3 cup ketchup (MUST use homemade! It's super easy! Recipe HERE!)
• 1/3-1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (I liked less so it wasn't as sweet)
• 1/2 tsp italian seasoning (optional)
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2 Tbs dried parsley
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 large onion, grated or finely chopped
• 1-2 carrots, finely grated

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients mixing with your hands until well blended.

Place in a lightly greased loaf pan and brush top of meatloaf with a bit of ketchup.

3. Bake meatloaf approximately 60 minutes. Should be firm to the touch and a thermometer inserted should read 160 degrees F. 

4. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

*A friend who's family can eat eggs told me she replaced the applesauce with one egg & everyone loved it! 

Fancy Food Thoughts contains some contextual affiliate links which advertisers have agreed to pay a commission if a purchase is made from that click-through. Everything I recommend are products I use & love!