Lemon Garlic Shrimp with Vegetables

Chicken, shrimp, salmon, turkey..  We've been eating pretty well.  Our biggest fear was that things were going to get boring but so far so good.

This recipe was really easy and it was really delicious.  The leftovers were awesome, too!

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 large red bell peppers, diced
2 lbs asparagus, washed, ends trimmed, then cut into 1 inches pieces
2 teaspoons fresh grated lemon zest (I used all of the zest from one lemon)
1/2 tsp salt, divided
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (26-30 shrimp per pound)
1 cup low sodium chicken broth or stock
2-1/2 teaspoons corn starch
juice from the lemon you just zested
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, asparagus, lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to soften, about 6 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl; cover with tin foil to keep warm.

Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add shrimp and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. 

Whisk broth and cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth and add to the pan along with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. 

Cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the shrimp are pink and just cooked through, about 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat. Stir in lemon juice and parsley. Serve the shrimp and sauce over the vegetables.

I served this with a side of Steamfresh Protein Blends, the California Style mix.

Zoodles with Creamy Red Pepper-Feta Sauce

Originally this recipe was supposed to be made with whole wheat fettuccini noodles, but Brent and I have been doing REALLY well at eating good foods since we got back from our vacation to Phoenix for the Christmas holiday.  I decided to make this one with zucchini 'noodles'.  It actually turned out really well!  Also, this gal has some really great recipes.

You'll need:

4-4 oz chicken breasts

Italian seasoning

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, minced

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

1-16 oz jar of roasted red bell peppers, drained and chopped

1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth or stock (I'd probably use 1/3 cup the next time I make it)

1 cup crumbled feta cheese, or approximately at 6 oz block

3 large zucchinis or 4-5 small/medium ones

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle your chicken breasts with salt and pepper and Italian seasoning and layer your chicken breasts so all of them are laid in the pan, not over lapping.  Cook until browned, turn, and cook until browned.

In another large pan over medium-high heat heat up the rest of the oil.  Saute onion and garlic until soft, about 10 minutes. Add roasted peppers and saute until heated through. 

Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Place mixture in the bowl of a food processor with stock and all but 2 tablespoons of the feta. Process until combined and smooth, about 30 seconds. Use a Vegetti or other kitchen tool to cut your zucchini into ribbons.  

Heat the zoodles in the pan and drain off any excess liquid (I didn't do this the first time I made this and it made the sauce watery). Toss zoodles with sauce. Sauce should cling nicely to the zucchini noodles. 

Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Divide among pasta bowls. Cut your chicken breasts into slices and lay on top of the zucchini noodles and sauce.  Sprinkle with parsley and remaining feta cheese.

Enjoy! :)

Chipotle Chicken Chili

I'm not sure if I've ever told you guys, but...

I love Ree Drummond! I love her!  I can't get enough of her and her show and her recipes and and and... I.  Just.  Love.  Her.

Brent and I were looking to find a different spin on chili - the same ol' beef and tomatoes and beans just..  It doesn't always do it for me, however this stuff DOES do it for me.  Chipotle Chicken Chili.  Ugh.  It's so good.

Here's what you're going to need to make this amazing recipe:

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 whole onion, diced (I use the cute, little, tiny onions you find at the store, about 1/4 - 1/2 cup)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into a large dice
1-12 oz bottle of good beer (I've been using Kona Brewing's Longboard Lager, and YES you do need the beer - it totally adds to the taste)
1-14 oz can diced tomatoes
3 whole chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
1-14 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1-14 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1-14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin (I use maybe a rounded 1/2 Tbsp)
1 tsp of salt, or to taste
1/4 cup Masa Harina (corn flour - we cheated and ground up Fritos (ha))
1 lime, juiced

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and add the onion and the garlic.  Cook for a few minutes until the onions soften.

Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned.

Add 3/4 of the beer, reserving the rest (sorry, you can't drink it, but maybe go and grab another bottle to enjoy while whippin' this up!) and allow this to cook down for a couple of minutes to reduce.

Add the tomatoes, chipotles, beans, chili powder, cumin and salt.  Stir to combine then cover the pot and allow to cook for an hour.

Combine the masa harina with the remaining beer and stir to make a paste.  If you cheated like me and used ground up Fritros and you allow the beer and chip crumbs to sit it'll turn into a paste in a couple of minutes.

Add this to the chili along with the lime juice.  Stir and cook for another 10 minutes or so, until it thickens.

Serve this with sour cream, cheese, more Fritos and another squeeze of lime if you'd like.

I really hope you guys enjoy this as much as we have - it's totally addicting and is actually not that bad for you!!  :)

Delayed Thanksgiving Post

This year Brent and I decided to stray from our "tradition" of going to the Ramada here in Fargo for thanksgiving day's feast (tasty, filling, no clean up).  Our friends, Aaron and Marcy, were staying in town and she had to work so we planned our Friendsgiving feast and had it ready (or almost ready) by the time Marcy got home from work.

My hands were full of raw meat so I really didn't get many pictures, however, I do have several websites that we got our ideas from.

FIRST!  The potatoes!!  

