Soup Ingredients
First things first, let’s prep the ingredients for the butternut squash soup! Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees. Grab a medium sized butternut squash and cut it in half, and remove all the seeds from the inner core. I usually cut the bottom half into quarters since they are larger pieces. By doing so, it will help to evenly bake the squash.  Next, peel and cut two onions in half, and arrange them on a baking pan with the butternut squash and a few cloves of garlic. Season with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake for 45 mins or until the squash is fork tender and browned around the edges.

Once everything is roasted, allow the squash to cool down for a few minutes. Scoop out the butternut squash from its outer skin and add to a deep pot with the onions, garlic, and a drizzle of olive oil. Pour in two cups of chicken broth or vegetable broth and blend everything together with a hand blender. (TIP: If you don’t have a hand blender, just add everything into a standard blender and once mixed pour into a deep pot to continue)As you’re blending, add water to thin out the soup if it’s too thick. For example, for this squash it took an additional 2 cups of water to get it just right. So monitor the thickness of your soup until it’s the consistency of your liking. Add salt and pepper to taste and let it simmer until it’s ready to be served.Just like that your soup is done and ready to devour!

Now, let’s move on and make the easiest and most delicious croutons you’ve ever had. Guaranteed to put store bought croutons to shame!  

Homemade Croutons  
Making croutons is actually a lot easier than you think and they hold up really well for multiple uses. I personally love sourdough bread for croutons but any loaf type of bread will work just fine!

Slice your loaf of bread and then cut the slices into small cubes. 

Once the bread is cubed, sprinkle in your favorite herbs and spices.
For this recipes I’m using oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, olive oil, and parmesan cheese. Add everything to a bowl and give it a good mix.  

Transfer the bread to a baking pan for a short visit to the oven at 375 degrees for 10 minutes, or until the croutons are golden brown.

Now that the croutons are done, it’s time to assemble your soup!
To serve, pour in about two cups of the butternut squash soup into a bowl, add a few croutons to the top, drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, and add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

With just a few ingredients, you’ll have a simple and delicious soup that is guaranteed to add comfort and keep you warm during the winter season. Serves 8 or 1 hungry soup lover. 🙂 Enjoy!

Print

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup & Herb Parmesan Croutons

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author kingcooks

Ingredients

Soup

• 1 medium sized butternut squash
• 2 medium onions
• 4-5 garlic cloves
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2-3 cups of water
• Olive oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Croutons

• Small loaf of sourdough bread
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tbsp. parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper

Instructions

Butternut Squash Soup

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Cut a medium sized butternut squash in half and remove all the seeds from the inner core. Cut the larger halves into quarters for even baking.
• Peel and cut two onions in half and arrange on a baking pan with the butternut squash and a few cloves of garlic.
• Season with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.
• Bake for 45 minutes, or until the squash is fork tender and browned around the edges.
• Once everything is roasted and the butternut squash has cooled off for a few minutes, scoop out the squash from its outer skin and add to a deep pot with the onions, garlic, and bit of olive oil.
• Pour in two cups of chicken broth or vegetable broth and blend everything together with a hand blender.
• TIP: If you don't have a hand blender, just add everything into a standard blender and once mixed, pour into a deep pot to continue.
• As you're blending, add water to thin out the soup if it's too thick. Slowly incorporate two additional cups of water until you reach the perfect consistency.
• Add salt and pepper to taste and let simmer until it's ready to serve.

Herb Parmesan Croutons

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Cut the loaf of bread into slices, and cut the slices into small cubes.
• Once cubed, transfer the bread to a bowl and add in the dried oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, olive oil, and parmesan cheese.
• Mix ingredients and then spread evenly on a baking pan.
• Bake for 10 minutes, or until the croutons are golden brown.

Notes

To serve, pour in about two cups of the butternut squash soup into a bowl, add a few croutons to the top, drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, and add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

Thanks for stopping by! Drop a comment if you give this recipe a try! Don’t forget sharing is caring!

*On Pinterest? Click Picture Below To Pin*

See how easy that was?!? Until next time, cook like a king!

