Chili Basil Shrimp w/ Edamame Rice
I recently read an article about edamame and all of its amazing health benefits. If you don’t know much about edamame, it is a green soybean that is a great source of protein, contains all 8 essential amino acids and has no cholesterol of trans-fats. It is high in fiber and iron as well. I’ve like edamame for a while now, but this just makes eating it even better! It is a great addition to many meals and is definitely one to try if you haven’t yet. This dish is simple- marinated shrimp and rice with edamame. When sautéing the shrimp, deglazing the pan adds a ton of flavor that regular sautéing wouldn’t.
Throwback Thursday: Turkey & Spinach Stuffed Shells
Sometimes nothing can beat a home-cooked Italian meal. I don’t make pasta much after working at Noodles & Co. for a year, but oh man these were good. I would hardly put these into the pasta category; they are so rich and delicious!
For this week’s throwback recipe, I give you my turkey, spinach and cheese stuffed shells. Stuffing these bad boys was a bit of work, but it was totally worth it. Once they are done and you bite into their gooey, cheesy goodness you will understand.
Ritzy Spinach Artichoke Tartlets
The finalists were announced finally for the Ritz recipe contest, unfortunately I didn’t make finals. It’s okay though, there were over 1,400 entries… that is a lot of competition. Looks like I have to find another way to fund my culinary school. If anybody knows of any good scholarships or ways to get money for culinary school PLEASE let me know!
Here is my entry for the Ritz recipe challenge. I used crushed Ritz crackers in the tartlet dough to give it some extra flavor. These little bites will have your guests drooling over the appetizer table. I ended up eating the entire batch over a few days!
Mahi Mahi & Vegetable Medley w/ Lemon Basil Vinaigrette
After hearing about my plan to eat healthier, many of you voiced your desires for me to continue posting my comfort food posts. As much as I would love to be able to eat like that every day and not gain a hundred pounds, I can’t; but there is no need to worry! I stand before you with a recipe to prove that healthy can be just as delicious as all of my comfort food recipes.
This recipe is filled with nutritious vegetables and healthy fish, no cheese or empty carbs here, but I can guarantee that it has more flavor than most meals. I chose not to eat a starch with this meal, but it would go very well with a jasmine rice or white rice. The vinaigrette adds a delicious citrusy bang to the vegetables and fish.
Also!— I am happy to announced that there is finally a print button for my posts. Sorry it took me so long to figure out how to do that! You can find a button at the bottom right of each post, hope this helps you try my recipes more easily. =)
Throwback Thursday: Sauteed Steak w/ Green Peppercorn Sauce
This weeks Throwback recipe includes a very important staple in cooking- a basic brown sauce. A basic brown sauce is the base for many different gravies and other sauces. Once you are able to make a basic brown sauce, you will open all sorts of new doors for sauces. For me, this was a very exciting thing (like I tell you constantly, I am obsessed with sauces).
The green peppercorn sauce is great for steaks and simple enough to whip up on a weeknight. Looking back I am laughing at this meal… I ate every single peppercorn in my sauce and ended the dinner with my mouth on fire. Even with that, this was a delicious recipe!
Chorizo, Poblano & Beef Tacos w/ Pepper Jack Cheese Sauce
Before I say anything about this recipe, I would like to announce the end of my comfort food bender. As good as all of the pizza and mac ‘n’ cheese has been, I am cleaning up my act. That’s not to say it won’t happen again sometime in the next few months, but for now I am going to be eating (and blogging) a bit healthier. I will be baking a bit though. For my final post of my bender, I give you these spicy, cheesy and tasty tacos.
First, I combined chorizo and beef for the base of these tacos, which makes the filling a bit more exciting. Then I added some spice with the seasonings and poblano chiles. To top it off, I made a pepper jack cheese sauce to pour over the tacos. Top them off with some lettuce and green onion and there you have it- a unique taco that will have you coming back for seconds (and more cheese sauce!).
Bison Chili Cheese Dogs
Watching the Food Network can be dangerous sometimes. A few of my guy friends recently learned why I am so addicted to it after they watched a couple shows one night with me. Every recipe you see makes your mouth water and makes your hungry. This week we all found ourselves drooling over a chili cheese dog from some small-town diner. Being from Britian, my friends had never eaten a chili cheese dog, so I had to show them what they were missing!
This chili cheese dog is a bit different from others because it uses as bison chili instead of beef. The bison does not taste much different than the beef, but gives it a bit of new flavor. This recipe can easily be made with ground beef instead. Before you eat these bad boys, make sure you have a napkin and aren’t wearing a white shirt!
Throwback Thursday: Sweet & Sour Shrimp Stir-Fry
Stir-fries are great for a quick week-night meal. You can combine so many different flavors, which means endless ideas. This particular stir-fry was my first attempt as making a sweet and sour sauce. I apologize for the photo quality, it was from my early days of blogging and taking food photos. It reminds me how far I have come and how much further I can go. So, for a healthier dinner, try this tasty sweet and sour dish.
Buffalo Chicken Mac ‘N’ Cheese Casserole
For some reason, I have been craving comfort food lately. It is probably not a good thing, considering I am going to Africa to the beach for three weeks, one month exactly from today! Oh well, what can you do. Cheese is one of my biggest weaknesses. I could probably eat an entire block of cheese as a snack, but I am getting off the topic.
Brussels Sprouts Salad w/ Warm Bacon Vinaigrette
Some of you may know, I recently was given a cook book called Raising the Salad Bar by Catherine Walthers. It is a great book that I recommend all of you take a look through at some point. It tells you about all the different sorts of leafy greens and types of salad toppings, as well as how to make all sorts of dressings. Either way, the book motivated me to make more unique salads. I usually find myself putting the same vegetables in every salad I make, despite what else I am eating it with. Now I have realized that choosing a salad that compliments a meal can make a huge difference.
With that said, this salad is much different than most I have made. I came across this recipe in a Cooking Light magazine while bored at work the other day- yes I spent half of my day at work reading cooking magazines… Shh! One thing that makes this salad unique is its warm vinaigrette. This dressing went perfectly with the roasted Brussels sprouts. The bacon and maple syrup also added a ton of flavor. This is one salad that did not need a ton of toppings to complete it. I even ate it as a complete meal the next day!
