Shrimp Pasta with Tomatoes, Spinach and Feta

After scoring some yummy shrimp on sale at the grocery store, I've been experimenting with how best to integrate them into meals. This simple pasta is packed with flavor and only took about ten minutes to prepare, including preparing the pasta. It's perfect for a light summer dinner and definite proof that you don't need to douse your pasta in a heavy, fatty sauce! 

What You'll Need:

(serves 3-4)

1 lb pasta (I used thin spaghetti but angel hair pasta would be divine!)

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined 

1 large tomato, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups spinach

1/2 cup feta cheese 

juice of 1/2 lemon 

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper 

dash of crushed red pepper

What To Do:

Prepare pasta according to package. 

Meanwhile, heat saucepan to medium heat. Add olive oil, garlic, tomatoes and spinach. Cook for about two minutes, making sure the spinach is completely wilted. 

Add shrimp in one layer, cooking 1-2 minutes per side or until opaque and white. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper. Squeeze lemon over the shrimp and stir to combine all the flavors. 

Drain pasta, reserving 1/2-1 cup pasta water. Pour pasta directly into pan with shrimp and stir to combine. Drizzle in pasta water to coat the noodles as desired. Add feta cheese. Stir and serve!

original recipe

Creamy Chicken, Mushroom and Spinach Rice Skillet

Another use-up-all-the-pantry/freezer-items recipe success!

dinner is one dish tonight, y'all.

Also, this one was made up as I went so measurements are estimations. 

What You'll Need

(serves 2)

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

1 boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed

1/2 cup onion, diced

1 cup sliced button mushrooms

1 cup rice 

2 cups chicken broth 

2 cups fresh spinach

4 oz cream cheese, cubed

What To Do:

Heat olive oil over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to pan along with the onions. Cook 5 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked and onions are translucent. 

Add mushrooms and cook another minute. Pour in rice and stir for 2 minutes or until rice is toasted. Slowly add 1 cup of the chicken broth and stir, scraping up drippings from the bottom of the pan. Simmer covered for 15 minutes, stirring and adding more broth as necessary, until rice is fully cooked. Add cream cheese and spinach, stirring as the cream cheese melts. Scoop in a bowl and serve!

Chicken with Tomato Herb Pan Sauce

I love the way that this dish brings out natural sweetness in fresh tomatoes and provides an excellent sauce base for an otherwise very simple meal. Take advantage of the end of tomato season and try this dish asap!

What You'll Need:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
¾ cup flour

2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 clove garlic, minced
1½ tsp. fresh oregano, minced
½ tsp. sweet paprika
Salt and pepper
2 tsp. olive oil
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes (about 12 oz.)

1 cup fresh spinach
1/3 cup chicken broth

splash of half and half
1 tbsp. minced fresh parsley

What To Do:
Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.  Lightly dredge both sides of the chicken in the flour, shaking off the excess.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the butter, garlic, oregano, and paprika.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the oregano butter with the olive oil.  Place the chicken breast halves in the skillet and cook until golden brown on each side and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side.  Transfer to a plate, cover loosely with foil, and set aside.

Increase the heat to high and add the tomatoes to the skillet.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to char and burst, about 5 minutes.  Add the remaining butter mixture to the pan.  Crush the tomatoes slightly to release their juices and continue stirring until the butter is melted.  Add spinach and cook until wilted. Add the wine or broth to the pan, scraping the bottom to loosen the browned bits.  Add half and half and cook for a minute more until well blended.

Slice the chicken, transfer to serving plates, and top with the pan sauce.  Sprinkle with parsley and serve. 

I ate my chicken over pasta but this would also pair well with rice, quinoa or potatoes!

Source: adapted from Annie's Eats and  Cook Like a Champion, originally from Bon Appétit, July 2011

Summer Tuna Salad

If you're looking for something light, simple, healthy and delicious, this is a great salad to throw together! I was improvising with what I had on hand, but was surprised at how much I loved this dish. The flavors work really well together- with sweet, savory, and creamy. It's also great because it fits into pescetarian, paleo and gluten free diets!

I'll admit that I didn't use exact measurements, so be sure to adjust to your specific taste preferences!

