Paleo Sweet Potato Cottage Pie

Josh and I recently started a new "diet." For anyone who hasn't heard about Paleo, the short version is you eat like a caveman would eat. He wouldn't have had grains, milk, cheese, yogurt, bread, pasta, processed foods, added sugars, juices, etc. He would have had limited amounts of nuts and berries. The things that are on the yes list are basically eggs, any spices, mustard, all meat, fish, shrimp, almost all vegetables, fruit, coconut oil, coconut milk, and some other random things. We did the diet very strictly for several weeks (and as long as you plan what you will be eating it isn't really all that hard) then decided to cheat on the weekends because it is hard to go into a restaurant and be totally Paleo. 

We had pancakes a few Saturdays ago and felt miserable for half of the day. We usually cheat for 2-3 meals on the weekend, that may mean having bread or a beer or some rice. It's a fairly restrictive diet, because anything you would run out of the door with is basically off limits. You shop around the outside edges of the grocery store, so you have no processed foods which are the fast foods to grab. It's restrictive in that you can't eat all the junk that we are all accustomed to eating all the time, but all the foods you are eating are "whole foods" so it's a much healthier way to eat in general. 

I think we will continue to follow it as a lifestyle, but it is too restrictive to completely follow every single day for the rest of our lives. I have modified the diet to suit us by adding milk (I drink a glass every morning and it was probably what I missed the most), corn, and beans back into our meals occasionally. I'm still staying away from processed foods, pasta, bread, yogurt, cheese, etc. I'm still buying applesauce and fruit snacks for Gray, but he eats Paleo meals with us. This diet may sound strange but the food is good and still normal for the most part, just think about a steak and baked sweet potato. That's Paleo! 

Anyway, I like sharing recipes that I cook and enjoy, so this Paleo recipe is no different. I turned to my FaceBook friends a few weeks ago for places to find Paleo recipes. They send me several really good links including www.fastpaleo.com. I found this recipe for Cottage Pie and had to try it. Cottage Pie has comfort food written all over it! Well I tried it this week, and it was a hit. I tweaked the recipe for flavor using the ingredients listed below. I doubled the meat, used a whole tiny can of tomato paste, more Worcestershire, more garlic, more onion, more sweet potatoes, etc. The recipe was very easy to put together, and I think it would be super easy to modify and add or take things out. I'd like to add more vegetables next time for example. I added all the extras because I doubled the meat, but I would recommend adding the ingredients and when the meat is done, continue to add salt or pepper or tomato paste until you are happy with the flavor. 

Anyway, here is the Sweet Potato Cottage Pie from: http://fastpaleo.com/sweet-potato-cottage-pie/

Ingredients: 

-1 lb ground beef (Paleo people want you to buy organic, grass-fed beef)

-2 medium carrots, finely chopped

-1 large white onion, finely chopped

-1 tbs minced garlic

-1 tbsp tomato paste

-1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

-a small handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped (I omitted this.)

-2 medium sweet potatoes

-1 tbsp mayonnaise 

-1 cup grated cheddar cheese (this isn't Paleo at all, so I only used a small handful).

Filling: 

1. In a large saucepan warm the olive oil over medium-low heat and add the onion, carrots, and garlic. Gently fry for 10 minutes until softened. 

2. Add the minced beef, breaking up the larger chunks and turn up the heat slightly so it will brown. Stir in the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, salt and a generous hit of black pepper. Simmer until the meat is tender. 

3. Transfer to a 9" pie pan. 

Topping: 

1.Peel and dice the potatoes. Put them in a boiler with a pinch of salt, cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil the potatoes for 20 minutes or until tender. 

2. When ready drain them off, add the butter, mayo, and half of the cheese. Mash thoroughly until a creamy, smooth texture. 

3. Spoon the mixture onto the meat base, taking care to ensure it is speed evenly. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top (I skipped this.) and put under the broiler for about 10 minutes until the topping browns. 

Best. Bread. Pudding. Ever.

My mom searched for months for a good (No. Great.) bread pudding recipe. Finally after months and months of experimental recipes, she found THE one. It's the best bread pudding I think I've ever tried. Hands down. Plus it's super easy to put together! 

Josh loves bread pudding, so I made it (for the first time) for him when he got home from Afghanistan. He has been asking for it since he licked the bowl clean in February. He didn't actually lick the bowl clean, but I'm certain he considered it. I dug out the recipe this morning to add the ingredients to my grocery list, but thought it would be nice to share it with my readership (Hey Meryl! Hey Deni!). Trust me when I tell you that this will change your life, and by that I mean you will need a whole new wardrobe. 

Be warned that it won't fit into your diet plan, but I promise that this is super easy to make and oh so yummy.

Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

Ingredients:

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 3/4 cups whipping cream

4 cups cubed French bread

3/4 cups raisins

Directions: 

1. Combine first 4 ingredients; stir in butter and whipping cream. Gently stir in bread and raisins. Pour into a lightly greased 2-quart soufflé or deep baking dish. 

2. Bake at 375 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes, shielding with aluminum foil after 30 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Let pudding stand 10 minutes before serving warm with vanilla sauce. 

Vanilla Sauce Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons light brown sugar 

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

dash of ground nutmeg

1 large egg

2 tablespoons butter

1 1/4 cups whipping cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Whisk first 7 ingredients in a heavy saucepan; cook over medium heat, whisking constantly. 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Note: Unbaked pudding may be chilled up to one day. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes; bake as directed. Sauce may be chilled up to two days. Microwave in a 2-cup glass measuring cup at high 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring every 30 seconds. 

Chicken and Asparagus with Pesto Sauce

I signed up for this fabulous program after it popped up on Groupon last week. I selected a certain menu from the list and got a menu/shopping list for the week, every week for a whole year. A new menu is emailed out every week, and so far I have made two meals which were both really good. Another awesome thing about the meals, is there aren't very many ingredients so you save money at the grocery store! I'm all for healthy meals that aren't going to break the bank! Several of my friends and I signed up at the same time, so we all picked a different menu (low-fat, low-carb, family meals, etc) and are sharing each week's menu! 

Anyway, this is the one I cooked tonight. It was ultra-yummy.

Chicken and Asparagus with Pesto

Ingredients:

1 lb. chicken breast, cut into 1" strips

1 lb. asparagus (trimmed and cut into smaller pieces)

2 cups heavy whipping cream

3 tsp prepared pesto (I used a whole Knorr pesto package)

2 tbs olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Saute in olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet. Remove chicken from skillet, keeping warm.

2. Add asparagus to skillet. Cook one minute. Remove asparagus, keeping warm. (I combined the asparagus and chicken into a dish and set aside.)

3. Add whipping cream to skillet. Add pesto and cook until slightly reduced, about 8 minutes. Stir in chicken and asparagus, simmer about 10 minutes until chicken is cooked through. (I let it simmer for closer to 15-20 minutes, because I was waiting for Josh to get home.)

This was super easy to put together and the cream should give you some indication that it is pretty tasty, and with basically 4 ingredients! So far, I'm impressed with my latest Groupon purchase!

Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Chicken

I have been cooking like a wild woman since Josh got home, and I found another fabulous recipe on Pintrest! This one maybe be the best yet! It isn't really the healthiest recipe in the world with the cream cheese and frying chicken, but I used low-fat cream cheese and would have cooked the chicken in the oven (had I not be a moron and decided to spray EasyOff in the oven before dinner). I didn't use the oil, and just cooked the chicken in the skillet that I cooked the bacon it. It's super tasty so I'll make this one again! 

Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Chicken 

Ingredients: 

1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced

4 strips bacon, cooked and diced

4 (6 oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs 

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy. Drain on paper towels. 

2. Stir together the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, bacon, and jalapeños in a small bowl. 

3. Cut a pocket horizontally through the thickest side of each chicken breast, and fill with 1/4 of the cheese mixture. Secure with toothpicks. 

4, Roll the chicken breasts in bread  crumbs to coat. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook chicken breasts until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 8 minutes per side. If your chicken breasts are thick, they can be finished in a 350-degree oven. 

Crispy Tilapia in Tomato Cream Sauce

I found this recipe on Pintrest from www.eatingwelllivingthin.wordpress.com and decided to try it. It seems like most fish recipes are the same old lemon pepper or whatever, but this one sounded (and looked) great! I really love fish because it's good for you, but also super quick to make. I am glad we tried it because it is really good. If you are looking for a new/tasty way to cook fish, try this recipe! You won't be sad!

Crispy Tilapia in Tomato Cream Sauce
Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup favorite spaghetti sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons Half & Half
4 (4-5 oz) tilapia fillets
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cup Panko crumbs
1 teaspoon salt-free Italian seasoning
Freshly grated Parmesan

Directions:
1. In a medium sauce pan, over medium-low heat, bring the sauce and garlic to a simmer. Stirring occasionally, allow to cook until reduced by half. The sauce will be come dark red and thick. Stir in the cream and heat through. Keep warm. (I would recommend starting this after you get the fish going.)

2. Rinse and dry the fillets and set aside. In three pie plates (or shallow dishes), place the flour, salt and pepper in one plate; the beaten egg in another plate; and the crumbs mixed with seasoning in the third plate. Coat each fillet with the flour mixture, dip in egg until covered, and then press on the crumbs.

3. Heat a frying pan on medium to medium-high heat until very hot. Add a little olive oil and fry the fish for 3-4 minutes on each side until crispy-golden and fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove to a platter and spoon the sauce over. Garnish with Parmesan. Makes 4 servings.

I fried the fish in olive oil this time, but next time I think I'll try baking the fish. It takes a little longer, but I feel like it may be easier and it has to be healthier. I also think I'll try catfish next time. I'm guessing that any mild white fish should substitute easily. Seriously this fish was so good! You should try it!

Creamy Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta

I found a pretty good pasta recipe on Pintrest last week from chaosinthekitchen.com. I thought I would share it with you. It goes together pretty quickly, which is great for a weeknight meal. Josh and I both liked this recipe and I will prob make it again when I'm looking for a good comfort food meal. I try to make healthy meals most of the time, and I'm pretty sure that this wouldn't fall into that category.

Creamy Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta
Ingredients:
4-8 oz linguine or fettuccine
      (I used closer to half of a box than 4oz because, which made the sauce thinner.)
10 tablespoons butter
     (This almost scared me away, but I decided to try it anyway.)
8 oz fresh, sliced mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 oz cream cheese, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
2/3 cup boiling water (from noodle pot)
1 pound cooked shrimp

Directions:
1. Boil and salt a large pot of water and cook the pasta. While pasta is cooking, cook shrimp and reserve. If your shrimp are pre-cooked frozen, thaw under running water.

2. In a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat and sauté mushrooms until soft and brown, season with salt and pepper. (I sautéed the mushrooms with olive oil, so I cut out some butter here.) Reserve mushrooms and melt remaining butter in skillet.

3. Add minced garlic, cream cheese, and herbs. Simmer cream cheese mixture until well blended. Get a scoop of boiling pasta water from the noodle pot and mix in, stirring quickly to smooth out the sauce. Keep the sauce hot and add the shrimp and mushrooms. Mix well and simmer (stirring often) until everything is hot and thickened, about 10 minutes. Toss the sauce with the cooked noodles and serve! This would be amazing with some garlic bread and a salad!

Jambalaya

My mom gave me a jambalaya recipe several months back after she made it. She thinks it too tomato-y, but Josh and I both like it. It's a lot easier to make that I thought jamalaya would be, so if you are scared to try it, don't be! The hardest part is cutting everything up!

Jambalaya
Ingredients:

6 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup chopped yellow onions

1 large green bell pepper (seeded and julienned)

1 cup coarsely chopped celery

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 pound medium peeled shrimp (I used a pound because we like lots of shrimp.)

