Chinese Chicken and Broccoli

We love the idea and convenience of Chinese food take out, but not the way it makes us feel after eating it. This is a lightened up version of the classic Chinese food chicken and broccoli but lightened up. Most of the time there are chicken breasts and broccoli in our fridge and this dish comes together in less than 30 minutes, which let's be real is how long you can wait for take out, but you know exactly what you are eating. Serve it with your favorite rice (white, brown, cauliflower or fried rice) and you're good to go! I'm not gonna lie, I was extra lazy and made my rice AND broccoli in the microwave. I added the broccoli to the pan with the chicken and sauce once cooked to mix in the sauce. I found this recipe by Dward Cooks and it didn't disappoint, hope you enjoy it as much as my family has.

Chinese Chicken & Broccoli
Source: Dward Cooks
Serves: 6

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts thinly sliced
2/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup beef broth
1/4 cup corn starch
3/4 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp red pepper flakes (or less if don't like heat)
4 cups cooked broccoli

Instructions:
Mix the soy sauce, red pepper flakes, ginger and brown sugar in a bowl. 

In a separate bowl, combine broth and cornstarch until it is in a slurry (an even but slightly thick and pasty liquid). Combine both of these only after you’ve mixed the cornstarch into a slurry. The sauce should be a pale brown (don’t worry, it’ll get thick and dark).

Heat a wok, cast iron, or large nonstick pan. Spray the pan liberally, and cook the chicken on medium until chicken is fully cooked. The chicken will take a few minutes depending on thickness and cut style. I did these pretty thinly so they only took about 4-5 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the broccoli in the microwave.

Remove the chicken and onions from the pan, and pour in the sauce mixture.  Once the sauce mixture thickens, add the chicken and broccoli in.

Peanut Butter Rudolph Reindeer Cookies

Every year my friends and I have a holiday cookie exchange. Some years it is a competition, this year it wasn't but still kept up my game. We had a wonderful holiday brunch in our pjs and got to enjoy a variety of cookies with friends. My husband always loves to enjoy the different cookies that I don't normally make. This year I went for a cute/playful cookie, but still made sure it tasted as good as it looked. These are really easy to make and are a play on the traditional peanut butter blossom cookie.

Peanut Butter Rudolph Reindeer Cookies
Source: Tara tsp
Yields: 48 cookies

Ingredients:
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup peanut butter
⅓ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
48 large red M&M candies
96 mini semisweet chocolate chips
Pretzels, broken into 96 1-inch pieces

Directions:
Heat oven to 375ºF. Grease two baking sheets.

In a large mixer bowl beat together butter, peanut butter and sugars on medium speed until light, about 2 min. Add egg and extract; beat until combined. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt until a dough forms. Roll into 1-inch balls and place 1 inch apart on prepared sheets.

Bake, one sheet at a time, until just set and bottoms are golden, 8 to 10 min. For each cookie, immediately place 1 M&M in center for nose, 2 mini chocolate chips for eyes and 2 pretzel pieces on top for antlers. Transfer cookies on sheets to a wire rack and let cool completely. (Can be made ahead. Sore in an airtight container at room temperature, in single layers separated by waxed paper, up to 2 days.)

Flourless Black Bean Brownies

Happy Monday! I love love love brownies and I will be the first to admit that I was skeptical of a flourless brownie, especially one that has black beans inside but boy was I proven wrong. My husband said these were one of the best brownies I have ever made because they were so moist and fudgy...not too bad for brownies made with beans! I had my 3 year old helper in the kitchen, so this is a very kid friendly and novice chef recipe to make since everything gets put into the blender. It was a treat for her to have a brownie but one that we didn't feel too guilty about letting her eat since it is full of beans. These are a great option for anyone that is gluten free, or for those that celebrate Passover.

Flourless Black Bean Brownies
Yields: 16
Source: Skinnytaste

Ingredients:
1 (14 oz) canned low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
2 large eggs
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon oil
1 Tablespoon unsweetened almond milk (or dairy, skim)
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground coffee or instant coffee
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Grease a nonstick 9 x 9-inch square baking pan with baking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides.