Brent found a recipe from his girlfriend, Giada De Laurentiis for baked mashed potatoes.  These things.  were.  amazing.

Here's what you'll need:

1 tablespoon butter
4 lbs russet potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup of whole milk (we used 1%)
1/2 cup (one stick) of butter, melted
1-1/2 cup mozzarella, grated
1 cup grated parmesan
2 tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs
salt and pepper, to taste

First up, preheat your oven to 400˚F and coat a 9x13x2 pan with the 1 tablespoon of butter and set aside.  Then, dice up your potatoes and bring them to a boil in salted water.  You want them all to be similar sized to allow for even cooking.  Cook for about 15 minutes until very tender.

After your potatoes are soft, drain them and return to the pot (if you're like me, you DO NOT use your pots and pans to mix in, so I used a separate bowl) and mash up the potatoes.  

Mix in the milk and melted butter.  Mix in the mozzarella and 3/4 cup of the parmesan cheese.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread your mashed potatoes evenly into the prepared baking dish and try not to sit and eat them all.  Stir the remaining 1/4 cup of parmesan and the 2 tablespoons of bread crumbs into a small dish and then evenly sprinkle over the potatoes.  Bake uncovered until the topping is golden brown, or about 20 minutes-ish.  

You can actually prepare this up to 6 hours ahead of time and just store it in the fridge (or on the deck if it's cold out 😉). 

No end result picture.  I'd like to blame Brent since he was in charge of taking pictures. 😉



NEXT!  Mom's stuffing!!

Ugh, seriously you guys.  Best.  Stuffing.  Ever.  

I bought a plain bag of dried, cubed bread from the bakery section in the grocery store.  That's how I roll.  If you're my amazing mother, though, you'll cut up your own bread and let it dry out for a couple days ahead of time.

You'll sprinkle your bread crumbs with sage dust (ground sage) or poultry seasoning.  Then you'll melt a stick of butter, and finely mince some onion and celery.  Mom always used the inside part of the celery hearts, with the leaves and stuff.  

Saute that up until everything is soft, adding a little water if it's getting a little too dry.  Then mix your butteronioncelerymix with your stuffing, mixing in a little bit of chicken broth to add more moisture if necessary.  You can either stuff your turkey with it or you can cook it in a tinfoil packet.  Don't put hot/warm stuffing in a cold bird.  Just a heads up, but that should be a given.

This was a spot where I didn't get an end picture of the goods ☹️, but they tasted great! 

SIDES!

I don't know about you guys, but I loves me some cranberry sauce.  I'll eat the stuff from a can, no problem, but I do love to make my own.

I got the recipe online, as I do most of my recipes and this stuff turned out perfectly.

You'll need:

1/4 cup freshly squeeze orange juice

the zest of one orange

1/2 cup of sugar, or more to taste

1-12 oz bag of fresh cranberries

3/4 cup water

In a medium sauce pan heat your water, orange juice, orange zest and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved.  Stir in your cranberries and bring to a boil.  Then reduce your heat and allow to simmer until it thickens.

NEXT STOP! TURKEY TOWN!

Preheat the oven to 350˚F and get ready...

We spatchcocked that turkey!  Basically, you cut the spine out of the bird, lay it flat, perform chest compressions, cracking the breast bone and then you bake it.  It will bake in HALF the time than the "normal" way of cooking it.  Spatchcocking the turkey allows it to cook more quickly and evenly and it also allows for juicier meat and crispier skin.  Let's be honest... Pretty much everything you want in a turkey. 

Here's a really great video to help you through the process of man handling your turkey.  The video suggests using poultry sheers, I just used some heavy duty kitchen shears that my lovely mama bought me.  I don't have that exact brand, however I do have some knives that are J.A. Henkels and they're the bomb.com.

We hacked our turkey in half and arranged him in a roasting pan and we made this really great herb rub for under the skin.  Here's what you'll need for the rub:

1 golfball sized chunk of onion

1 lemon, scrubbed clean

12 FRESH sage leaves

Large hand full of FRESH flat leaf parsley (about 1/2 cup)

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon of salt

6 FRESH bay leaves

4 tablespoons of butter

Put the onion into the bowl of a mini food processor. Zest your lemon, being careful not to cut into the bitter white pith and add the zest to the food processor and reserve the whole lemon for another use. Chop the onion and lemon zest until fine. Add the sage, parsley, olive oil, and 1 teaspoon salt and pulse until it forms a coarse paste.

Put 2 of the bay leaves and the butter into a small pan and heat over medium-low heat until the butter is bubbling. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Being careful not to poke holes in the skin rub your hands under the skin of the turkey and make pockets and then rub the fresh herb paste under the skin.  Brush the bay leaf butter onto the skin of the turkey and occasionally brush the skin throughout baking.  

As it turns out, I had a picture of my hands all up in that bird, Brent took the picture... On his phone... And deleted it.  Go figure.  So you'll just have to take my word for it.  It was pretty epic.

Cooking the bird...

Finished product!

The first time I ever made a turkey and I didn't get nearly enough pictures, more did I get a picture of my plate(s) of food!  Fail blog.

That turkey was so moist and the skin was so amazing.  The rub was seriously incredible.  It would be perfect for a summer feast, too.  Fresh and zesty and incredible.  Just awesome.

You're going to have some leftover turkey - go ahead and use this recipe for some turkey salad (yeah I made that... and, yeah it's super good)  and use some of that leftover cranberry sauce as a spread on the bread along with a little mayo and enjoy those Thanksgiving leftovers for a couple more days!

Stuffed Bell Peppers with Turkey and Quinoa

This one is super simple and is actually not bad for you!  I found it does make extra filling, but that was actually really good to eat just on its own, too.

Here's what you need:

• 4 bell peppers halfed length wise, ribs removed
• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1/2 pound grown turkey or ground beef
• 1 small onion
• 1 14 oz can fire roasted tomatoes (plain is fine, too, if you can't find fire roasted)
• 1 7oz can diced green chili
• 1 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 TB taco seasoning (I used half a packet)
• 1/2 TB cumin (I used a tsp)
• 1/2 TB olive oil
• 1/2 cup mozzarella shredded cheese
• 3/4 cup water

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Add onion and cook until translucent ( about 3 minutes). Add in meat and cook until browned. Drain any excess grease.
2. Add in black beans, tomatoes, green chilies, water, quinoa, cumin, taco seasoning, salt and pepper if desired. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium/low and simmer for 15 minutes or until quinoa is done. Much of the liquids will cook down.
3. Heat oven to 375˚F. Place peppers in 13 x 9 baking dish and place in oven for 10 - 15 minutes, or just while your oven preheats.  Take the peppers out and spoon in filling and top with grated cheese. Cover pan with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and serve with sour cream or salsa (optional). Enjoy!

Afghan Kebobs with Tomato and Chickpea Stew and Spiced Green Beans with Rice

 The first time I ever tried lamb kofta was in New York at Ariana's Afghan restaurant.  Brent and I enjoyed it so much I decided I wanted to try to make it myself!  We already decided that next time we go to NYC that we're going there again :D

• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 3 tablespoons grated onion
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 28 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

1. Mash the garlic into a paste with the salt using a mortar and pestle or the flat side of a chef's knife on your cutting board. Mix the garlic into the lamb along with the onion, parsley, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, cayenne pepper, ginger, and pepper in a mixing bowl until well blended. Form the mixture into 28 balls. Form each ball around the tip of a skewer, flattening into a 2 inch oval; repeat with the remaining skewers. Place the kebabs onto a baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or up to 12 hours.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil grate.
3. Cook the skewers on the preheated grill, turning occasionally, until the lamb has cooked to your desired degree of doneness, about 6 minutes for medium.

(These cook VERY quickly because they are so small - I would probably make them larger next time I make them)

(Original Recipe)

I made a mint yogurt sauce to go with our dinner and to dip our lamb in.  Here's what you'll need:

• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup finely chopped mint leaves
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
• 1 tablespoon fresh juice from 1 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 
  
• Place yogurt, mint, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, and cayenne in a small bowl and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let sit for 30 minutes, then serve, or transfer to an airtight container and store in refrigerator for up to a week.

I made a couple side dishes - one was green bean saffron and cinnamon spiced rice (called Lubeyeh Puloh).  This turned out so well!

• 4 Tbsp oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 1/2 cups (1 lb) green beans, chopped (can use frozen)
• 3 cups water
• 3 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup dry basmati rice, soaked 2 hours
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp saffron (optional)

1. Add oil and onion to a large pot, stirring on high heat until the onions have browned.
2. Add the beans and water. Cover the pot, bring the beans to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until the beans are al dente (~15 minutes).
3. Add the remaining ingredients. Cover the pot, bring to a boil, reduce to medium and allow the dish to simmer until all the water has been absorbed by the rice ~ 10 minutes. Avoid stirring.
4. Using the end of a spoon, create several craters in the rice. Then cover the pot by placing a paper towel under the lid. Cook for an additional 15 minutes on low.
5. Taste test and ensure the rice is al dente. Enjoy while hot!

And I made one more side!  Tomato and Chickpea Stew (Khorisht Nukhut)

• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup dry chickpea, soaked overnight (3 cups cooked or 2x 15oz cans)
• 1 red chili pepper, diced (optional)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste (or 1-2 whole fresh tomatoes, chopped)
• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 

  If Cooking Chickpeas From Dry

  1. Add all ingredients (except the tomato paste) to a medium pot and add 2 cups water
  2. Allow to come to a boil, reduce to simmer and cover partially while stirring occasionally.
  3. The dish should be ready after 25-30 minutes. Taste test. If cooked, add the tomato paste at this stage. Serve while hot and enjoy!

• If Cooking Using Canned Chickpeas

  
  

  Add all ingredients to the pot at once including 1/2 cup water. Cook at a soft boil for 5-10 minutes, partially covered.

  
  
  When cooking dry beans or lentils do not mix an acid (or in this case, the tomato) in with the beans while cooking or the beans will stop cooking.
  
  

The spread!