Ginger Shrimp Salad

Dinner came together pretty quickly after we returned from running around the mall to add a few things to our wedding registry. Speaking of the wedding, I have a couple of wedding related posts coming soon… including how I asked my bridesmaids and our Save the Dates that just went out in the mail recently. I’m also looking forward to my bridal shower coming up in about two weeks! My sister came up with the coolest idea ever! A sushi-themed shower in honor our first date. Here’s the adorable invitation, I can’t wait!!

Ok so back to the salad… I threw together this salad with ingredients we had on hand. The marinade and dressing were based on Pioneer Woman’s Ginger Steak Salad. The flavor was great, and I even threw the leftover ingredients together in a salad in a jar for lunch tomorrow!

Ingredients

MARINADE INGREDIENTS

  • 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon Sherry
  • 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
  • 2 teaspoons Brown Sugar
  • 10-12 Medium Shrimp
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

FOR SALAD DRESSING

  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons White Sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon Lemon or Lime Juice
  • 2 cloves Garlic, Finely Diced
  • 1 Tablespoon Fresh Ginger, Minced

SALAD INGREDIENTS

  • 2 whole Green Onions
  • Cherry Tomatoes
  • Salad Greens (Baby Lettuce, Spinach Endive, Radiccio, Etc.)
  • Slivered Almonds
  • Sliced Avocado

Instructions

  • Combine marinade ingredients in a Ziploc bag. Mix and place shrimp into bag. Marinate for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
  • Combine salad dressing ingredients and slice green onion and cherry tomatoes.
  • When shrimp is finished marinating, add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a hot skillet. Transfer shrimp from marinade with a slotted spoon and saute until cooked through. Remove from skillet.
  • Toss salad greens with as much of the salad dressing as you’d like. Place shrimp on top of salad. Sprinkle green onions, cherry tomatoes, and almonds over the salad. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman’s Ginger Steak Salad

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Thai Basil Eggplant with Chicken and a Core Workout

First I’ll start with yesterday’s workout…

We’ve been doing great with getting to the gym every morning lately, so I’ll try to start posting some of our better workouts. This one was great and I loved mixing in the ab workout in each superset. We ended this workout with a quick run on the treadmill.
But now, onto last night’s dinner… If you bought oyster sauce for this recipe, here’s another great use for it. One of our favorite things to order when we go out for Thai is this Basil Eggplant dish. The sauce is sweet and salty and it’s hard not to lick the plate clean!

Ingredients

  • 1 lb chicken breasts
  • 1/2 red onion, chopped into 1 1/2 inch chunks
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp thai red curry paste
  • 2 Chinese eggplants
  • 2 cups broccoli
  • 1 red pepper, sliced
  • 1/4 cup water for stir-frying
  • 2-3 Tbsp. oil for stir-frying
  • roughly 1/2 cup (or more) fresh basil
  • 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 1 tsp. red pepper flakes

For the Sauce

  • 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 4 Tbsp. oyster sauce
  • 2 tsp. brown sugar
  • 2 tsp. cornstarch mixed with 4 Tbsp. warm water (mix until cornstarch is dissolved)

Instructions

  • First, prepare sauce by mixing together all sauce ingredients except cornstarch. Prepare the cornstarch and water mixture in a separate cup or bowl. Set both aside.
  • Chop the eggplant up into bite-size pieces (be sure to leave the peel on – this is where most of the nutrients are).
  • Place 2-3 Tbsp. oil to a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, half of the garlic, red curry paste, eggplant, broccoli, and red pepper. Reserve the rest of the garlic for later.
  • Stir-fry for 5 minutes. When the wok or frying pan becomes dry, add a little of the water (a few Tbsp. at a time) – enough to keep the ingredients frying nicely.
  • Add 2 Tbsp. soy sauce and continue stir-frying for 5 more minutes, or until the eggplant is soft and the white flesh is almost translucent. Add a little more water when the pan becomes too dry (up to 1/4 cup).
  • When the eggplant is soft, add the rest of the garlic plus the sauce. Stir fry to incorporate. Add red pepper flakes and stir to combine.
  • Lastly, add the cornstarch/water mixture. Stir well so that the sauce thickens uniformly (this will only take a minute or less). Remove from heat.
  • Taste test the eggplant for salt. If not salty enough, add a little more fish sauce. If too salty, add 1 Tbsp. lime juice (or substitute 1 Tbsp. lemon juice).
  • Now add 3/4 of the fresh basil, stirring briefly to incorporate.
  • Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle the rest of the basil over top. Serve with jasmine rice. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from About.com

 

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Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Larabar

I was just recently introduced to Larabars and absolutely love them. They are perfect for a quick energy boost, and now I usually keep one in my purse or car for an emergency snack! Today I decided to try to make them myself and was actually really surprised at how easy it was.

Here’s how…

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup whole pitted dates (which I got from our neighborhood farmer’s market!)
  • 1 cup raw almonds
  • 1/2 dark chocolate bar (or 2 Tbsp chocolate chips)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla bean paste
  • pinch of salt

Directions

1. Place the dates in a food processor and pulse until processed to a paste. Transfer date paste to a small bowl and set aside.

2. Place almonds in food processor (no need to clean processor first), and pulse until finely ground. Add to date paste.

3. Add dark chocolate to food processor and pulse until small chunks form. Add to bowl.

4. Add vanilla and salt to bowl and mix thoroughly. (Side note: you can use regular vanilla, but this paste is so good and full of flavor! My mom got this for me at Williams-Sonoma and I now use it in place of vanilla extract in most recipes because of the extra sweet vanilla flavor it gives.)


5. Line loaf pan with saran wrap and press mixture into pan. Refrigerate for about an hour before cutting into bars and wrapping in wax paper.


 

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Spaghetti Squash with Chicken and Spicy Thai Peanut Coconut Sauce

We just finished dinner and oh my, do I have a great recipe for you! Definitely mark this as a recipe to make soon. The sauce is sweet and a little bit spicy, and oh so good!

I changed up this recipe just a bit, and instead of noodles I mixed in about a half a spaghetti squash to make it low-carb. If you are not carb conscious, I would recommend either mixing in egg noodles as the original recipe calls for–or I think the sauce might be even better spooned over white rice. However you decide to serve it, I think you will love this sauce!

Ingredients 

  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
  • 1 tbsp cooking oil, divided
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • half a spaghetti squash
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1.5 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp fresh minced ginger
  • 1 tbsp red Thai curry paste
  • 1 tbsp peanut butter
  • 2 tsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup fresh minced cilantro

Directions

  • Slice spaghetti squash in half. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place on greased cookie sheet rind side up. Cook for 40 minutes.
  • Heat 2 tsp oil over medium high heat and add chicken. Sprinkle with salt, and saute until cooked through. Transfer chicken to a clean plate.
  • Add remaining oil to pan and saute grated ginger. Saute for a few seconds and then add the coconut milk, chicken broth, red pepper flakes, sugar, and oyster sauce. Whisk in the curry paste and peanut butter and bring to a simmer. Add the bell peppers and continue simmering for about 10-15 minutes. Add chicken back into the pan.
  • Using a fork, remove the spaghetti-like flesh from the squash. Add half of the squash to the pan.
  • Once everything is heated through, spoon into bowls and sprinkle cilantro over top.
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Happy Birthday Twins!

Happy Birthday to my favorite twins! I’m lucky enough to live just a block away from my brother, so in honor of his birthday he’ll be enjoying his favorite dessert tonight–this strawberry pie! I wish I was close enough to celebrate my sister’s day in person too… I’d bring a vanilla latte and take her out for a pedicure!

This is my mom’s delicious recipe for strawberry pie, and I’ve made it a few times now. I think this time it came out the best, but we’ll see what the birthday boy thinks!

Brian’s Strawberry Pie

1 Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust
1 package strawberries
1 cup sugar
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1/2 package (4 ounces) cream cheese (softened)

Center pie crust in pan and create a scalloped edge by placing your left thumb and index finger about 1 inch apart on the outside of the raised edge. With your right thumb, push the dough toward the outside to form a scalloped wave.

Cook pie crust as directed on package. Cool.

Slice enough berries to measure 1 cup. Place berries in a bowl and mash with a potato masher. Mix together sugar and cornstarch in a medium sized saucepan. Gradually stir in water, then add crushed berries. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool.

Spread cream cheese on bottom of cooled baked pie shell. Slice the remaining berries thinly and lay in a single layer over cream cheese. Pour berry mixture over top. Chill at least 3 hours or until set.

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Lunches this Week: Salad in a Jar


I’ve always wondered why a salad made by someone else always tastes so much better to me… and I think it’s because if I’m already hungry than I’m usually just too impatient to make a really GOOD salad.

So, lately I have been stocking my fridge with salads in a jar so there’s always a healthy and satisfying lunch ready to grab and take to work in the morning. This week I made lunches for us for the whole week.

The trick is to put the dressing on the bottom. I used the delicious balsamic reduction that my friend, Nani, made for me! Or you could try this easy homemade honey mustard dressing. A tablespoon in the bottom of each jar, followed by quinoa, beans, layers of veggies, then topped with chopped spinach, and finally crunchy slivered almonds and currants. Basically, you just need something to soak up the dressing (quinoa, grilled chicken, tuna or chick peas work great!) and then anything you want to keep crunchy, like nuts, croutons, currants or dried cranberries, etc. should go at the top.

When you are ready to eat, just dump the jar into a large bowl or plate and enjoy!

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Sunday Dinner: Fall Off the Bone Baby Back Ribs

This is one of Matt’s favorite dinners and is the simplest “recipe” for ribs you’ll ever make… Grab a rack o’ribs, a beer, and a bottle of BBQ sauce. Dump it all in a pyrex dish and throw it into a 250 degree oven. Retreat to the couch to watch HGTV all day and enjoy the smell of BBQ wafting in from the kitchen. 5 hours later, roast up some broccoli, sweet potato fries, and crack open a beer if you please. Sunday dinner is done!

This is what it looks like before it goes into the oven… not so appealing… 

But after it cooks slow and low… here it is:

Ingredients:
-rack of ribs
-16 oz bottle of BBQ sauce (any kind will work, we used hickory smoked BBQ)
-12 oz beer (I’ve used lagers and light beers, both seem to do the trick)

Directions:
Place ribs in pyrex dish. Pour BBQ and beer over ribs. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a 250 degree oven for 5-6 hours.

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Slow Cooker Balsamic-Ginger Chicken Lettuce Cups

Add this one to your must-try list immediately! It’s easy and delicious. I usually save slow-cooker recipes for the winter months, but this one is a nice, light–yet still full of flavor–meal for the warmer weather. A spoonful of white or brown rice to each lettuce cup would be a great addition, but if you want to keep it low carb then just leave it out.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts
  • 1 orange
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1 head romaine lettuce, leaves separated
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds

Instructions

  • Combine the sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and red pepper in a crock pot. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Cook until the chicken is very tender, about 6-7 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high.
  • Remove chicken from crockpot to shred into medium sized pieces, then return and stir into the cooking liquid.
  • Meanwhile, cut away the peel and white pith of the orange. Cut the orange into thin half-moons and place in a medium bowl. Fold in the scallions and sprinkle in the sesame seeds.
  • Fill the lettuce leaves with the chicken and top with the orange mixture.
  • Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Women’s Day.

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Healthier Crustless Quiche with Greek Yogurt

I decided to make up my own recipe for a healthy quiche after searching and only coming up with recipes that called for a lot of cheese, bread crumbs, and pie crust. I really wanted to see if I could use greek yogurt as a substitute for most of the cheese. I’m happy to say it worked like a charm. The greek yogurt provided a creamy consistency, and by skipping the pie crust all together, this quiche is much healthier than all the other recipes out there. Plus, it makes great leftovers. I ate it for lunch the next day wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 cup of spinach, chopped
  • 1 zucchini, chopped
  • 2 whole eggs, beaten
  • 3 egg whites
  • 6 oz greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 roma tomato, thinly sliced
  • 2 hot italian sausage links

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 inch pie pan.
  • Remove sausage from casings, brown in pan and crumble. When cooked through, set aside.
  • Heat oil in the same large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft. Add chopped zucchini and continue to stir occasionally for about 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in spinach, allow to wilt, about 1 minute. Stir in sausage.
  • In a large bowl, combine eggs, yogurt, cheese, salt and pepper. Add spinach mixture and stir to blend. Scoop into prepared pie pan. Arrange thin slices of tomato on top of quiche.
  • Bake in preheated oven until eggs have set, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
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Stuffed Kabocha Squash


The other day I thought I’d make spaghetti squash with homemade marinara sauce and turkey meatballs. But then I realized I had purchased a kabocha squash instead.

Since they look nothing alike, I’m not sure how it ended up in my grocery cart, but once it made it home with me, I started researching what I could do with it. I decided to create a mixture of ground beef and sautéed veggies, I’d chop it in half, and fill each kabocha “bowl” with the mixture. As a bonus, I learned that kabocha squash is rich in beta carotene, vitamin C, potassium and iron. It has a sweeter flavor than butternut squash, and is similar in texture and flavor to a pumpkin or a sweet potato. It ended up being a really satisfying dinner that would be perfect on a cool winters night. And even though I made this “by accident” I would totally make it again!

So, here’s what you need…

  • 1 kabocha squash
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced into long strips
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 ounces mushrooms, stemmed and diced
  • 2 cups packed fresh spinach, chopped
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tbsp herbs de provence
  • 1 tbsp light brown sugar

And here’s the instructions…

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Prepare the kabocha by cutting in half to make two equal sized bowls. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and fibers inside the kabocha and discard. Brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle the inside with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper. Set the kabocha face down on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, make the filling by browning ground beef in skillet. Discard drippings and transfer meat to a bowl.
  • In the same pan, heat the oil in a large saute pan set over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and caramelized, stirring often, add brown sugar to the onions and stir. Add in the garlic and the mushrooms and cook for about 3 or 4 minutes, then stir in the spinach. Cook until the spinach has wilted.
  • Season with the salt, pepper, cinnamon, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and herbs de provence. Add meat back into pan and combine.
  • Remove kabocha from the oven and spoon the mixture into each half. Top with a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan cheese. Bake for another 15 minutes or until flesh is tender enough to be easily pierced with a knife.
  • Remove the kabocha from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before eating.
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