I love coming up with simple recipes to make, especially for those busy days when I don’t have a lot of time to get dinner together. This one is definitely a winner. A few ingredients later, a quick trip in the oven and you end up with this awesome Garlic Lemon Pepper Chicken. You just need some garlic, a couple of lemons, fresh cracked pepper, salt, olive oil and chicken quarters. Literally, it only took 6 ingredients to pull this one together! The chicken comes out crispy, juicy, tangy from the lemon, and a peppery hit in every bite! I’m getting hungry just writing this post, so let’s jump right into! 

Quick Marinade

First things first, lets get the marinade together! I’m using chicken quarters but this marinade is great on any poultry cut, from drumsticks to wings! In a small bowl, mix together lemon zest, fresh cracked pepper, salt, grated garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice. Give it a stir and set aside. Thats it! A simple 5 ingredient marinade! Arrange your quarters in a baking dish and pour your marinade over each piece making sure every square inch is coated. Cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the chicken to soak up that delicious marinade.

Building The Rack
Once the chicken is marinated, you want to give it a great opportunity to bake and for the skin to get crispy. How do you do that, you ask? All you’ll need is a baking sheet, a cooling rack, and aluminum foil – this also helps for an easy clean up after baking! Line your baking sheet with foil and set the cooling rack on top. That is it! I know, mind-blowing right? :). Using the cooling rack will allow the chicken to be elevated while cooking and crisp up even more!

Now that you have the rack ready, transfer the marinated chicken to the foil lined rack and pop into a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 45-50 minutes. Once that is done, turn the chicken and return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes to crisp up both sides.

Crispy and Delicious!
 With it being baked, no need to stand around the stove waiting to turn the chicken and, of course, no excess oil from frying either! Once it’s out of the oven, make sure the juices run clear and the skin is extra crispy! 

Time To Serve!

Optional, But Highly Recommended!
While the chicken was in the oven I decided to make some paleo friendly sides which include cauliflower rice, roasted carrots and roasted zucchini. AMAZING! You can rice your own cauliflower in a food processor or blender, or you can purchase it. Most grocery stores and farmers markets carry different riced veggies now, which is awesome! Just sauté it with some garlic and olive oil until tender and mix in some chopped cilantro. (Cook it at high heat so it doesn’t turn into mush!) It’s a quick cook, and a great alternative if you’re watching your carb intake.

And just like that, you get a healthy and delicious meal option that only took 6 ingredients to make! This is what it’s like to cook like a king :). You can even use this exact recipe to meal-prep for the week as well! Lunches and dinner just got that much easier – Enjoy! 

Print

Garlic Lemon Pepper Chicken

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Author kingcooks

Ingredients

• 5 chicken quarters
• 2 tbsp lemon zest
• 1 tbsp grated garlic
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp freshly cracked pepper
• 1/2 tbsp salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

• In a bowl, mix together the lemon zest, lemon juice, grated garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil. Stir and set aside.
• Pour the marinade over the chicken quarters and set in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
• Tip: This marinade can be used for any cut of chicken you have on hand. I prefer dark meat, but it will work great with wings and chicken breast.
• Once marinated, place the chicken quarters on a cooling rack on a sheet pan lined with foil. Doing so will elevate it and help you end up with a crispier chicken in the end.
• Place in a pre-heated oven at 375 degrees and cook for 45-50 minutes.
• Turn over and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes to crisp up both sides.
• Once fully cooked and all juices run clear, serve immediately with a few wedges of lemon and garnish with parsley.
• Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by! Drop a comment if you give this recipe a try! Don’t forget sharing is caring!

*On Pinterest? Click Picture Below To Pin*

See how easy that was?!? Until next time, cook like a king! 

Grocery stores are great and convenient but tend to carry just the essentials and a bunch of the same stuff owned by literally 5 conglomerates. They are also over priced because of this said “convenience”. But lets be honest, most of the aisles are becoming full of more and more processed items and it seems like making a heathy meal cost more than a burger and fries combo (we all should be worried!). Not to say that deals can’t be found at grocery stores, they can, but they are far and few in between. Especially on the things that should be a part of daily diets.

Wouldn’t you love a place that offers veggies and produce at a decent price and organic options? Sounds like a dream right? But its not! These places are real and they are called farmers markets. Nowadays, you can find them right around the corner from where you live. Once you’ve found one, you will never bother with your local grocery stores. The savings are incredible! I always pick up my fruits, veggies and meats from a famers market. They are built for bulk buying, enough to feed a couple or a family of 4 on a budget and great for meal prepping. The other day I was able to get 10 limes for a dollar! Those same limes were selling 2 for a dollar at my local grocery store. What’s crazy, is that they are selling the exact same limes, but are charging you for “convenience” (mind blowing – I know!). They also sell meat in bulk which you can turn around and make enough food for lunch for an entire week. Farmers markets are the best way to go for meal prepping and saving money. So don’t be fooled any longer and find your local farmers market and start saving today!