1/2 pound cubed boiled ham (I personally think you could leave this out.)

1 (16 oz) can while tomatoes (crushed with juices)

1 cup chicken broth

1 bay leaves

1 cup long grain rice (uncooked)

salt and pepper/cayenne pepper

hot sauce

Directions:

1. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft and light golden in color (about 6-8 minutes).

2. Add the shrimp and ham. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink. Stir in tomatoes and chicken broth. Season to taste with salt, cayenne pepper, and hot sauce. (I also added some Tony's for some extra kick.) Add the bay leaves and the rice.

3. Cook on medium-low heat covered. Cook until rice is tenet and all the liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes. (I added a little more chicken broth and let it cook longer because the rice wasn't tender enough after 25 minutes and most of the liquid was already gone.) Remove the bay leaves and serve.

I'll never say I'm a food photographer, but here is a shot of the finished product!

Mississippi Sin Dip

If you are a member of the addictive site pintrest.com, you already know that the "pins" are so fantastic you could look for hours. That is, if you had hours to waste. I try no to spend more than 15-20 minutes searching unless I'm looking for something in particular. Like this dip. 

With a name like Mississippi Sin it has to be good, right? I saw the recipe a few weeks back and pinned it for a coffee with the HMH-462 wives. I'm always a little scared to try something new without a backup plan, but this recipe looked pretty amazing. Apparently it went over well because there wasn't much left after the coffee was over. This dip was super easy to make and pretty delish, so I wanted to pass it along to you! 

Don't you love my iPhone pics?

Mississippi Sin Dip

Ingredients:

16 oz sour cream

8 oz cream cheese, softened

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup chopped ham

1 green onion, chopped

1/4 tsp hot sauce

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

French bread loaf

*These directions include baking/serving the dip in a bread bowl. I didn't do that, but the recipe is the same. 

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, combine ingredients, except French bread. Stir until well blended. Cut a think slice from top of bread loaf; set slice aside. Using a gentle sawing motion, cut vertically to, but not through, bottom of the loaf, 1/2 inch from the edge, to cut out center of bread. Lift out center of loaf. Fill hollowed bread loaf with the dip. Wrap loaf with foil. Bake dip at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Serve with reserved bread cubes, crackers, or potato chips.  

Mendocino Chicken Salad

I found this chicken salad recipe in my search for the perfect chicken salad about a year ago. I have now forgotten how to make any other kind because this one is so flipping fantastic! I found it on AllRecipes.com and have modified it to make my life easier (the recipe asks for some kind of smoked chicken that I couldn't find) and because I don't love celery. 

You can chop some celery up and throw it in if you want. I'll pass because I'm not a fan. I'll allow it in cooked dishes (like gumbo) because it belongs, but I never eat the fresh version. Don't let the basil in this salad scare you either. I was a little concerned at first, but after the first bite I knew it was the right thing to do. Just try it. You will see.

I usually toss the meat from the chicken into the food processor so I don't waste 30 minutes tearing it up into small pieces. I know you are shocked to know that my OCD takes over in this step, so it takes way too long for the chicken to be shredded uniformly. Who's got that kind of time? You do what you want, but I find letting the chopper do the work makes my life happy.

I also use more/less grapes, onions, and basil depending on the day. I never measure these, or the mayonnaise. The original used a small amount of chicken, so I've estimated these based on the use of a rotisserie chicken. Again, I've never measured so you may need more or less of the things.

Mendocino Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded

2 cups of seedless grapes, halved

1/2 cup diced red onion

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips

mayonnaise

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Chill and serve.

Super easy. Super tasty. Now go try it and thank me later.  I'm going to make a sandwich!

Spicy Pasta Salad with Smoked Gouda, Tomatoes, and Basil

I found this recipe on the Pioneer Woman's website while looking for something new to try. Everything I have made from the Pioneer Woman's site has been good, so I figured this would be no different. It's easy to put together and has a creamy/smoky/spicy flavor that was different but quite good. She has step-by-step directions with pictures here, so I've just shared the recipe with you. She suggests refrigerating and eating it cold. I added some rotisserie chicken and we had it warm. I'm sure you would enjoy it either way! 

