You know it's close to the end of the year when the fall time sets in, it feels like midnight at 4pm in the afternoon and you are getting sick and tired of food prep...
On top of lack of daylight - this weather isn't helping. I know that you would rather bundle up on the couch and read a book or Netflix and chill - but here's an easy 2 for 1 recipe that won't take much time and give you some healthy comfort foods for the week.
How would I breakdown the soup? Protein, carb, vegetables, fibre and fat.
How would I breakdown the pepper? Protein, carb, vegetables, fibre and fat.
This will likely take you about 40 minutes of prep time, and the soup will cook all day on the stove and you can refrigerate the peppers until 40 minutes before you want to eat them.
What you need; (SOUP)
1 Large Red Onion
400 g of diced Cauliflower
Bunch of Leeks diced
Chicken Breast marinated & Diced (2-3 pounds)
250g COOKED measure Basmati Rice
6-8 cups Chicken Broth
Black Pepper, Salt to taste
5 Russet potatoes, washed, keep skins on, diced
For the Peppers
4 Large Red or any Colour Peppers, washed, halved, steamed
1/4 Cup Bread Crumbs
1 Egg
4 TableSpoons Egg Whites
Black Pepper, Salt to taste
250 g Basmati Rice cooked measure
*200 grams of baby spinach optional - diced
1 Cup Sauce for mix
**1/2 cup sauce for top of peppers
**1/4 Cup Shredded Cheese for the top of peppers
In a Large Pot, coat the bottom with Pam and add diced red onions, leeks, and cauliflower and add black pepper and seasonings and saute for 5-7 minutes. You can cook chicken breast on the side in any marinade of your choice and add it to the sauté mix.
It should look similar to this.
Remove about 4 cups of this mix and set aside in a bowl. This will become the base of your stuffed pepper mix. (Could you use ground meat yes - any ground meat and use 1-11/2 pounds)
Add the diced potatoes to the stock mix in the pot and the rice, mix and cook on low for about 5-7 more minutes - stirring occasionally. Add the broth and cover and let simmer for 3-4 hours on low. Serve and enjoy. (You could also cook it faster on a higher temp - I let it cook all day). Just make sure potatoes are cooked before you eat it.
Soup will look like this when ready.
Remember that 4 cups you set aside in a bowl? Let's make those peppers.
If you haven't already steamed the peppers, steam them while you are making the pepper mix. (Peppers can be any colour - 4 peppers will yield 8 halves)
Add the bread crumbs to the mix, black pepper and any seasonings you like, the rice (that 250g is a cooked measure) spinach, egg and whites and the 1 CUP of sauce. It will look similar to this. (You don't need to add spinach but YOU NEED greens and you wont taste this spinach at all - use baby spinach )
See this mix - you will stuff this mix into the 8 halved peppers using a spoon, pack it in tight.
Use Pam to coat the pan or parchment paper. The 1/2 cup of sauce and the 1/4 of any shredded cheese you like will top the pepper and they will look similar to this.
Cook the peppers on 350 for approximately 35-40 minutes.
Enjoy your soup and peppers.