Plan Ahead
Having your meals ready saves time, money & can be a healthier alternative.

Sage Chicken & Cauliflower Rice and Peas / Steak Egg Cups

Planning is everything when it comes to meal prepping. Knowing what you’re going to have and make is key to eating right for the week. Make sure you have containers, baggies and other packing essentials.  Many recipe can be multiplied to accommodate you for an entire week’s worth of lunch and breakfast! For example, I came up with these Steak Egg Cups that are full of protein and can be made ahead of time to enjoy every morning. The best part of these cups is the ingredient are interchangeable. If you’re not into steak change the protein or just load up on veggies, or you can just go egg whites. Great recipe to have especially when you’re on the go like most people these days. Don’t forget about lunch now! This Sage Garlic Chicken and Mushroom w/ Cauliflower Rice & Peas recipe is fantastic and packed with flavor.You can pair it with rice and veggies or try Cauliflower Rice as an alternative if you’re watching your carb intake. I love chicken thighs! If you’re going to cook chicken, cook pieces that are forgiving and have tons of flavor. Unlike breast meat, it’s very difficult to dry out thigh meat, especially if you cook it with the bone in. Also, bone-in meat of any kind tend to be cheaper than boneless. Simply because the labor of removing that bone and/or skin is added to the final cost. So save a few bucks and buy bone in! Both recipes are extremely simple and cost effective. The egg cups cost less than a dollars per serving and the chicken and cauliflower rice comes in right around $2.50 per serving!

Snackin’ – The most important meal of the day!

Cashew Almond & Cranberry Bites

Snacking can be a pleasure and a punishment on your diet. Snack machines are convenient, but planning ahead really takes that temptation out of the equation. I like to limit my carb intake everyday so for snacks I like to pack fresh sliced fruits like watermelon, oranges, peaches, grapes, etc. This step really completes your meal prep circle. Instead of impulsively hitting up the snack machine for a bag of chips, you can save that dollar and be prepared. If you want something with more bite, this recipe for Cashew Almond & Cranberry Bites is perfect. It’s sweetened with natural honey, it has almonds to provide a nice boost of fiber, and cashews to give you a balance of good fats and protein. Making these small changes to your diet can make a world of difference in the long run.

Balance Is Everything – A little bit of everything makes a whole ‘lotta sense.

Going into meal prepping, people think the food choices have to be boring or flavorless. In reality, it’s exactly the opposite. You are in full control here. You put what you want into every meal and snack you take with you. This idea of meal prepping can be detailed to fit your lifestyle and taste. You just have to remember to balance what you eat. Meal prepping isn’t about starving your body. It’s about nourishing and providing it with a balanced menu of proteins, good fats, fiber, vitamins and the essential blocks to keep your body right. Saving money is just an added bonus. Carbs are my weakness, I don’t cut them out completely, but I do my best to replace them through the day and week. We’ve become accustomed to having carbs at every meal. Yes, we need carbs – but honestly unless you have plans to use that extra energy you’re eating, you can eat less of it and still feel fulfilled, I promise!

Water is Life – Respect it! 

We have grown so accustomed to drinking a lot of our daily calories. The biggest issue here is the fact that 99% of those drink are filled with chemicals and lots and lots of sugar. Soda and juice aren’t evil, in moderation they are perfectly fine. I gave up soda and sugary juices a long time ago solely on the fact that one can of soda has more sugar than the recommended amount for daily consumption. Water is literally the liquid of life. Switching to drinking water throughout the day and only drinking calorie rich drink every once and a while is a step in the right direction. You will find yourself feeling better and nourished through the day. Plus, water helps keep your entire body hydrated.

Know Your Foods – If the ingredients don’t make sense, don’t eat it!

!!!!Public Service Announcement!!!! Stop buying “diet” and “no calorie” anything. PLEASE! I know it sounds good to be able to eat cake and cookies because they are sugar free or have zero calories, but it’s not! Calories are fuel for our bodies and most everything has a calorie. If something has zero calories and can sit on a shelf forever, then it’s not something you want to be putting into your body. 99% of the time companies have to replace the flavor they lose by taking out the “calories” – so in return they either pack them with artificial sugars or chemicals made to make it taste “better”. If the ingredients don’t make sense don’t eat it. Instead of buying packaged and processed foods, learn to make your favorite things and treat yourself! It’s not bad to have a home-made cookie every now and then 🙂 Just remember, in moderation!

Final Thought

I try to live by these steps. I know getting it right with food is hard but you can do it! Meal Prepping will not only save you money, but it’ll give you full control of your eating options and helps keep temptations in line. I will continue to update you with more meal recipes that can be enjoyed for two or as a meal prep. You are not alone in this! Don’t forget to check out all the meal prep recipes and pick your favorites to try! Good luck, enjoy, and happy eating!

Check out other Meal Prep Ideas and start saving and planning your meals ahead of time!

Print

Cashew Almond Cranberry Bites (No Bake)

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 5

Author Kingcooks

Ingredients

• 1 cup natural almond butter
• ½ cup cashews
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• 1 tbsp honey

Instructions

• In a food processor, add cashews and pulse until the pieces are broken up. A couple pulses should do, you don’t want to over mix and end up with cashew butter. Follow this step to also chop up the cranberries so they are evenly distributed through the bites.
• In a large mixing bowl, add the almond butter, minced cashews, chopped cranberries and 1 tbsp honey. Mix thoroughly, and add to a greased none stick loaf pan. Spread mixture into a flat layer.
• Optional: Add crushed cashews, almonds and cranberries to the top before letting cool in the fridge.
• Let cool in the refrigerator for 20 mins before shaping or cutting.
• Once cooled, remove from fridge and cut into 10 individual pieces.
• Keep refrigerated until ready to eat. If taking for lunch or a trip keep in a well-insulated container in a cool place. Will keep for 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Sage Garlic Chicken & Mushrooms

Cauliflower rice is the best alternative to rice I’ve ever had. It’s literally just cauliflower and super easy to make! You can probably find cauliflower rice in you local stores, which is just cauliflower cut into tiny pieces. If you go that route, make sure all it has in it is cauliflower. No seasonings, no extras, just cauliflower! If you can’t find it in store, I included the recipe so you too can make cauliflower rice :).

Cauliflower Rice

Eating healthier starts at the store and end in your kitchen. This dish is an awesome meal prep option and is full of flavor! The whole mission is about building better habits not just eating better for a little while. When you have options it makes it so much easier!

Print

Cauliflower Rice and Peas

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 5

Author Kingcooks

Ingredients

• 1 Whole head of cauliflower chopped
• 1 cup of green peas
• Salt to taste

Instructions

• In a food processor, add chopped cauliflower and pulse until the pieces are broken up and are about the size of a grain of rice. Do this step in batches to prevent turning your cauliflower into mush.
• Heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add 1 cup of green peas and sauté for 2-4 mins.
• Then add in your cauliflower rice and cook for an additional 5-8 mins stirring constantly to prevent burning. Tasting as you go to make sure you achieve the proper texture.
• TIP: Don’t over cook. The cauliflower should have a slight bite to it when you taste it.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve!

I love to sleep in the AM, and even though I often don’t, those extra 15 minutes make a difference to me – lol. So hit snooze button and meal prep these steak egg cups in advance! You’ll thank me later ;).

Print

Steak Egg Cups

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Kingcooks

Ingredients

• 1 lb steak chopped
• 12 large eggs
• ½ cup peppers diced (green and/or red)
• ½ cup onions diced
• ½ cup mushrooms diced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat. Also, pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.
• Once your skillet is starting to smoke, add your steak and sauté until browned.
• Then add the diced peppers, onion and mushroom and cooking until the vegetables start to brown. Once browned, remove from heat and set aside.
• Add 1 tbsp of the steak, peppers, onion and mushroom mixture into each of the non-stick muffin tin cups. Should be enough for a 12 section muffin tin
• Crack one egg into each muffin cup and gently mix your egg around to break the yolk. Top with salt and pepper to taste and any remaining of the steak, peppers, onion and mushrooms.
• Bake for 25 mins until the eggs are set. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 mins before trying to take out the cups from the muffin tin.