Sizzling Spicy Shrimp with Garlic

Shrimp is one of those items that we usually have on hand and is an easy go to healthy meal. This dish has a few ingredients that most people have in the house already and cooks up quickly for an easy weeknight meal that feels like you made something special. The shrimp have a bit of a kick with the crushed red pepper flakes and paprika. To mellow out the heat I served it over quick grits like they do in the south. 

Sizzling Spicy Shrimp with Garlic

Adapted from: Williams-Sonoma

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients:

4 Tbs. olive oil

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tsp. paprika

1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 to 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

1 to 2 Tbs. dry white wine or chicken broth

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

In a sauté pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and paprika and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Increase the heat to high, add the shrimp, lemon juice and dry white wine, stir well, and sauté until the shrimp turn pink and are opaque throughout, about 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper, sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

Cilantro Lime Baked Shrimp

Life with an infant is definitely busy, especially around dinner time. Any recipe that is quick, easy and can be thrown in the oven or doesn't require much hands on time is great. This is a play on the garlicky baked shrimp dish that we loved. It's also a nice go to since we tend to have a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer and doesn't require a trip to the store. Serve over rice with your favorite vegetable and enjoy!

Cilantro Lime Baked Shrimp

Yield: About 4 servings
Source: Gimme Some Oven

Ingredients

2 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cloves garlic, minced
zest and juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
(optional garnishes: additional lime slices and fresh cilantro)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. 

In a medium bowl, add shrimp, garlic, lime zest and juice, cumin, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper and toss to combine. Transfer the mixture to a greased 11x7-inch or 9x13-inch baking dish.

In a separate bowl, stir together the melted butter, Panko, and fresh cilantro until combined. Sprinkle the Panko mixture evenly on top of the shrimp. 

Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink and no longer opaque. Remove and garnish with extra lime wedges or cilantro if desired.

Sesame Ginger Salmon

It has been far too long since I posted anything, but that is kind of the way life is going at the moment with a newborn at home. I was lucky to have made and frozen some meals before she came, but have wanted some fresh fish recently. That being said, if I am lucky to get to the store and make something fresh for dinner we need a quick recipe and this certainly is that. The fish does marinade, but only for 30 minutes which was enough time to feed the baby in between making the marinade and then cooking dinner, yay multitasking! 

This dish is easy and full of Asian inspired flavors. My husband did comment a few times about how good the glaze is that goes on top and definitely adds the last bit of sweetness from the honey and tang from soy sauce.

Sesame Ginger Salmon
Serves 2-4
Source: How Sweet it is

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds raw salmon
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 Tablespoon soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1-2 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
4 green onions, sliced (optional)
Sesame Honey Glaze:
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour over salmon.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack over top. Spray the rack with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl or baking dish, combine olive oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, vinegar, brown sugar and whisk well until combined. Add salmon to the dish or place everything in a ziplock bag, then refrigerate and marinate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the broiler in your oven.

Remove salmon with kitchen tongs and place directly on the wire rack. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper, then place directly under the broiler. Cook for 10-12 minutes, depending on the salmon's thickness (our's was just about an inch thick), until opaque and easily flakable with a fork. You can flip the salmon halfway through cooking if desired.

Remove and serve immediately, with a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds, green onions and the glaze below.

Sesame ginger honey glaze:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour over salmon.

Lemon-Parsley Chicken with Herbed Couscous

I must admit that while we subscribe to a lot of magazines, lately they have ended up sitting in a pile for months. Yesterday I needed some inspiration for dinner and finally tackled part of the pile and pulled out this recipe from the September issue of Cooking Light. Grilling is year round in Florida so I was lucky that wouldn't be an issue, but I am sure you can always use a grill pan if necessary. The parsley and lemon combination gave the chicken and couscous a light and refreshing flavor. 

Lemon-Parsley Chicken with Herbed Couscous
Source: Cooking Light Magazine - September 2013
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
¼ cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
4 (6oz)skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1 cup couscous
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 Tablespoon melted butter
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Preheat grill to high heat

Combine minced parsley, lemon zest, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle chicken with mixture and let stand for 10 minutes. 

Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray and grill for 3 minute each side, or until chicken is done.