Blend the black beans, eggs, cocoa powder, sugar, oil, almond milk, balsamic, baking soda, baking powder and coffee in the blender until smooth and pour into a bowl.

Fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chips until combined.

Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan.  Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips evenly over the top of the brownies.

Bake the brownies until a toothpick comes out clean, about 30 to 32 minutes. Allow the brownies to cool completely before slicing them into squares.

Maple Banana Muffins

We bought bananas at Costco last week and weren't able to use them all before they became over ripe. Instead of throwing them away I whipped up these easy muffins that were devoured by my girls. The original recipe called for crushed pecans on top, but my daughters go to a nut free camp, so I omitted them. The muffins came out nice and moist, but not too sweet. These are perfect for breakfast or snacks. I am gearing up to make another batch for camp this week! I like to make muffins instead of banana bread because it is easier to freeze and defrost a few muffins at a time instead cutting up an entire loaf.

Maple Banana Muffins
Source: Skinnytaste
Yields: 12

Ingredients:

3 medium very ripe bananas

1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup maple sugar (or brown sugar)

2 large egg whites

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

2 Tbsp unsweetened apple sauce

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a cupcake tin with liners.

Mash bananas in a bowl, set aside. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt with a wire whisk. Set aside.

In a large bowl cream butter and 1/4 cup maple sugar with an electric mixer. Add egg whites, mashed bananas, maple syrup, apple sauce and vanilla; beat at medium speed until mixed well, scraping down sides of the bowl.

Add flour mixture, then blend at a low speed until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin.

Bake the muffins on the center rack for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

These days, our version of entertaining is hosting a playdate, so I use it as an excuse to try a fun recipe. For summer I combined two favorites, cupcakes and ice cream cones! My 3 year old helped me make them and her friends couldn't get enough of them, faces covered in icing is definitely a good sign. These can be made festive with sprinkles in colors for holidays if you want and all different flavor cake and icing combinations. Impress your family and friends with these at your next BBQ!

To help the cupcakes stand up while baking I covered the cupcake tin with foil and cut Xs out over the muffin cup. Another tip is that when you remove the cooked cupcakes, poke a tiny hole in the bottom of the cone to allow the steam to escape and prevent the cones from getting soggy.

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes
Yields: 12-15

Ingredients:
1 box cake mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 Boxes ice cream cones
2 containers icing

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F

Prepare muffin pan with foil and fill with ice cream cones. Follow directions of cake mix to combine ingredients. Fill cones 3/4 of the way.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cooked all the way through. They will take longer than the box directions since cones are deeper than standard muffin.

Let cool then put icing in a piping bag and swirl to look like soft serve ice cream and decorate.

Roasted Cauliflower

I don't know about you, but we always struggle to eat vegetables and to get our children to eat vegetables. My old go to was the steamable bags of cauliflower and broccoli that were quick and easy, but honestly didn't have ANY flavor. Now I still will sometimes buy the pre-cut up bags if I am looking for a short cut from cutting up a head of cauliflower, but I no longer steam them. It is so easy to roast cauliflower and broccoli and gives them more texture and flavor. No one in my family, including my husband liked steamed cauliflower. However, we were at the local farmers market and my 3year old picked out a head of purple cauliflower because well it was purple. I cut it into florets, tossed it with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper and roasted and wouldn't you believe the entire family who swore they didn't like cauliflower devoured the entire thing! As I mentioned, this also works well with broccoli. On the rare chance there are any leftovers, my daughter will enjoy it cold for lunch the next day too. Hope you and your family enjoy this as much as mine does!