Photo from The Pioneer Woman's website, thepioneerwoman.com.

Spicy Pasta Salad with Smoked Gouda, Tomatoes, and Basil

Ingredients:
12 ounces, weight Mostaccioli (I used mini bow ties)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 whole milk
4 tablespoons white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoon adobo sauce from chipotle peppers (or one minced chipotle pepper)
1/2 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper to taste
10 ounces, grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1/2 pound smoked gouda cheese, cut into small cubes
24 whole basil leaves

Directions:
1. Cook pasta until done. Drain and rinse in cold water until no longer hot. Set aside.
2. Mix mayonnaise, milk, vinegar, salt, pepper, and adobo in a small bowl. In a large bowl, stir together pasta, dressing, halved tomatoes, and cubed Gouda.
3. Taste for seasonings, add more salt and pepper if needed, and even an extra or two of vinegar if necessary. Stir in basil at the end. Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.

Let me know if you try this one and like it!

Panang Curry

Josh and I found a fantastic Thai place here several months back. After getting dinner there at least 3 or 4 times, I asked myself how hard could it be to make Thai food. Apparently it's not as hard to make as it  is to actually find the ingredients.

I've fallen in love with the Panang curry at the local restaurant because it is so amazing. I thought it would be great if I could find a recipe to replicate it so we could just enjoy it at home without eating out. I figured I could try to recreate the panang first and maybe try some other curries later. I'm not the biggest fan of Indian food with curry, but Thai food with curry can be awesome. If you haven't ever tried it, I recommend it.

Panang Curry

Ingredients: (*substitutions) 

5 tablespoons Panang curry powder 

cooking oil

4 cups (2 cans) coconut milk

1 pound chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

2 tablespoons palm sugar

   *2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons fish sauce, to taste

6 kaffir lime leaves, torn

   *In my research, someone said they used lime zest...

2 fresh red chile peppers, sliced 

   *This is easily found, I just forgot to pick some up.
     red cayenne pepper, to taste

1/4 cup fresh Thai basil leaves

   *I used a tablespoon or so of sweet basil.

I also added a handful of lightly salted peanuts, finely chopped (in food processor). You can use chicken, beef, shrimp, tofu, etc. You can also add any vegetables you like (sliced tomatoes, broccoli, etc.).

Directions:

1. Fry the curry paste in the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat until fragrant. 

2. Stir the coconut milk into the curry paste and bring to a boil. Add chicken and cook until chicken is nearly cooked through (about 10-15 minutes).
3. Stir in the palm sugar (or brown sugar), fish sauce, and lime leaves (or lime zest). Add basil and peppers. Simmer together.
4. Serve over jasmine rice. 

The biggest problem I had with this recipe was finding the ingredients. Apparently palm sugar is similar enough to brown sugar that it's an easy substitute. Fish sauce (The name itself is questionable. Not surprisingly, fish sauce doesn't actually smell pleasing either.) was in the Asian section of the commissary, so that wasn't too hard to find. What's a kafirr lime? I didn't figure that out, so someone said you could use lime zest. I also added a handful of peanuts, threw them into the food processor, and chopped them until they were ultra fine.

I didn't find the panang curry paste because I didn't want to go to the Asian market (they actually exist in San Diego), but I found a jar at the grocery store that was meant to be used alone (like spaghetti sauce in a jar). I poured the whole jar in, let it simmer a bit then added the coconut milk. I was skeptical about it turning out, but it was actually pretty good. I plan to hit up the Asian market and get the actual curry paste, because I think they flavor would be better/more intense. Overall the recipe was super easy to make and came together very quickly. It may not have been quite as good as the local place, but I will try it again with the curry paste and expect even better results. Let me know if you have tried something similar and any tips/tricks you know about. OR if you try it, let me know how you like the recipe! 

Brown Sugar Meatloaf

I hate the word meatloaf. Don't you? 

Either way, I decided to try a new recipe last night. I found the recipe on allrecipes.com, but made a few changes from the original recipe based on the suggestions other users made. This is a fairly simple recipe to follow. Mix ingredients for the topping together. Mix the rest of the ingredients together and put it in the oven. I think this would be a great weeknight dinner with a vegetable side or two. The meatloaf had a great flavor and I'll make this one again!

Brown Sugar Meatloaf

Ingredients:
Topping:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
Meatloaf:
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
   *(I used minced ginger in the jar. Can be found by the minced garlic in the grocery store.)
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 5X9 loaf pan.
2. In a small bowl, mix sugar, ketchup, and Worcestershire together.
3. In a mixing bowl, mix thoroughly all remaining ingredients and shape into a loaf.  Spoon the ketchup mixture on top of the loaf.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until juices are clear.

Slow Cooked Chicken Stroganoff

I found this recipe a few weeks ago. I haven't ever heard of chicken stroganoff, but the recipe looked good and I LOVE crock pot recipes. They are generally the easiest things in the world to throw together, and this was no different. This recipe was full of flavor and I plan to put it into the regular rotation at our house!

 I forgot to get a picture, but found this one online.

*I can't remember where I found this recipe. I normally write that down on my index card when writing down a new recipe, but somehow managed not to do that this time. If you know where I got it, please let me know so I can give credit to the person who created it! 

Slow Cooked Chicken Stroganoff
Ingredients:

2 lbs chicken breasts

1 cup chopped onion

2 (10 3/4 oz) cans cream of mushroom with roasted garlic

1/3 cup water

12 oz  dried egg white noodles

1 (8 oz) carton sour cream

mushrooms, optional

black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Cut chicken into 1" pieces. Combine chicken and onion in the slow cooker. In a medium bowl, stir together the cream of mushroom soup and water. Pour over chicken and onions. Cover and cook on low heat for 6-7 hours or high heat for 3-3.5 hours. 

2. Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Just before serving, stir sour cream into mixture in slow cooker. To serve, spoon stroganoff over noodles. 

Garlic Firecracker Shrimp

I found this recipe at Ralph's (grocery store) several months back. The recipe was super simple, and most of the ingredients are things you may already have in the pantry. I decided not to fire up the grill for all of 3 minutes of cooking, but I would like to try this again when we are making hamburgers or steaks. They were good, but I can imagine how much better they would be cooked on the grill.  I made them with a side of flavored rice. This was a super quick and easy weeknight dinner!

Garlic Firecracker Shrimp

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoons minced garlic

1 to 2 teaspoons dried parsley

3/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl combine lemon juice, oil, garlic, parsley, cayenne, and salt to taste. Add shrimp, toss to coat. Refrigerate 45 minutes.
2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Thread shrimp on skewers. Place skewers on grill. Grill 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side or until shrimp turn pink. Serve immediately.

Curried Chicken Salad

 

Contessa's pic. 

Josh really likes Indian food, but I haven't found anything that I can't live without at an Indian restaurant. I guess I can keep trying new things, but until then I figured I could try some curry recipes at home. I stumbles upon a Barefoot Contessa episode last week where she was making curried chicken. You can find the recipe here. Everything she makes looks amazing, so I thought I would try it. Josh really liked it, so I'll be making it again. I used a rotisserie chicken, omitted the celery, and didn't use quite as much curry as she suggested (I read the recipe wrong and noticed too late to add the extra curry). The next time I make it, I 'll use the recommended amount of curry and see what happens. Also, the raisins seemed like a strange addition, but they were pretty fantastic.

Curried Chicken Salad
Ingredients:

-3 whole chicken breasts (bone in, skin on)

-olive oil

-Salt and pepper

-1 1/2 cups mayo

-1/3 cup dry white wine

-1/4 cup chutney (recommended: Major Grey's)

-3 TBS curry powder

-1 cup medium-diced celery (2 stalks)

-1/4 cup chopped green onions

-1/4 cup raisins

-1 cup whole roasted, salted cashews (chopped)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from bones, discard the skin, and dice the chicken into large bite-size pieces. 

2. For the dressing, combine the mayonnaise, wine, chutney, curry powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. 

3. Combine the chicken with enough dressing to moisten well. Add the celery, scallions, and raisins, and mix well. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Add the cashews and serve at room temperature. 

Parmesan Crusted Delicious-ness.

"If I could wish, for just one dish, my greatest wish, would be more fish!" --Dinosaur Train

As I sat down to write this post, all I could think about was that stupid song. Anyone else watch Dinosaur Train in the morning over breakfast? No? Never mind.


I got this recipe from a friend a while back and we finally tried it this week. I was a little nervous about it, because I'm not adventurous with fish by any stretch of the imagination. It was super simple and ultra tasty. 

Parmesan Crusted Catfish Fillets
Ingredients:
4-6 catfish fillets
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
zest of one lemon
juice of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
olive oil


Directions:
1. In a shallow dish, mix together the Parmesan cheese, Italian breadcrumbs, lemon zest, salt, & pepper. 
2. Brush the catfish with olive oil and pat fish into mixture until evenly coated. (I sprinkled more of the mixture on top of the fish after placing them in the baking dish to give them a thicker crust.)
3. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fillets) or until they flake with a fork. Remove from oven, squeeze lemon juice over the top of fillets, and serve! 

I steamed some broccoli then sprinkled it with Cavender's and Parmesan cheese. Add a side salad and you have a quick and healthy meal!

Not the best photo of the fish, but you get the idea...

On a side note, I love that I can go get fresh lemons from the back yard anytime I need one. I haven't paid for a lemon in a year! Wahoo!

"You are actually taking pictures of lemons?" -Josh
"Yes. I'm actually taking pictures of lemons." -Lynda

Chicken and Broccoli Ring

I recently decided I should start sharing some tasty recipes on the blog. I think it's a good idea for two reasons: 

1. If you are like me you are always on the look out for something simple and proven to be good, and 

2. I always forget about the good recipes so blogging about it will benefit me (due to my memory loss) and you!

I bought the Pampered Chef Stoneware bar pan several months back as part of a PC fundraiser for the 3Day.  I have used it for various things over the last few months and I think I'm in love. It cooks evenly, food does not stick to it, and clean up is a snap. I decided to get the Stoneware Inspirations cookbook too. I haven't made a lot of things out of it, but all the dishes look absolutely delish. (If you would like to buy any Pampered Chef stuff, let me know and I'll give you the information for the most fantastic PC consultant on the planet!) Anyway, I tried this one the other night and it was really good PLUS super easy. I think it will be good first recipe to share! 

PC makes this prettier than I did. Don't judge. It was my first try.
And maybe, the IPhone photo didn't do it justice...

Chicken and Broccoli Ring

Ingredients:

1 package (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls (I used the garlic ones. Extra yummy!)

1 cup coarsely chopped cooked chicken (I used rotisserie chicken from Costco.)

3/4 cup coarsely chopped broccoli

1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded cheddar

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon PC All Purpose Dill Mix (I used dried dill because I didn't have the mix.)

1 small garlic clove, pressed

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 egg white, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons slivered almonds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Unroll crescent rolls; separate into 8 triangles. Arrange triangles, slightly overlapping, in a circle with wide ends 3" from edge (points will extend off the edge of the baking stone). Roll wide ends of dough toward center to create 3" opening. 

2. In a medium bowl, combine chicken, broccoli, cheese, mayonnaise, dill, garlic, and salt. Mix well. 

3. Scoop filling evenly over dough in a continuous circle. Bring points of triangles up over filling and tuck under dough at center to form a ring (filling will show).  Lightly brush dough with egg; sprinkle with almonds. 

  *I didn't read the directions very well, so I included almonds in mixture inside of rolls by accident. I plan to do it that way next time.

4. Bake 25-30 minutes or until deep golden brown. 

We had it for left-overs the next day and it was still tasty. This seriously was easy and good, so let me know it you try this and love it!