Meanwhile, bring 1 ¼ cups water to a boil in small saucepan. Stir in 1 cup uncooked couscous; cover. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Stir in parsley, butter, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Slow Cooker Quinoa Chili

This is one of the easiest meals to make and no one will ever know! Anyone with a slow cooker knows that the greatest part is how you can throw everything in then go about your day and dinner will be ready when you get home. Dishes like this are even easier because they use a lot of dried goods so you don't have to go to the store. The only downfall when using canned vegetables is that they can be high in sodium, so I used all low sodium versions to cut back and be sure to wash them to rinse off some of the sodium as well. Be sure to compare even those because each brands idea of low sodium is different and in many cases the store brand is the best. This chili is packed full of protein from all of the beans and quinoa. If you are a football fan, this would be great for game day, especially as we get into September and maybe some cooler weather in parts of the country.

Slow Cooker Quinoa Chili
Source: Six Sisters Stuff
Serves: 8

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 (28 oz) can reduced sodium diced tomatoes (undrained)
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies (undrained)
2 (16 oz) cans reduced sodium black bean, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can of corn, drained

1 (15 oz) can of reduced sodium kidney beans

2 cups reduced sodium chicken or vegetable stock
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 minced onion
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp chili powder

Directions:

Place everything in a 6 quart slow cooker and cook for 5-7 hours on low. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Spicy Shrimp with Garlic and Parsley

The name of this dish does not lie, this shrimp dish definitely has a kick. We had ours over a bed of white rice to soak up some of the spicy sauce and it was delicious. It can also be served over pasta, just add another tablespoon of olive oil and be sure to use the 2 tablespoons each of lemon juice and wine to create a thinner sauce. 

Since shrimp cook in under 5 minutes this is an extremely quick meal that is perfect for a busy night and you won't feel like you skimped on anything. And shrimp are something that are not too expensive in the frozen section so we usually have a bag on hand in the freezer meaning you don't even have to go to the grocery store to make this!

Spicy Shrimp with Garlic and Parsley
Serves: 2

Ingredients:
3 Tbs. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. sweet paprika
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 to 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 to 2 Tbs. dry white wine
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Place olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat and warm.
Add garlic, pepper flakes and paprika.
Saute for 1 minute until fragrant.
Increase heat to high, add the shrimp, lemon juice and dry white wine, stir well, and sauté until the shrimp turn pink and are opaque throughout, about 3-5 minutes.
Season with salt and black pepper, sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

Peppered Pork Loin

Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a great weekend! We enjoyed our weekend and I was glad to be back cooking. As many people know, I am a fan of the Food Network, but now also their show The Next Food Network Star. The season finale was on last night, so it was only appropriate to make a dish featured by my favorite on the show, and the winner! While I didn't make the sweet potato biscuits or apple butter the peppered pork loin was packed full of flavor. The chili and black peppers definitely give this a kick, and the molasses provided a hint of sweetness. However, if you aren't a fan of spice dial down the amount of pepper. Instead of making the sweet potato biscuits, we had a baked sweet potato and got a lot of the sweetness from there. Hopefully her new show on the Food Network will have many more delicious recipes to try.

Peppered Pork Loin
Source: Damaris Phillips for Food Network
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons sorghum or molasses
1 Tablespoon salt
2 Tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
4-pound pork loin

Directions:

In a small bowl, stir together the sorghum, salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper and oil. Trim the pork loin of any excess fat, and transfer to a shallow roasting pan (or my favorite, a cast-iron skillet). Rub the pork loin with sorghum and spice mixture, coating evenly. Roast at 350F until the internal temperature is 150 degrees F, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes.

Spinach, Broccoli & Feta Crustless Quiche

It seems that lately I am struggling to get all of my veggies in for the day. An easy way I have found to help with that is by making a crustless quiche for dinner. They are pretty healthy, full of protein from the eggs and packed with veggies. This particular one I used up some frozen spinach and broccoli in the freezer, but the original called for mushrooms. You can use whatever you have on hand or your favorite vegetables, the base will remain the same. The best part is that this can be made for basically any meal. Even if you have it for dinner like us, leftovers can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner the next day!

Spinach, Broccoli & Feta Crustless Quiche
Adapted from: Tasty Kitchen
Serves: 6

Ingredients:10 ounces, weight Frozen Spinach (defrosted and drained)
10 ounces, weight Frozen chopped broccoli (defrosted and drained)
2 ounces, weight Feta Cheese, Crumbled
6  Eggs
8 ounces, fluid skim Milk
⅛ cups Parmesan Cheese, Freshly Grated
⅛ cups Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded
Salt And Pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350F. If your frozen spinach and broccoli are not already thawed, thaw it in the microwave according to package instructions. Empty the box into a colander and let it drain while you begin to prepare the rest.