Roasted Cauliflower
Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into bite-size florets
olive oil
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Toss the cauliflower with the olive oil, and put on a baking sheet; sprinkle with the salt and pepper and toss again. Roast until golden and tender, about 20 minutes.
Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

Lemon Chicken And Spaghetti Squash

When looking on my Facebook feed, it mainly consists of food and children's blogs that I follow for ideas to inspire me in the two main aspects of my life these days. We are always trying to find new recipes and ways to encourage our toddlers to eat vegetables. This was a win for everyone in the family. The lemon sauce brightens and ties everything together and is a flavor that my husband and one daughter love.

Lemon Chicken And Spaghetti Squash
Adapted from Goodful
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
Olive oil
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
2 chicken breast, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
For the sauce:
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ lemon, juiced
1 cup chicken broth
8 ounces baby spinach

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375˚F
2. Poke several holes vertically into the spaghetti squash. Microwave on high for 5 minutes to soften and make it easier to cut the squash in half.
3. Cut squash in half along the holes. Remove seeds with a spoon. Drizzle squash with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
4. Place squash upside down on baking tray and bake for 40 minutes until soft. Let cool.
5. Using a skillet, cook the chicken breast on medium-high heat with a little olive oil for 6-8 minutes until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside.
6. Sauté onion for a few minutes. Add garlic and cook for a minute. Add tomatoes and cook for a couple minutes. Cook until onions are translucent.
7. Add lemon juice and chicken broth, and cook until the liquid partially reduces, about 20 minutes. Add chicken and cook for 2 minutes. Add spinach and cook for 2 minutes.
8. Using a fork, shred the inside of the squash.
9. Pour sauce over the squash. Serve immediately.

Baked Zucchini Fries

Zucchini is one of those vegetables I buy to throw on the grill with olive oil, salt and pepper but no one really loves it. When I saw this recipe I couldn't wait to try a new way to enjoy zucchini because honestly, who doesn't love fries? These were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and tasted so delicious we could eat an entire zucchini per person! They were so good I made them twice in one week and I am not normally a zucchini lover. It's also a great way to get little kids to eat some vegetables.

Baked Zucchini Fries
Source: Skinnytaste
Serves 4

Ingredients:
cooking spray
2 medium zucchinis, ends trimmed
2 large egg whites, beaten
3/4 tsp kosher salt
fresh black pepper, to taste
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 1/2 Tbsp all purpose flour
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix together Italian seasoning, flour and salt. Place bread crumbs in another small bowl.

Slice each zucchini in half lengthwise and then each half into 2 pieces widthwise. Next slice each zucchini chunk into 4 fries. Dredge a zucchini fry in flour mixture and then dip into egg whites; dredge in bread crumbs. Place coated zucchini on prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining ingredients; liberally coat with cooking spray. 

Roast, turning once, until desired crispness, about 12 minutes. Yields about 8 fries per serving.

Skinny Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Fall is here which means everything has pumpkin in it! We are having a "cold front" in Florida so what better time than now to jump on the pumpkin bandwagon. These mini muffins are the perfect snack and even my toddler loves to take them to school for snack. The pumpkin keeps them nice and moist inside. You can make these into regular sized muffins and you should get around 14 larger muffins. Hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

Skinny Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Source: Skinnytaste
Servings: 24 mini muffins

Ingredients:

1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 cup raw sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 tbsp virgin coconut oil (or canola)
2 large egg whites
2 tsp vanilla extract
baking spray
2/3 cup mini chocolate chips

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a mini muffin tin with paper liners and lightly spray liners with oil for easy removal.

In a medium bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking soda, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, and salt with a wire whisk. Set aside.

In a large bowl mix pumpkin puree, oil, egg whites and vanilla; beat at medium speed until thick. Scrape down sides of the bowl. Add flour mixture to the wet mixture, then blend at low speed until combined; do not over mix. Fold in chocolate chips.

Pour batter into prepared muffin tin and bake on the center rack for 22 to 24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let them cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Baked French Toast Muffins

Breakfast is still my favorite meal of the day, except dessert of course, so it's fun to try new recipes. We rarely have french toast at home, but whenever we go out for breakfast it's something I usually order. This weekend we had family over to celebrate my mother-in-law's special birthday and I wanted to make something a little bit different as a treat. These french toast muffins didn't disappoint.