What You'll Need:

(1 large portion or 2 small portions)

1 can white albacore chunk tuna 

1/2 small mango, diced

1/4 cup diced onion

1/2 avocado, diced

1/4 cup corn (I used canned but fresh or frozen would work as well!)

sea salt

fresh cracked black pepper

salad greens (I used baby spinach, but romaine or mixed greens would make great subsitutions)

*optional* chipotle dressing 

What To Do:

Combine all of the ingredients together and serve over greens. Drizzle with chipotle dressing if desired.

   

Balsamic Honey Chicken with Apples

This was a quick, healthy and delicious meal

It's perfect for a hectic weeknight and has lots of flavor! 

What You'll Need:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

salt

black pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large apple, diced

1 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

3 tbsp honey

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch 

What To Do:

Rinse the chicken in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. (Be sure they are completely dry.) If desired, pound chicken to preferred thickness. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, turning once, until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear. Remove the chicken from the heat and transfer to a plate. Cover to keep it warm.

Add the garlic and turn the heat down to medium for 2 minutes or until the garlic is soft. Add the apple andand 1/4 cup of the chicken broth and continue cooking for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apple is soft. In a small bowl, combine the remaining chicken broth, balsamic vinegar, honey and cornstarch. Pour over the apple mixture. Increase the heat to high until it comes to a boil and then immediately lower the heat and simmer, stirring frequently for 4 to 6 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Return the chicken and any juices to the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. taste and adjust the seasoning as desired.

Using a slotted spoon, serve chicken and apples over brown rice.

Recipe adapted from Panera Bread

Braised Short Ribs

This is the only photo I have of this dinner.

1) because it was date night and I was trying not to be rude

 and spend more time taking pictures of the food 

than sitting down and eating it and holding a conversation

and

2) because it was really, really good and I scarfed it all down pretty fast.

I'd never eaten, much less prepared, short ribs.

But oh. I will again, my friends.

It's like the most tender, flavorful pot roast

On A Stick.

My only complaint is that because the meat is so fatty,

I found the best way to serve it was to cut the meat 

off the bones and trim it completely before 

returning it to the cooking liquid. 

I didn't figure this out until after it had been served,

 but leftovers were much less hassle after this was discovered!

Also, I don't own a Dutch oven, but I just prepared 

everything stovetop in my large soup pot,

and then transferred it to a Pyrex baking dish 

and covered with foil to go in the oven.

Works for me!

What You'll Need

• 8 whole Beef Short Ribs
• Kosher Salt and Pepper To Taste
• 1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
• 4 pieces Bacon, Diced
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 3 whole Carrots, Diced
• 2 whole Shallots, Peeled And Finely Minced
• 2 cups Red Or White Wine
• 2 cups Beef Or Chicken Broth (enough To Almost Cover Ribs)

What To Do:

Salt and pepper ribs, then dredge in flour. Set aside.

In a large dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until complete crispy and all fat is rendered. Remove bacon and set aside. Do not discard grease.

Add olive oil to pan with the pancetta grease, and raise heat to high. Brown ribs on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Remove ribs and set aside. Turn heat to medium.

Add onions, carrots, and shallots to pan and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape bottom of pan to release all the flavorful bits of glory. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes.

Add broth, bacon, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed. Add ribs to the liquid; they should be almost completely submerged. 

Put on the lid and place into the oven. Cook at 350 for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 325 and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Ribs should be fork-tender and falling off the bone. Remove pan from oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes, lid on, before serving. At the last minute, skim fat off the top of the liquid. (Can also refrigerate mixture, then remove solid fat from the top.)

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Green Bean Bundles

These green bean bundles made an impressive presentation 

as part of our Christmas dinner party. 

They are fairly simple to make, 

although there are a few steps involved.

I really like my green beans a little crisp so these are great.

plus, the brown sugar sauce adds an unexpected 

but perfectly cohesive surprise of flavor to the dish.

And if you'd rather not  make a perfectly healthy vegetable 

into a bacon heavy dish,

you can always substitute with turkey bacon

But, you know, calories don't count during the holidays

so I went with real bacon. ;)

What You'll Need:

• 1.25-1.5  pounds fresh green beans
• 1 pkg bacon 
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/8 teaspoon soy sauce

What To Do:

Place beans in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, for 8 minutes or until crisp-tender. Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until cooked but not crisp, about 3 minutes. Remove to paper towels. 