Spray a pie dish with non-stick spray. Squeeze the rest of the water out of the spinach and spread it out on the bottom of the pie dish. Next add the broccoli and crumbled feta.

In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs until fairly smooth. Add the milk, Parmesan and another small sprinkle of pepper. Whisk to combine. Pour this mixture into the pie dish over the spinach, broccoli and feta.


Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese over the top. Place the pie dish on a baking sheet for easy transfer into the oven. Place the quiche into the preheated oven and bake until it is golden brown on top and the center is solid. Every oven is different but this should take between 45 minutes and an hour. Slice and serve!

BBQ Baby Back Ribs

Summer weekends mean grilling pretty much wherever you live. It is always fun to have family and friends over and try out new rubs, sauces, marinades, etc. Normally, when we make ribs they are baked low and slow in the oven to ensure their tenderness. We really enjoyed this recipe because they start off in the oven to cook and become tender, then are finished on the grill to get a little crisp on the outside and infuse the ribs with the grill flavor. It also combined a dry spice rub that goes on in the oven with a homemade vinegar BBQ sauce at the end keeping them moist. The recipe for BBQ sauce is super simple, but does make a ton, so either cut it in half or you will have extra to put on top or use another time. Needless to say these were packed with flavor and fell off the bone. 

BBQ Baby Back Ribs
Source: Jamie Deen
Serves: 4

Rub Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon dry mustard
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 racks baby back pork ribs (4 pounds)
Jamie's BBQ Sauce, recipe follows

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix together the brown sugar, mustard, paprika, smoked paprika, black pepper and garlic salt together in a small bowl. Be sure to break up any lumps with your fingers. Reserve 1 tablespoon of rub in a small bowl for serving.

Remove the silver skin from the underside of the ribs by sliding your fingers under the thin membrane and pulling it off. Repeat with the second rack. Rub the ribs with the seasoning on both sides. Place in a single layer in a large roasting pan and cover tightly with heavy-duty foil. Place the roasting pan into the oven and bake until the ribs are tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes.

Preheat the grill to medium heat.

Grill the ribs on each side for 15 minutes, watching and flipping when necessary, for 30 minutes total. Baste with Jamie's BBQ Sauce the last 10 minutes. (The sauce goes on at the end because it is sugar based and you don't want to burn your ribs.)

Let the racks rest 5 minutes before slicing into individual ribs. Sprinkle the cut ribs with the reserved dry rub and serve along with extra sauce.

Jamie's BBQ Sauce Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon canola oil

2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion

2 cups apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 cups ketchup

3/4 cup light brown sugar

3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and stir until softened. Add the vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, cayenne pepper and some salt and black pepper to the saucepan and simmer on medium-low heat until thickened, about 35 minutes. Yield: About 4 cups.

Fish Piccata

I was finally back in the kitchen after traveling and was inspired by all of the sole dishes we saw on our trip to Paris. Growing up my mom made a sole with lemon and capers that this reminds me of. The store was out of sole, so I used Tilapia as a substitution. Use whatever is fresh or least expensive. This feels like a lighter meal with the thin white fish and refreshing, always popular lemon flavor.

Fish Piccata

Adapted from: Food Network

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

3-4 small white fish fillets (such as tilapia or sole), about 1 pound total
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
2 lemons, juiced
2 Tablespoons capers
2 1/2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Thinly slice 1/2 of a lemon and reserve.

Combine flour and paprika on a small plate. Pat the fish dry and season with salt and pepper. Dredge in the flour, shaking off any excess.

Melt 1 1/2 Tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the fish in the butter until just cooked through and light brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the fish from pan and transfer to plat.

Add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of butter to pan and stir until light brown and fragrant, scraping brown bits, about 1-2 minutes. Add lemon juice and capers and stir. Pour onto the fish and garnish with the chopped parsley and lemon slices. 

Authentic Homemade Italian Dinner

Jason's grandmother immigrated to this country from Italy. Growing up he was lucky enough to enjoy her authentic cooking. Unfortunately, I never had that luxury, but his aunts/cousins all learned from her in the kitchen. The last time his aunt was visiting I asked if she would come show me the family secrets. Not only was it fun to have his aunt and mother come over and cook in the kitchen, but created a fantastic Italian and family meal. Unfortunately, we were too busy chatting to take photos of the actual process and food, but there are some action shots.