As a host, it is always nice to have dishes that can be prepared the night before so there is one less thing to worry about the day of your event. I mixed up the bread and filled the muffin tins the night before so that all I had to do in the morning was make the stresuel topping and put them in the oven. The tops had a sweet crunch while the french toast stayed nice and moist. I substituted Almond milk for a dairy allergy and no one noticed. Plus, you can enjoy the flavors of french toast without standing over a griddle all morning!

Baked French Toast Muffins
Source: Two Peas & Their Pod
Yields: 12

Ingredients:
1 loaf French bread, cut or torn into 1/2 inch cubes (about 12 cups of bread)
2 1/2 cups milk
6 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Cinnamon Streusel Topping:
1/4 cup cold butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon.

2. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin. Add about 1 cup of bread cubes to each muffin cup. Carefully pour egg and milk mixture evenly over each muffin tin. You may need to press down on the bread cubes after you pour a little mixture and then pour more. Pour slowly or you will have a mess. Or you can combine everything in a large bowl and then fill the muffin cups. Cover the muffins with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to overnight.

3. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. To make the cinnamon streusel, in a small bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Mix together with your hands, until you have a crumbly mixture. Remove the muffins from the refrigerator and sprinkle the muffins evenly with the streusel topping.

4. Bake for 25 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Let muffins cool for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and serve with butter and maple syrup, if desired.

Rolo pretzel treats

Be forewarned that these are addicting since they are both salty and sweet and the perfect bite size to be popped in your mouth. They are simple to make and can be themed for any holiday based on the color m&m's you use. Perfect for your next get together.

Rolo Pretzel Treats
Yield: about 45 candies

Ingredients:
1 package (11 oz.) Rolo candy, unwrapped
small pretzels
M&M candies
 
Directions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Place pretzels in single layer on parchment lined cookie sheet. Place one Rolo on each pretzel.

Bake 3-5 minutes or until caramel begins to soften, but not melt. Remove cookie sheet from oven and immediately press an M&M into the top of the Rolo, pushing down so the Rolo fills the pretzel. Let cool completely.

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Muffins

One of the things I dreamt about was being able to cook with my child. Now that day is here and my daughter loves to "help" cook. She pulled up a chair and helped put the muffin liners in the tin and mix all of the dry ingredients into the bowl. As she anxiously watched them bake in the oven, it was all I could do to let them cool down before she had to taste her hard work. They are truly kid and mother tested and approved. These are full of oatmeal to keep you full and not too sweet. They are also perfect to be frozen and defrosted on busy mornings.

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Muffins
Source: Bella 
Servings: 12-14

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cup old-fashioned oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

¾ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Mix the first six ingredients together in a bowl. In another bowl (or stand mixer), beat the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Stir into the dry ingredients until moistened.

Grease muffin pan and fill each cup till its 2/3 full. Bake at 400° for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick or fork inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Zucchini Muffins

Baking has been on the back burner for me lately, so I was excited to have the time to try a new recipe today. Muffins are easier to make during a hectic day since they can all go in the oven in one batch instead of spending an afternoon taking trays of cookies in and out of the oven. I was inspired by the abundance of zucchini during the summer and always love to use ingredients that are in season. It also helped that we are hosting a play date and can try out this new recipe for snack since it is a sneaky way to get toddlers or picky eaters to eat their vegetables ;) Since I made these for toddlers I did not add walnuts or raisins, but feel free to add whatever you enjoy in yours. The result was a moist muffin with cinnamon, nutmeg and zucchini flavors perfect for the whole family to enjoy!

Zucchini Muffins
Source: Simply Recipes
Yields: 12-14 muffins

Ingredients:
3 cups grated fresh zucchini
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons baking soda
pinch of salt
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup walnuts, crushed (optional)
1 cup raisins (optional)

Directions:
* Grate the zucchini and then put in a strainer over a bowl to drain some of the water out so you don't have soggy muffins

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.

2. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, eggs and vanilla. Stir in the grated zucchini and then the melted butter.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Stir these dry ingredients into the zucchini mixture. If using, stir in walnuts and raisins.

4. Either coat each muffin cup with spray or muffin liners. Use a spoon or ice cream scoop to evenly distribute the dough among the cups, filling the cups up completely.

5. Bake on the middle rack about 25-30 minutes until the muffins are golden brown and the tops bounce back when you press on them. Test with a toothpick to make sure the center or the muffin is done. Set on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from the tin and let cool another 20 minutes.

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.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

For the past few years my friends and I have had a holiday cookie swap. It is so much fun to think of which cookie recipe you want to make. The best part is tasting everything and being able to take home a tin full of cookies that your friends baked. Each year it has evolved to include costume themes and has grown competitive for who will win the most votes for the best cookie. This year it was a holiday pj party, it's always nice to indulge while in comfy clothes. I decided to go with a traditional cookie since they always taste good, but I also didn't have time to try out a new recipe in case it was a bust. While these didn't win, I still enjoy peanut butter with chocolate any day!

Peanut Butter Blossoms
Yields: 48 cookies
Source: Hershey's Kitchen

Ingredients:
48 Hershey's kisses
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
additional granulated sugar

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.

2. Beat shortening and peanut butter in a large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

3. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around the edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Spinach Turkey Meatballs

Life with a toddler can be tricky at times, especially getting a balanced meal in when they are finding their voice and opinions. A great way to do this is by mixing vegetables into dishes they already love, and it doesn't hurt when we add more veggies for ourselves either. We tend to add leftover steamed broccoli to our scrambled eggs to get veggies into every meal. These meatballs are high in iron from the spinach and mix oatmeal in to substitute for breadcrumbs. And they have enough seasoning to provide flavor for adults to enjoy as well. You can either eat them plain or in your favorite sauce over pasta.

Spinach Turkey Meatballs
Yields ~24 meatballs

Ingredients:
1lb ground turkey
1/2 small onion finely chopped
1 package frozen chopped spinach
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 Tablespoon dried rosemary
1/2 Tablespoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1 egg
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup bread crumbs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 355 degrees.

Heat a Tablespoons or 2 of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until soft. Add spinach, reduce heat to medium and cook until thawed and most liquid has evaporated. Place the onion-spinach mixture in a colander and press with a spatula to remove remaining liquid.

In a large bowl, combine the spices, ground turkey, spinach mixture, oats, bread crumbs and egg. Mix well to combine. Using moistened hands, roll 2 Tablespoons into ball and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I used a small cookie scoop to make it easier and keep them uniform.

Bake at 355F for 20 minutes or so depending on how big the meatballs are. If you want to store them, let them cool and freeze in ziploc bags. At mealtime, grab a couple out of the freezer, and microwave to defrost. 

Crock Pot Bolognese

It is hard to find time to try new recipes these days. I finally tried out a new crockpot recipe that made enough to stock the freezer. While this goes against my usual crockpot recipes that just have you turn it on, dump everything in and come back to a finished dinner. I was able to save a few steps and buy pre chopped onions, but can also find pre chopped celery and carrots. You can adjust the flavor based on your preference but this is a great go to sauce that doesn't require you to stand over the stove all day to get flavor.

Crock Pot Bolognese
Serves:10
Adapted from: Skinnytaste

Ingredients:
1 large white onion
2 celery stalks, minced
2 carrots, minced
2lbs ground turkey or meat of choice
(2) 28oz cans crushed tomatoes
1 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp dried oregano
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf

Directions:
In a large deep sauté pan, add onions, celery, carrots and cook on medium low heat until soft, about 5 minutes.

Increase to medium-high; add meat, season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano. Saute until meat is browned. Drain the fat.

Add meat mixture to crockpot, then add tomatoes and bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Serve over pasta and can freeze leftover sauce.

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.