Drain beans; place about 12 beans on each bacon strip. Wrap bacon around beans and secure with a toothpick. Place on an ungreased baking sheet.

In a small bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, garlic salt and soy sauce; drizzle over bundles. Bake at 400° for 10-15 minutes or until bacon is crisp. 

Serves 8

Adapted from Taste of Home

Scalloped Potatoes

So I love me some potatoes.

I don't know if the past is evidence of that.

I know I say that I love a lot of things

and I say that a lot of things are delicious.

But potatoes are pretty much a staple for

comfort food

fancy meals

easy, cheap meals...

potatoes are good.

I didn't want to do just plain ol' mashed potatoes 

for this dinner party so I started searching 

for a good scalloped potato recipe. 

And my search ended with a fantastic sounding recipe 

from the queen herself.

So here's Martha Stewart's Scalloped Potato Recipe!

What You Need:

• 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, and sliced paper thin
• 3 cups milk
• 1 clove garlic
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 5 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated

What To Do:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees with a rack set in the lower third of oven. Combine sliced potatoes and milk in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, and immediately reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until potatoes are just tender, about 3 minutes.
2. Place a colander over a large bowl and drain potatoes, reserving milk. You should have 2 cups of thick, starchy milk. If potatoes have absorbed more than 1 cup of milk, add enough milk to bring the reserved milk volume to 2 cups.
3. Rub a 3 1/2-quart oval baking dish with garlic and butter. Arrange sliced potatoes in the baking dish; season with salt and pepper. Dot with remaining butter and pour over reserved cooking milk and cream. Sprinkle cheese over top.
4. Transfer baking dish to oven and bake until cheese becomes deep golden brown and milk has reduced and thickened, 80 to 90 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

A couple of notes:

• To save time, I did not peel the potatoes. I just scrubbed them really clean!
• I used 8oz of Gruyere cheese. And it was really good. But I think you could use a cheaper cheese and it still be just as good. 
• It only took about 1 hr to complete baking when I made it!

You'll notice that there's only one photo of the potatoes

and it's of the scoop on my plate. 

it smelled too good to stop and photograph

Definitely a little more work than I want to do for a normal meal

but it was so worth it for this!

This was the remainder at the end of the night

Christmas Dinner Party: Baked Brie

On Monday I hosted a fun dinner party for David and his roommates. 

This is the third year I've done it and I'd have to say 

this was definitely the best meal to date!

Menu:

Drinks:

Cranberry Punch

Glass Bottled Dr Pepper

 (don't judge. this is definitely holiday-party-worthy)

Appetizers:

Baked Brie served with  sliced apples

Spinach Salad 

with dried cranberries, walnuts and feta cheese

Entree:

Sliced Rib Roast

Side Dishes:

Scalloped Potatoes

Bacon Wrapped Green Bean Bundles 

Dinner Rolls 

Dessert:

Tuxedo Cake

Although it felt like so many things went wrong during the prep time, 

(forgetting to bring beaters for the hand mixer,

not having enough time to let rolls rise and having to get store bought ones

totally planning around the wrong cut of meat...)

this meal turned out truly delicious. And if this amateur cook 

can pull it off, so can you. I'm going to share a few of the recipes 

I used with tips to make them simpler!

The first is the baked brie. 

It's really easy and delicious and makes a beautiful presentation. 

Plus, cheese is awesome. 

Who doesn't like cheese?

I served this while I finished up the rest of the prep for the meal. 

You'll need:
One 15oz Brie wheel
One puff pastry sheet
1 egg plus 1 tsp water
sliced apples (optional)


What To Do:
Wrap the brie wheel in the pastry sheet the flip over so the smooth side is on top. Decorate with any extra pastry dough (I made a bow on top). Brush with the egg wash. Bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees, or until browned on top. Let it sit for about fifteen minutes before you slice into it, or all the cheese will be too gooey and will run out everywhere!


You can also include pecans and raspberry jam inside for a fantastic twist on this. 
There are so many ways to customize it to include things that you like. 

Stay tuned for more recipes from this Christmas Dinner menu!