First we started with the sauce, which was the base we cooked the meatballs in and used in the lasagna. As with most family recipes the seasoning was a little of this and a little of that, until it looks/tastes right.

Sauce:
(2) 28oz cans crushed tomatoes
12oz can tomato paste
basil
oregano
garlic powder
salt & pepper

Directions:
Pour the crushed tomatoes into a food mill and rinse with 1/2 can of water each over a pot. Mix through the mill and then discard the pulp that is left over. Add the paste into the pot and seasoning. Simmer over medium-low heat. If it seems too thick, add a little bit more water.

Meatballs:
Ingredients:
1.5 lbs ground beef
1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese
1 tsp Parsley
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
2 eggs

Directions:
Pour all ingredients into a big bowl and mix together with your hands. Roll into walnut sized balls. 

Heat a skillet over medium high heat and brown the meatballs on all sides to get a crust. Then put the meatballs into the red sauce to continue cooking and absorb the flavors.

Serve with the sauce over your favorite pasta.

Grilled Pesto Shrimp

We pretty much always have a bag of frozen shrimp in our freezer and therefore are always trying new shrimp dishes. Normally fresh basil and the grill are reserved for the summer, but not in Florida! It was a great way to kick off our year with a healthy, fresh and quick dinner and allows us to use some of the ever growing basil in our yard. Try this at your next BBQ and it is guaranteed to be a hit. Normally, basil can be heavy on the garlic, but not this one, the shrimp have a fresh flavor from the basil. You can also serve it as a healthy appetizer for the Superbowl!

Grilled Pesto Shrimp
Serves 6
Source: Skinnytaste

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lbs jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
wooden skewers, soaked in water

Directions:
In a food processor pulse basil, garlic, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil while pulsing.

Combine raw shrimp with pesto and marinate a few hours in a bowl, covered in the fridge. Soak wooden skewers in water at least 20 minutes (or use metal ones to avoid this step. Thread shrimp onto skewers.

Heat grill or grill pan over medium-low heat until hot. Be sure grates are clean and spray lightly with oil. Place shrimp on the hot grill and cook until shrimp turns pink on the bottom, about 3-4 minutes; turn and continue cooking until shrimp are opaque and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes.

Winter Minestrone Soup

Whenever the weather is cold and dreary it seems to make me want a warm bowl of soup. Living in Florida, this doesn't happen often, but even if it is just gray outside making soup reminds me of being back home up north. This is a relatively easy recipe and makes a TON! I loved the tiny pasta, beans and spinach making it a filling meal. The original recipe called for pancetta, which I didn't use, and can be made entirely vegetarian by using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. We ate it for a few meals and still had enough to put small portions in the freezer for last minute meals.

Winter Minestrone Soup

Serves 6-8

Source: Ina Garten's Foolproof Recipes You Can Trust

Ingredients:

Olive Oil

4 oz pancetta, 1/2 inchdiced (I didn't use)

1½ cups chopped yellow onions

2 cups (½-inch) diced carrots (3 carrots)

2 cups (½-inch) diced celery (3 stalks)

2½ cups (½-inch) diced peeled butternut squash

1½ Tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

26 ounces canned or boxed chopped tomatoes

6 to 8 cups chicken stock

1 bay leaf

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups cooked small pasta, such as tubetti (see note)

8 to 10 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves

½ cup good dry white wine

Directions:

Heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add the pancetta and cook over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add the onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic, and thyme and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.

Add the tomatoes, 6 cups of the chicken stock, the bay leaf, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 ½ teaspoons pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

Discard the bay leaf. Add the beans and cooked pasta and heat through. The soup should be quite thick but if it’s too thick, add more chicken stock. Just before serving, reheat the soup, add the spinach, and toss with 2 big spoons (like tossing a salad). Cook just until the leaves are wilted. Depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock, add another teaspoon or two of salt to taste.

Serve large shallow bowls of soup with a bruschetta on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, drizzle with olive oil, and serve hot.

NOTE: To cook the pasta, put 1 cup of pasta into a large pot of boiling salted water. Cook according to the directions on the package, drain, and set aside. You can make this soup ahead and reheat it before serving. It will need to be re-seasoned.

Garlicky Baked Shrimp

Happy Friday! You made it through the week and now can celebrate with a super easy and fast meal! As you may know by now, we usually have a bag of shrimp in the freezer for quick meals. It is a lean protein, low in calories and cooks extremely quickly. Not to mention we actually had all of the other ingredients in the house already, so this can be a great go-to dish. This recipe is full of flavor and I love the crunch from the crispy panko bread crumbs. Panko is an Asian style bread crumb that is a bit lighter and healthier, but if you don't have them you can always use regular bread crumbs. To make this a complete meal you can put it over some rice or pasta with veggies.

Garlicky Baked Shrimp

Serves 4

Source: Real Simple
Ingredients:
1lb raw shrimp, deveined and peeled
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. white wine
salt and pepper
4 Tbsp. melted butter
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp fresh Italian-leaf parsley, chopped
half of a lemon (optional)

Method:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a bowl, combine the shrimp, garlic and white wine. Stir to combine, then pour into a baking dish. Spread out evenly, then season with salt and pepper.

In another bowl, use a fork to mix melted butter, Panko and parsley until well combined. With your fingers, sprinkle mixture evenly in the baking dish over the shrimp.

Transfer dish to the oven and bake until the shrimp are pink and opaque, about 15-18 minutes.

Nutritional Information:Per Serving

• Calories 242Calories From Fat 119

• Fat 13g
• Sat Fat 8g
• Cholesterol 202mg
• Sodium 495mg
• Protein 24g
• Carbohydrate 5g
• Sugar 0g
• Fiber 0g
• Iron 3mg
• Calcium 71mg

Sweet and Savory Maple Pork Roast

Perfect weeknight or weekend pork roast, with only 40 minutes from preparation to eating! As you can tell, we eat a lot of pork in our house because it can be easy to prepare and is a lean/healthy meat. Like many busy people or others that hate to clean, I love it when I can prepare a meal that includes my vegetables/starch in the same dish or pan like this one. It also helps with timing, I rarely can time my protein and sides to all be done at the time and this does it all at once! Usually, pork is paired with apples in some form and I am a big fan of warm apples. The sweetness of the apples paired with the acid from the vinegar and mustard sauce are a perfect balance. Hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

Maple Pork Roast
Serves: 4
Source: Self Magazine

Ingredients:
1.5 lb pork tenderloin
3 tsp canola oil, divided
2 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme, divided
3/4 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp freshly ground back pepper, divided
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 tsp whole-grain mustard
2 sweet potatoes (~1lb), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
1 large Fuji or similar apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1 inch wedges

Directions:
Position oven racks on upper and lower shelves; preheat oven to 450F.

Coat pork with 1 tsp oil; sprinkle with 1 Tbsp thy, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Coat a rimmed sheet pan with cooking spray. Place pork in the center of the pan; roast on upper rack until browned, about 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine maple syrup, vinegar and mustard. In a larger bowl, toss potatoes a apples with remaining 1 Tbsp thyme, 2 tsp oil, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. 

After the 10 minutes, spread potato and apple mixture in a single layer around the pork on the pan. Coat the pork with half of the syrup mixture; place pan on lower oven rack; roast until pork's internal temperature is 145 degrees, 10-15 minutes. Transfer pork to a plate and cover loosely with foil; let rest 1 minutes. Turn sweet potatoes and apples and return to oven until tender 8-10 minutes.

Spoon remaining syrup mixture over pork; slice and serve with sweet potatoes and apples!

Turkey and Spinach Lasagna

Lasagna is a great way to feed a crowd with not a ton of work, or if you want to have a lot of leftovers. If you are having a group over for the holidays or New Year’s Eve, this is a healthier spin on lasagna that tastes just as great. Jason’s family is Italian so for Christmas there is always a lasagna in addition to the main meal. This year it was just us, so we made this lasagna together to try and incorporate some tradition on the day, but would be good any day! The original recipe called for beef, but we used ground turkey to cut down on the fat and didn't miss the beef. By adding spinach to the lasagna it is a great way to get in some vegetables, especially with kids. The recipe made a ton, so our freezer is full of 2 piece portions to defrost for quick weeknight meals.

Turkey and Spinach Lasagna

Serves: 12

Source:  Taste of Home

Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey

1 medium onion, chopped

2 jars (24 ounces each) spaghetti sauce

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

2 cups part skim ricotta cheese

1 egg

2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

9 no-cook lasagna noodles

Directions:

In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, garlic, basil and oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, ricotta and egg.

Spread 1-1/2 cups meat sauce into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Top with three noodles. Spread 1-1/2 cups sauce to edges of noodles. Top with half of the spinach mixture and sprinkle with mozzarella. Repeat layers. Top with the remaining noodles, sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Cover and bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.