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Italian Sausage Pasta Skillet

Italian Sausage Pasta Skillet

Italian sausage has such a nice flavor that pairs well with the broccolini, pasta, ricotta, and other ingredients in this dish.  This is a simple skillet meal everyone will enjoy. Recipe adapted from Food Network Ingredients: ½ pound whole wheat, protein packed, or other pasta 

Cinnamon Baked Apples with Caramel Oat Clusters

Cinnamon Baked Apples with Caramel Oat Clusters

If you are craving apple pie without all of the carbs and calories this is the answer.  These baked apples are simple to prepare and taste divine. Recipe adapted from Fixate Ingredients: 2 ripe apples (or pears) 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup 1 tablespoon extra 

Shrimp and Veggie Noodles

Shrimp and Veggie Noodles

Are you looking for a veggie packed meal that is simple to prepare?  This Thai inspired dish is packed with veggies and flavor.  You can add Thai rice noodles or ramen noodles if you have a large family to feed. 

Recipe adapted from Food Network

Ingredients:

2 pounds shrimp peeled and deveined

1 bunch asparagus trimmed

1 large carrot

1 parsnip

5 ounces shiitake mushrooms

½ cup fresh lime juice

1/3 cup fish sauce

½ cup light brown sugar

2 cloves garlic minced

1-2 teaspoons Asian chili sauce

Toppings: fresh cilantro for garnish or roasted peanuts

Optional: Thai rice noodles, ramen noodles, etc..

Directions:

  1. Trim the ends off the asparagus.  Use a vegetable peeler to make noodles out of the carrot and parsnip. Place vegetables in a bowl/dish.
  2. Whisk the lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, garlic, chili sauce, and 1/3 cup water in a medium bowl. 
  3. Pour 1/3 of the sauce over the vegetables to marinate.
  4. If cooking noodles follow package directions to prepare the noodles.
  5. Pour 1/3 of the sauce over the shrimp to marinate for 10-15 minutes.
  6. Sauté the vegetables and mushrooms in a nonstick pan over medium low heat for 10-15 minutes.
  7. Sauté the shrimp with marinade in another pan over medium heat until pink on both sides.
  8. If using noodles soak the noodles in the remaining 1/3 sauce after cooking. 
  9. Serve by layering the noodles, vegetables, and shrimp.
  10. Garnish with fresh cilantro and a sprinkle of roasted peanuts.
  11. Note: If you don’t use noodles split the marinade between the vegetables and shrimp. 
St. Patrick’s Day Mint Milkshakes

St. Patrick’s Day Mint Milkshakes

Minty milk shakes taste good any day.  These are a quick simple dessert I whipped up on St. Patrick’s Day as a minty treat for my kids. Recipe adapted from Food Network Ingredients: 1 pint vanilla ice cream (2 cups) ¼ cup milk ½ teaspoon 

Shepherd’s Pie Baked Potatoes

Shepherd’s Pie Baked Potatoes

I wanted to make something “Irish” for St. Patrick’s day, but I wasn’t in the mood for corned beef and cabbage or a traditional Shepherd pie.  These potatoes are easy to prepare and taste fantastic on any day of the year. Recipe adapted from Food 

Melting Sweet Potatoes

Melting Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes paired with cinnamon, maple syrup, and extra virgin coconut oil mix to create a melt in your mouth side dish you will absolutely love.  These are simple to prepare and taste like dessert.

Recipe adapted from Food Network

Ingredients:

2 sweet potatoes

2 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil

1-2 teaspoons cinnamon

1-2 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick spray.
  2. Peel and slice sweet potatoes in ½ inch slices.
  3. Spread sweet potato slices out in a single layer on the baking sheet. 
  4. Sprinkle cinnamon over the slices.
  5. Melt the coconut oil.  Drizzle the coconut oil over the slices.
  6. Bake 15-20 minutes.
  7. Flip the sweet potatoes over. 
  8. Sprinkle with cinnamon. 
  9. Drizzle with maple syrup.
  10. Bake 15 minutes more.
  11. Enjoy and pretend the potatoes are dessert!
Hazelnut Nutella Energy Balls

Hazelnut Nutella Energy Balls

Hazelnuts pair so well with chocolate! These nutty energy balls provide a nice sweet crunchy to go snack for any time of day. Ingredients: 1 cup old fashioned oats ¼ cup roasted cashews 1/3 to ½ cup Nutella 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 2 tablespoons 

Slow Cooker Asian Chicken Drumsticks

Slow Cooker Asian Chicken Drumsticks

This was the first time I cooked drumsticks in a slow cooker and I will definitely be doing this again.  These drumsticks were so tender the meat literally fell right off the bone.  The sauce had a nice flavor and paired wonderfully with an Asian 

Curried Salmon with Mango Chutney

Curried Salmon with Mango Chutney

I love salmon, curry, and mangos.  Combined this made a simple and delicious meal with a flavorful and fruity topping. 

Recipe adapted from Food Network

Ingredients:

2 pound salmon filet

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small shallot thinly sliced

1 ½ teaspoons curry powder

¼ cup golden raisins

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

1 mango diced

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick spray.
  2. Paint the salmon with olive oil.  Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of curry powder over the salmon and gently rub it in.
  3. Spray a nonstick pan with olive oil spray.  Sauté the shallot and curry powder for 2-3 minutes over medium heat.
  4. Stir in the mango, raisins, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, and 1 cup water.
  5. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer stirring lightly mashing the mango chunks until curry thickens for 10-15 minutes.
  6. Bake the salmon for 30 minutes.  Top salmon with mango chutney.
  7. Note: I served this with melting sweet potatoes and blueberry maple roasted Brussels sprouts (see recipes in Sides/Salads). 
Blueberry Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Blueberry Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts taste wonderfully when paired with the sweetness of maple syrup and a blueberry infused balsamic vinegar.  These are easy to prepare and pair well with many main dishes. Ingredients: 12 ounces Brussels sprouts halved with stems removed 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil