Stuffed Peppers

Ever had one of those meals that you never liked as a kid, but now as an adult you love? Funny how our tastes change over time isn't it? Stuffed peppers was one of those that I never liked- honestly can't say I ever had it as a child, but never chose it given the opportunity because it was one of those weird "grown up foods"... in that same category as brussels sprouts (another favorite of mine!)

Any who, This whole idea of back to the basics came from my husband actually. I had a rough week in the kitchen and nothing I cooked seemed to turn out right. I was wasting time trying to be creative and different and in the end I was failing.... Any one else experienced this???  (it's ok to raise your hand, no one's looking!)

He said to me, why don't you just get back to the basics. Ya know, the simple things you used to cook? They were always so good and you didn't mess them up. I appreciate you trying new things, but I really don't care about spaghetti squash....

Then it hit me- he's right. I've been going out of my way to try all these elaborate things, when really the best and most reliable are the simple basic meals.

So here we go!!!

Stuffed peppers

ingredients:
1 lb ground beef (or can be ground turkey)
1 cup quinoa
1/2 cup salsa (or 10 oz diced tomatoes)
1/2 can mixed vegetables
4 medium to large bell peppers (seeded and halved)
1 1/2 cups chicken broth

**Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

1. Combine 1 cup quinoa with 1 1/2 cups chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook covered for 10-12 minutes.
2. When oven reaches temperature, place peppers on baking sheet (I used a deep pan with sides), spritz/drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt or salt and pepper- your choice.

3. Cook peppers from 7-10 minutes or until they start to soften.
4. While quinoa and peppers are cooking, begin browning the beef in a large skillet.
5. When beef is done, drain and return to skillet. Mix in the vegetables and salsa, stirring until combined and warm. Transfer beef mixture to medium sized bowl. Also make sure to watch peppers and bring them out of the oven.
6. When quinoa is done, add to beef mixture and mix until evenly combined.

7. Fill pepper halves with beef filling. (You may have some left over- I did)

8. Return Peppers to oven for 10 more minutes.

9. Top with cheese if you like and enjoy!!!

Chicken Fried Rice... or is it?

Today was a long day and a Monday.... so enough said on that... :)

Anyways, I was on the hunt for something quick and easy. I was also looking for something low carb. I'm not normally one to preach low carbs, but I'm on the LAST WEEK of 80 DAY OBSESSION, which is peak week. has a special, yet optional, meal plan to help you really finish out strong and have awesome "After" pics. So I thought, what the heck, I've made it through this entire 80 day program, lets finish it with a bang. All that to say, this special plan doesn't allow for many carbs, and I had my carbs with breakfast. (oatmeal cookie shakeology!) So proteins and veggies for dinner...

Ok have I puzzled you enough? "but you said chicken fried RICE", "there's a picture of chicken fried RICE..." Yes, its chicken fried rice.... CAULIFLOWER RICE!

Now before you turn your nose up, its actually really good! I'm not going to sit here and tell you it tastes exactly like rice and you can't tell the difference, but it has a very similar texture and an equally delicious taste you won't mind eating it instead of rice!

Now before you go thinking I'm all "extra" by making my own cauliflower rice, that didn't happen tonight. You bet I cheated, and this stuff is awesome! It's by Bird's Eye and can be found in the  freezer section of the grocery store.  Cook as directed and set aside.

Ok, up next, the chicken.... you all remember the shake and bake chicken from last night??? Well guess who made an encore appearance, just in a different outfit? Yep, you betcha! I cut it into small pieces and it got thrown in the mix! If you don't have leftover chicken, that's ok. You can grill, bake, or pan saute some and chop it up. Rotisserie chicken works well in this too, or those Tyson Ready strips work!  Be creative!!!

To actually make the "chicken fried rice" the only other ingredients you will need is about a 1/2 tbsp-1 tbsp butter 2 eggs and a drizzle of soy sauce. 

1. Melt the butter in the pan.

2. Add chicken to warm (since it was cold from the fridge)

3. Once chicken is warm, Add in the cauliflower rice and stir together. 

4. Make a small circle/ open space in the middle and crack both eggs. 

5. Let the eggs cook for a minute and then I scramble them into the rice and chicken. I continue to mix and flip and scramble the eggs, rice and chicken together until you can see the eggs just barely browning. 

6. As you're mixing in the egg, drizzle just a little bit of soy sauce over the top for that asian restaurant taste! 

- Now if you don't like this method, you can always scramble the eggs and cook them first, and then chop them up and stir them in just like you did the chicken. It works both ways! 

And there you have it! Chicken fried cauliflower rice!!! Enjoy!

As Always please feel free to leave comments, questions, or pictures of your own creations below!

If you like this and want more Fitness, Health and Nutrition, please visit my full Website!

www.kcclassiclifestyle.com

Homemade Shake and Bake chicken with Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Sunday. Sundays are one of my favorite days of the week. For me it's my rest day. We normally don't plan much on Sundays except for church in the morning, so the rest of the day can be used for whatever gets thrown our way! Today it was a toddler who refused to nap, so as you can imagine the laundry, yardwork, book reading, meal prep, (pick your poison) was put on hold to play with and entertain the tiny human :) 

So come dinner time I was thinking of something easy, yet healthy to whip up for dinner. I had some chicken breasts in the fridge, and the breadcrumbs were on my mind from the chicken meatballs, and viola, homemade shake and bake!

(enter Talladega nights jokes/ quotes here)

I like this recipe because it gives the chicken a great flavor and keeps it from drying out without being too heavy or breaded. 

So here we go! 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

- 3 Large Chicken breasts (if thick you may want to butterfly them- Chicken tenderloins will work too)

- Gallon zipper bag

For the Coating:

- 2 cups breadcrumbs

- 2 tsp salt

- 2 tsp onion powder

- 2 tsp paprika

- 2 tsp sugar

- 1 tsp garlic powder

- 1 tsp ground pepper

- 1/2 tsp parsley

- 1/2 tsp oregano

- 1/2 tsp basil

- 3 tbsp vegetable oil

Mix all the dry ingredients together first then add the 3 tbsp of vegetable oil. Whisk in oil until blended and there are no clumps in the coating. 

1. Grease/coat a 9x13 glass baking dish.

2. Put about 1 cup of coating into gallon zipper bag and place one piece of chicken in bag at a time. Close bag and shake well until chicken is completely coated. 

3. Place coated piece into glass dish and continue with other pieces until all are coated. 

4. Bake in oven for approximately 20 minutes or until an internal temperature of 165 degrees is reached. 

***While the chicken is cooking***

- 1 bag of brussels sprouts

- drizzle of olive oil (to lightly coat)

- 1/2 tsp garlic salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 (can be cooked at the same time as the chicken or if you have two ovens seperately)

2. Cut the ends off the brussels sprouts and cut in half lenthwise.

3. Toss in a bowl with olive oil until very lightly coated. 

4. Sprinkle garlic salt over while tossing. 

5. Roast in oven for 15 minutes or until they start turning turning brown. 

Plate and enjoy! If you're not a Brussels Sprouts fan you can always trade out your favorite vegetable: broccoli, asparagus. Or go super easy and make a side salad!

As always feel free to leave a comment, ask questions, or leave pictures from your own creations!

Thanks for stopping by! For more health and fitness information please visit

www.kcclassiclifestyle.com

Zucchini Noodles and Chicken Meatballs

It's the WEEKEND!!!! And today was busy! I didn't post yesterday because we went out to eat and therefore, obviously didn't cook! But I'm back at it today. This meal was incredibly easy and budget friendly! I think total it cost about $8 and some change!

I'm always looking for healthy versions of my favorite dishes, and one of those is spaghetti and meatballs! This is a delicious and much healthier version! So I won't ramble further... here's my version of Zucchini Spaghetti and Chicken Meatballs! 

*** Preheat oven to 350 degrees***

Ingredients for Meatballs:

- 1 lb ground chicken

- 2 eggs

- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs

- 1/2 tsp garlic salt

-  pepper to taste

1. Mix all of the above ingredients together. Feel free to add any other spices/flavorings you desire!

2. Lightly grease or spray a mini muffin pan 

3. Roll meat mixture into balls slightly larger than 1 inch in diameter. They should fit perfectly into the mini muffin sections, but not stuffed.

4. Cook at 350 degrees for approximately 15 minutes or until internal temperature of at least 170 degrees is reached. 

*** While the meatballs are baking.... ***

When making Zucchini noodles you will need 1-1.5 large zucchini per person. I don't have a fancy spiralizer or anything, I simply use a julienne peeler and peel down the zucchini until you can't peel anymore. ( I know that sounds weird, but you'll see what I mean. When you get closer to the middle of the zucchini, it will break and the core won't peel as well). I normally cut up the unused part and saute it for later. 

1. Make Zucchini Noodles

2. Heat drizzle of olive oil in saute pan/ skillet

3. Saute zucchini noodles until soft, turning often and adding your favorite seasonings. I used Cavender's greek seasoning tonight, but I often use garlic salt and pepper too! 

When the meatballs are done baking, remove from pan(s) so they don't continue cooking. 

Plate with zoodles first and place chicken meatballs on top. As pictured above you can eat with or without spaghetti sauce! I has some leftover from the Portobella Mushroom Pizzas so I went ahead with it! 

Enjoy! As always, please leave questions, comments, or pics of how yours turned out!

For more things Nutrition and Fitness, please visit: www.kcclassiclifestyle.com

Portabella Mushroom Pizza

It's Thursday!!!! Only one more day left in the typical work week!!!! Who's ready for FRIDAY????
This girl is that's for sure!

So this recipe was an impulse buy from ALDI yesterday. I was walking through the produce section trying to figure out some new and different ways to incorporate more vegetables into my meals. Then I saw the two packs of beautiful portabella mushroom caps.... hum, What creative dish can I come up with and use these???

So like any perplexed person, I consulted the all knowing GOOGLE. There were several recipes, but one caught my eye.... PIZZA!

Oh Pizza. The thing we all love, but we know isn't on the top of the healthy food list. So I thought, here goes nothing!

Portabella Mushroom pizza:

Ingredients:  (I didn't put amounts because it really would depend on the size of your mushroom cap and how many you are making, but I'm quite confident that you are all intelligent people and can figure out the proper amounts :) ) 
- Portabella mushroom cap (s)
- Pizza/ Spaghetti sauce
- Minced garlic
- Italian or pasta seasoning (basil, oregano, thyme and garlic salt mixture or something similar)
- Olive Oil
- Pepperoni (or other pizza toppings)
- Cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven on broil to 500
2. Mix olive oil ( I used about 2-3 tbsp for one), minced garlic, and italian seasoning together in a small bowl.
*** Now, unless you just like the earthy taste of raw mushroom, I highly suggest the next two steps**
3. Heat a small drizzle of olive oil in a pan.
4. Brush mushroom cap(s) with the olive oil mixture, then sautee in heated pan. about 2 minutes per side so that the mushroom is cooked through. Be careful, as this step will make the mushroom more delicate.
5. Place the mushroom top down onto an olive oil coated baking sheet.
6. spoon about 2 tbsp into each mushroom cap- more or less to taste
7. Sprinkle cheese onto each mushroom cap- approximately 1/4 cup per top- give or take depending on your desire of cheesiness.
8. add remaining toppings. In my case, the pepperonis. I cut mine into 4ths so they fit better.
9. Place mushroom cap(s) in preheated oven for about 7 minutes. PLEASE be sure to watch! Every oven broils differently and so you don't want your mushrooms to burn!

Enjoy!

As always, please feel free to leave comments and questions!

Also if you like these recipes, please visit my Fitness and Nutrition website for more!
www.kcclassiclifestyle.com

Oven baked salmon and asparagus

Happy Wednesday! We've made it half way through the week! Go Us!!!

I love salmon! It's delicious, it's healthy, and it's easy to cook!!! Plus, Fresh Market had it on sale this week, so that helps! (I'm always looking for a good deal!)

This is such a simple meal, yet it looks impressive and is amazingly healthy for you too.

For the salmon:
Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees
1. (If not already cut) Cut into 2.5-3 in pieces
2. Lightly rub with olive oil
3. Lightly season with favorite spice blends. Tonight I used Penzeys spices: Northwoods and Fox Point. If you're not familiar with Penzey's click here.

Place fish skin side down on foil lined baking sheet. Set aside and prepare asparagus.

For the Asparagus:
- I have a small counter top oven and a full size wall oven, so I was able to cook at different temperatures. If you have the availability, pre-heat second oven to 400 degrees. If not, you will place the salmon on lower rack, and after 5 minutes you will place the asparagus on the top rack.
1. Snap (don't cut) the bottom 1/2 inch off each asparagus spring. It will have a natural breaking point.
2. Drizzle/rub the sprigs with olive oil and season with your favorite seasonings. Tonight I used garlic salt and the above mentioned Northwoods from Penzeys.
3. As noted above, if you have 2 ovens place in pre heated 400 degree oven for approximately 12-15 minutes. I always check at 10 minutes and go from there. Sprigs will be sizzling, but not crispy.

After asparagus is prepped, if you have two ovens, place the salmon in at 450, and the asparagus in at 400. Cooking will take 12-15 minutes, or until salmon has an internal temperature of 125. The internal temp is important as salmon is easy to over/undercook. I highly suggest investing in a nice meat/food thermometer. We have a thermo-pen, which is AMAZING!!! If using only one oven, place the salmon on a lower rack and after 5 minutes place the asparagus on the top rack. Watch carefully as the asparagus may cook faster with the high temperature.

Plate and enjoy!!!!

As always let me know what you think and feel free to post comments, questions, and photos!

Thanks for stopping by!

Like this? Check out all my other health and fitness information and programs

www.kcclassiclifestyle.com

Healthy doesn't have to be hard!

Happy Tuesday everyone


I hope everyone has had a great day! Today was super busy and I honestly haven't had much time to meal prep or make a big shopping trip, but that doesn't mean I can't whip something healthy up for my family. I just have to be creative with what I have on hand! So here is today's super simple recipe!

Sausage, zucchini, and noodle bowl! Yep that easy!

I had to go to Birmingham this afternoon- which if you're unfamiliar with the geography of my area, its about 45 minutes away if there's no traffic! Anyways, that didn't leave me much time to plan or go shopping this evening. So I get home and open the fridge and start thinking about what's in there and what I can possibly throw together....

I had some chicken and quinoa left over from last night (see recipe from yesterday), a large batch of bow tie pasta I had made for my daughter's lunches this week, some chicken sausages, grapes, blueberries, hard boiled eggs, string cheese, half and onion, and some zucchini. Random right?!?

Then it hit me! I'll take the chicken sausage and zucchini and chop them up and sautee with some onion! Then I'll toss it with the pasta and sprinkle some light seasoning on it and viola! A healthy, delicious, quick dinner from stuff I already had at the house!

Ingredients:
2 aidelles Chicken and Apple sausages cut into cubes
2 medium to large zucchini cut in to cubes
1/2 onion diced
1/3 box of bow tie pasta, cooked (more or less for your preference)
drizzle of olive oil to cook zucchini and sausage
favorite seasonings!

1. cut sausage and zucchini into cubes/bite sized pieces
2. warm olive oil in sautee pan and add sausage, zucchini, and onion
3. let cook until sausage is done and zucchini and onion are soft.
4. add pasta and toss together until mixed well.
5. add seasonings and stir until pasta is warm and seasoning is mixed in.

Enjoy!!!!

Healthy Orange Ground Chicken

Everyone loves Chinese food, I know I do! But oh the calories and sodium! Leaves me feeling stuffed and bloated! Well, i believe I've found a pretty awesome alternative! May I present to you ground orange chicken! 

Note: go ahead and start cooking your choice of rice or quinoa. It will take longer than the chicken does! 

Ingredients:

1 lb ground chicken

1 tsp minced ginger (or more if you like the flavor)

2 tsp minced garlic (or more for flavor)

1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes (optional)

For sauce: 

2 tbsp rice wine or rice vinegar

4 tbsp water

1 tsp sesame oil

8 tbsp soy sauce

6 tbsp white sugar

3 tbsp brown sugar

5 tbsp white wine vinegar

Zest of 1/2 orange

2 tbsp water

2 tbsp cornstarch

(Mix above 2 together and set aside)

Directions:

1. Mix all sauce ingredients together and set aside in bowl. Mix water and cornstarch together in a smaller bowl and set aside

2. Put a little oil in pan and brown chicken, breaking up into crumbles. 

3. When chicken. Is done, mix in ginger and garlic and stir until thoroughly mixed. Add red pepper and stir until mixed.

4. Pour sauce mixture over chicken and bring to a big boil. Let boil until all chicken is covered with sauce (1-2 minutes).

5. Stir in cornstarch mixture. This will make the sauce thicken.

Serve over your choice of rice or quinoa! Add broccoli, green beans or other Asian inspired stir fry! 

Enjoy!!!!

Welcome to Kitty's Kitchen!

Welcome to Kitty's Kitchen!

I originally started this blog about 3 years ago simply to keep track of the meals/recipes that I created. So many times I would come up with something that my friends and Husband loved, but I couldn't remember later how I did it! (Who's ever been there before? Am I Right?) 

So, Kitty's Kitchen was created! If you look back in the "archives" I've still left the oldies in there just for fun! 

Fast forward 3 years, I'm now "Mommy" to a wonderful and fun little girl, and still wife to my awesome husband and best "Da-Da" a little girl could ask for! 

I'm also now a lifestyle coach for a fitness and wellness company. I've always been active/ an athlete, and loved dabbling in clean eating and nutrition, so I thought: What the heck, I'll go for it and share my love with others!

Here at Kitty's Kitchen you'll find all sorts of different recipes and meal prep ideas. You'll find I have a very random and at times eclectic taste in cooking, based on my mood, and time allowed. 

I try to serve my family well balanced meals that are appetizing and taste as good as they look. We do have a few allergies I have to work around, but that never stops me! 

I hope you'll enjoy what I have to offer here, and please never be shy to ask a question or leave me feedback on a recipe you've tried. Welcome to Kitty's Kitchen, where the door is always open and there's always food on the table! 

*** for more information about my Lifestyle coaching please visit: www.kcclassiclifestyle.com***

Allergy-Friendly Lasagna (Gluten free/Dairy free)

As I have previously mentioned in other posts, we have several allergies in my group of friends. however- that NEVER stops me from cooking them a delicious meal! It's actually a really fun challenge. Trying to re-create the same amazing flavors and consistencies but using alternative choices for dairy, wheat, and gluten. This recipe was definitely a winner. You would never know that this lasagna was anything other than normal! (well it's better than normal- because it was fantastic!)

Anyways, I found the inspiration and guidance for this recipe from Heather Christo. Her blog is fantastic for allergy free ideas, and clean eating in general. I was unable to find the almond ricotta in her recipe, so I substituted for cashew ricotta which worked perfectly! So here we go!

***The cashew ricotta requires that you soak the cashews for 2-3 hours. Make sure to allow enough time for that or you will be stuck!***

Ingredients not listed below:

2 boxes (9oz) Gluten-free lasagna noodles

1/2 jar Classico pasta sauce (in addition to the one below)

First I made a "meat sauce" and let it simmer while I prepared everything else. 

Meat Sauce: 

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground sausage

1 medium onion (diced)

1-2 carrots (diced)

1/2 bell pepper or several mini sweet peppers (chopped or diced)

2 cloves garlic

1 jar Classico pasta sauce (yes I cheated and used store bought to save time. the above blog link has a recipe for a homemade sauce, but this worked just as well in my opinion) 

*Most Classico sauces are gluten free and allergy friendly- just check your label*

- Start by sauteing the vegetables until they are soft (about 5 minutes) then add in the beef and sausage. Break up the meat while cooking so that it crumbles. Cook until browned. (you may drain the meat, however I left it because the extra liquid actually helps keep the lasagna moist and soft while cooking)

- Once the meat is browned, pour in the jar of sauce and stir until combined. Let simmer on the lowest setting- stirring occasionally- until you are ready to assemble lasagna.

Next I would suggest starting the water for your lasagna noodles. You are going to use two boxes of noodles, and they are rather large, so you will need a big "spaghetti pot". Fill almost to the top with water, add salt and begin to heat up to a boil.  (This will take a while since the pot is large)

Next came the cashew ricotta- I know it sounds crazy, but it's surprisingly good and is a perfect alternative for those who can not have dairy.

Cashew Ricotta:

1 1/2- 2 cups cashews (soaked for 2-3 hours in water. Place in bowl and cover with water about 1-2 inches over nuts)

1/4 cup garbanzo juice (I just opened a can of garbanzo beans and drained 1/4 cup juice, then made hummus out of the rest later)

1/2 cup water

10 oz Spinach (chopped, frozen (thawed) works best. Once thawed squeeze well to get out as much liquid as you can. 

2 tsp Garlic salt ( more or less to taste)

juice from 1 large lemon

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)

- Drain cashews and place in food processor. Add all of the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the spinach to the cashews. 

- Blend/process on high until it reaches a smooth "hummus like" consistency. It will still be slightly textured, but will be a paste. 

- Place squeezed spinach in medium sized bowl and add cashew paste to it. Mix thoroughly and set aside. 

Whenever your water starts to boil, add in the lasagna noodles. I used two boxes of gluten free- brown rice flour- lasagna noodles. I easily found them at Fresh Market. Cook noodles until they are al dente. I strongly suggest leaving a little water in the pan when you start to work with the noodles, because by the time I got to the last noodles in the pot they were all stuck together and I have to get very creative with pulling them apart and placing my noodles in the dish. 

So now that the meat is cooked, the ricotta is created, and the noodles are noodley, let's put together some lasagna. 

- First Pre heat oven to 400 degrees.

- Next get a 9x13 glass baking dish and coat the bottom with a generous layer of regular sauce

- Place a layer of noodles on the sauce (I laid mine in three rows long ways (6 noodles), but it really doesn't matter)

- On top of the noodles place a layer of meat sauce, and then another layer of noodles.

- Next place a layer of the spinach-cashew ricotta. (this is the only layer of this so use as much as you want) Top with another layer of noodles.

- Repeat with a second layer of meat sauce (go ahead and use the rest). Top with the remaining noodles. 

- Finish it off by covering the top layer of noodles with more regular sauce. 

- Bake for 30 minutes. 

ENJOY! 

We served the lasagna with tossed salad (olive garden style) and garlic toast (for those who could have the wheat/gluten)

Sausage and Shrimp Jambalaya

Mardi Gras is a huge ordeal if you live anywhere in the south, and even more so if you are from Alabama or Louisiana. Contrary to popular belief, the original Mardi Gras was in Mobile, Alabama. New Orleans followed shortly there after and to some is considered the real Mardi Gras. It's all really dependent on what you want out of your experience. Regardless of where you choose to celebrate Mardi Gras, you're bound to have a great time!!! The last day of Mardi Gras is called Fat Tuesday. It is the last day of the season before the calendar changes into the religious Lenten season. Its the last day for partying, the last day to indulge for many before they enter a season of fasting and reflection in preparation for Easter. For Fat Tuesday I decided to chose a dish traditionally associated with Mobile and New Orleans. I began researching popular "cajun" foods while also considering the ingredients I may already have at the house. Jambalaya. It's a rather simple meal to throw together while at the same time being hearty and filling- AND, I actually had most of the ingredients on had too- which is always nice. It takes about an hour with all prep and cook time, so take that into consideration when planning. so without further delay.....

The original recipe came from Gimme Some Oven. I love her blog and often use her recipes for inspiration.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb peeled/de-veined raw shrimp

12 oz connecuh sausage- cut into medallions

1 green bell pepper- diced

1 can (12-14oz) diced/crushed tomatoes (drained)

1 stalk celery- diced

2-3 jalapeno peppers diced ( I used already sliced jalapenos so the equivalent of about 1/4 cup)

1 cup okra (can be fresh or frozen- I wouldn't suggest canned, It may be too slimy)

3 garlic cloves- minced

1 quart chicken broth

1 1/2 tbsp cajun seasoning (I used Old Bay)

1 bay leaf

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp thyme

salt and pepper to taste

- Start by warming 2 tbsp olive oil in large skillet or Wok. 

- add peppers, onions, celery, jalapenos, garlic and saute until soft. 

- add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and toss in the cut sausage, stirring to combine. Since the sausage is already fully cooked, you just need to warm it up a bit! 

- Now add in 3 cups of the chicken broth, tomatoes, rice, cajun spice, bay leaf, thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and let cook for 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Check and stir often so the rice does not stick to the bottom of your pan! 

- When rice is done, toss in the okra and the shrimp. Continue to cook/stir until okra is soft and the shrimp are pink and cooked. 

- Remove bay leaf, and check seasoning levels. Add more salt/pepper/cajun seasoning if desired. If it's too hot, you can always add a splash of lemon juice to tone it down. 

serve and enjoy!!!

                   

                

Crispy oven baked drumsticks with roasted vegetable medley

Recently I've really developed a love for chicken wings/drumsticks. I just love the crunchy, crispy, saucy, flavorful taste! However, most of the time when you get them at a restaurant they are fried :( Don't get me wrong, I love a good fried wing along with everyone else, but it's not so much diet friendly. I was on the search for something I could make at home that would be crunchy, crispy, fried... but not. This recipe I found and altered is spot on- Crispy Baked Chicken drumsticks. I adjusted mine slightly by using different spices, and also he doesn't note that the chicken should be washed and dried before coating. (That's something I've learned is imperative to a crispy skin). Anyways, lets get cooking! NOTE: If you want to cook the vegetables for your meal as well, They can cook at the same time as the chicken, so make sure to scroll down and see that recipe first!!!

Ingredients for Chicken:

2 lbs chicken drumsticks (washed and patted dry- skin on)
3 tsp baking powder (yes this sounds odd, but it's what makes the skin so crispy)
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp garlic powder
3 tsp 33rd and Galena seasoning (penzey's blend, it's awesome click the link to check it out!)
2 generous tbsp olive oil

- Preheat oven to 400 degrees, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray lightly with olive oil.
- Wash and pat dry chicken- Make sure to do this step if you want crispy skin!) place on baking sheet.
- Mix together dry spices until blended, then add olive oil and mix until smooth. It doesn't look like a lot, but with this a little bit goes a long way.
- With a silicone brush, begin to "paint" the drumsticks until they are all coated. The original recipe suggests tossing them in a bowl with the wet mixture, but I felt like I would get better coverage using the brush. When all the drumsticks are covered, place in oven and set timer for 20 minutes. At 20 minutes check wings. If you like turn them and/or brush them with more seasoning. Continue cooking for 10 more minutes. The wings should reach an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees and be hot and crispy.

Roasted Vegetables:
This is really something I just threw together with the random assortment of fresh veggies I had in the fridge. I sometimes tend to go over board at ALDI or Fresh Market. So I looked and figured out what would pair well with the chicken. I decided upon: Broccoli, Mushrooms, Cauliflower, and Onions.
- Chop all vegetables into acceptable bite sized pieces
- Place in large bowl and drizzle olive oil on top, then toss until all vegetables are coated.
- Add what ever seasonings you desire- I chose just a little bit of garlic salt and some pepper. Sometimes the basics are the best!
You may cook these at the same time as the chicken. Put the chicken in first and cook for ten minutes. When you've reached the 10 minute mark, move the chicken to a lower rack, and place the vegetables in. The veggies should take about 20 minutes. When you have to check the chicken at it's 20 minute point, give the vegetables a good stir. Everything should be done right about the same time!

I would suggest a dipping sauce, but these are so good we just ate them as they were!
ENJOY!!!

Steak And Veggie Omelettes

Healthy, delicious, easy, and a great way use use up leftovers in the fridge! The key to a good omelette is having the right sized pan for your eggs, and also not overloading your eggs. I also highly suggest prepping everything first so that once you pour the eggs in the pan you just dump the rest of the ingredients and go. 

Ingredients:

eggs (I used 2 for mine 3 for Hubby)

diced or chopped vegetables (bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, olives, tomatoes, spinach etc!)

light drizzle of olive oil- just enough so the eggs don't stick. 

salt/pepper/seasonings to taste

Omelettes are really a meal that you create as you go. There's no set recipe for the perfect omelette. There's actually not even a set way to cook an omelette. Some people make the egg fluffy and pre-cook the inside ingredients then gently fold the egg over the ingredients making a sort of pocket. This works best if you're using cheese in your omelette. The cheese acts as a glue, keeping everything together. My favorite way however is slightly different, and works better for us, since we don't use cheese. I scramble up the eggs (normally adding a bit of milk/soymilk to make them fluffy) and pour them into a small omelette skillet. An omelette skillet is mush smaller that what you would normally saute meats and vegetables in. I think mine is an 8 inch skillet. This is key, however, because it allows the eggs to stay confined to the shape of the pan and the add-in ingredients to cook evenly. If your pan is too big, the eggs will run all over, be too thin, and your add-in ingredients will be all over the place. Anyways... once you notice the egg starting to firm up on the bottom, sprinkle in your add-ins. The order doesn't really matter, but I tend to throw in the ones that take longer to cook first, like bell peppers and mushrooms. I normally add my meat last because it's already cooked. evenly distribute your add-ins and let eggs continue to cook. Run a spatula around the edges to keep the eggs from sticking. When you can shake the pan and the omelette move as one solid form, it's time to flip. Now if you're a super chef you may try your hand at the air flip- however that always scares me and I don't really want to have omelette all over the stove. How I flip is by taking two spatulas or turners and getting up under a good amount of the omelette on one side. Then I quickly start to turn it over. Sometimes it does fold over on itself, but you can easily straighten it back out once it's flipped. I let it cook for a little bit on that side, and when I notice that side starting to firm up, I fold the omelette in half (the side with all our add ins will be facing out) and continue to cook, flipping the now folded omelette, until done. You can see in the picture above, that mine is no where close to perfect, but man oh man was it tasty!!! I had some left over broccoli so I threw that in the skillet afterward and sauteed it up with a little olive oil and garlic for my side, and then cut up a pear to replace the crunch you would normally have with a piece of toast. Hope this makes sense!!! Enjoy!!!

Part 2: "uptown shrimp" fancy glazed tempura shrimp

YUM! Is really all that can be said about this one. Anyone who has been to the popular restaurant, Chuck's Fish will understand my excitement when I say that I have come pretty darn close to a copy cat of their special "Uptown Shrimp". And the funny part is, that part of this meal was an after-thought/ add on once I had already decided upon making the Sushi Shrimp Stack (click link to see part one of this blog) as our meal. I had purchased some shrimp earlier this week- it was $5.99/lb FRESH! Who passes that up???? So Shrimp it was for dinner. I was looking at the shrimp stack and trying to decide what to pair with it. Suddenly it hit me- shrimp that goes with sushi... I'm going to re-create Chuck's Uptown shrimp. 

Just to preface, I had absolutely no clue how to recreate this. I simply racked my brain for my best memory of the taste and consistency, also consulted my friends who love the dish too, and this is what I came up with. I figured out that it's basically tempura fried shrimp with a spicy eel sauce. My eel sauce didn't turn out just like theirs, but I was still thrilled with the results. 

Ingredients: 

- 1/2 lb shrimp- peeled, tails off

- 1 cup flour

- 1 tsp salt

- 1 egg

- 1/2 cup Ice water

- 1 cup cold sparkling water or tonic water

- 1/4 cup corn meal (for dredging)

- vegetable/ peanut oil for frying

- 1/2 cup soy sauce

- 1/2 cup white sugar

- 1/2 mirin (sweet sake)

-  sriracha to taste ( I didn't have sriracha so I substituted some sweet chili sauce- but I think the sriracha is really going to be the key)

1.) I suggest making the sauce first. Combine soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and sriracha in small sauce pan and bring to a boil- stirring/whisking constantly. It's almost the same process as making a cake glaze or a simply syrup. It will cook for 3-5 minutes or until it reduces. It will still appear thin and runny, but you'll notice it sticking to your spoon/whisk. When this stage is reached, take off heat and set aside. It will thicken as it cools. 

2.) If you're feeling fancy and want to multi-cook you can go ahead and heat up the oil and begin the tempura batter: Whisk together the flour, salt, ice water, cold sparking water, and egg until combined. you may have a few lumps, but that's ok, it's just the nature of a batter. 

3.) Once the oil has reached about 350 degrees, dip the shrimp in the corn meal first, then lightly dip the shrimp in the tempura batter. Immediately drop shrimp into hot oil. I suggest doing only 2-3 at a time at first so you can see how fast they cook and don't get distracted. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon or mesh strained when golden brown and set on paper towel covered plate. Continue until all shrimp are cooked. 

4.) Place shrimp into a medium sized bowl. Lightly drizzle a little of the syrup/sauce over the shrimp and toss until shrimp are covered, but not soaked in sauce- this makes sure the shrimp retains it's crunchiness. 

5.) Now you can have fun plating the shrimp and feel free to dress up with sesame seeds, chives, sriracha mayonnaise etc! Don't forget to visit my other post with the sushi shrimp stack for the perfect pair to this dish! enjoy!!!

Part 1: Sushi Shrimp Stack: avocado, cucumber, miso mayonnaise

 This is part 1 of a two part blog posting from my recreation/copy cat meal from Chuck's Fish. The whole meal you can see in the pictures above, but what I'll be describing in this post is the sushi stack (featured in the pictures above top-left.) This whole adventure started when I bought some shrimp at the store earlier this week. It s $5.99/lb FRESH, NOT FROZEN. Who passes that up???  So I began perusing Pinterest and the almighty Google for inspiration for a new shrimp dish. Honestly- garlic shrimp, grilled shrimp, bbq shrimp, ( I sound like Bubba from Forest Gump) all gets a little boring once you've mastered it. Throughout my looking I stumbled upon this idea of a Sushi Shrimp Stack (click link for original recipe). If you don't know me already, I LOVE SUSHI!!! My husband does too. Actually our first real date was sushi and a movie. We even named our miniature dachshund Sushi.

yeah, he's a cool dude........

Any-who, our favorite restaurant is Chuck's Fish and they have the most amazing sushi chef's I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. (Shout out to Riza, Brandon, and Corey) They truly consider it an art form and some of the flavor combinations they conjure up inside that roll of rice are simply magical! I love sitting at the sushi bar and watching them create these culinary masterpieces. I've always wanted to give it a try. Now- the "sushi" I created is to say the least, novice, super beginner, sushi for dummies, what have you. But I was rather impressed with the way the flavors combined, AND I did it myself!!! I did give it a go at creating an actual sushi roll with some of the leftovers, however, without the seaweed wrapper, it completely fell apart when I attempted to cut it. Anyways, back on topic... This sushi stack was surprisingly simple, with great flavors, and would be the prefect introduction for someone who "doesn't like sushi". Also these little babies are deceiving! I was afraid it wasn't going to be enough to eat, but man was it filling!!! (Guess it's all that rice). So enough with the chit chat, let's make some shrimp stacks!!!

Ingredients:

- 1 1/2 cups uncoooked sushi grade rice (if you can't find that, then any short grain rice will do, just don't add salt or butter/oil when cooking)

- 2 tbsp rice vinegar

- 8 oz shrimp (cooked, peeled, tails off)

- 1/2 cup-3/4 cup diced cucumber (peeled)- depends on how much cucumber you like

- 1 small/medium avocado, mashed

- 1 tsp (divided) sesame seeds

-  soy sauce

- 2 tbsp mayonnaise

- 1 tsp Sriracha (I did not have sriracha- but substituted miso instead for a slightly different flavor)

1.) Cook rice according to package directions. Some rices- especially brown rice- can take up to 45 minutes to cook, so make sure to consult the packaging before cooking so you can plan accordingly. Mine took about 15-20 minutes so I was able to prep everything else in the mean time. 

2.) As I just mentioned, while rice is cooking, prep everything else. Dice the cucumber, mash the avocado, peel and cut tails off shrimp.

3.) For the sriracha mayonnaise- simply combine the mayonnaise and sriracha together and let sit. If spicy isn't your thing, use miso instead. The miso is a little more difficult to work with, so you'll have to whisk it more to get a smooth consistency. You can also add some red pepper or chili sauce if you want a kick. 

4.) Now- go check your rice- make sure it's not sticking. If it's sticking add just a little bit of water and stir. 

5.) Time to cook the shrimp. Pour a little bit of vegetable oil or butter into a skillet and add a few shakes of garlic and salt. Let warm. Add shrimp and cook until pink/orange and done. Set aside to cool. 

6.) When rice is done, add rice vinegar and stir until combined. Line a baking sheet with foil and spread rice out on sheet to cool. 

7.) When rice has cooled and you have everything else ready, it's time to assemble your shrimp stack. 

            - Take a 1 cup dry measuring cup and put a small layer of cucumber in the bottom. ( My 1 cup is rounded so I arranged the cucumber in a sort of cone shape).

            - Next, spread a thin layer of the mashed avocado on top of the cucumber (this kind of acts as a glue, so don't be shy)

            - Then comes the shrimp. Once shrimp cools, cut into small pieces. Then press pieces on top of the avocado making a nice layer of shrimp. 

            - Fill the rest of the cup with the sushi rice. You will notice that the rice has become slightly sticky. Press this gently into the cup creating your base layer.  

            - Now the fun part. Turn the cup over onto a plate. Barely hover the upside down cup over the plate, or really just barely lift one side while gently tapping the cup with a spoon or knife. The stack should gently slide out of the cup. Be patient with it, it will slide out nicely. 

            - Once your stack is created you can dress it up with your mayonnaise mixture, sesame seeds, soy sauce etc. have fun! 

*** From this, I moved on to making Uptown Shrimp, so If you're making something else to accompany this, you can easily place this in the refrigerator to keep cool until you are ready to serve! 

Here is the link to my other post for the Uptown Shrimp 

Baked Flautas: Sweet potato, ground beef, black bean, and corn with guacamole

These flautas were awesome! I'm going to have to work on the presentation, because they aren't as pretty as they tasted! I took a few pictures as I was making them, so you can see the wonderfulness that was the filling. I got the inspiration for this meal as I was perusing pinterest yesterday. I guess those ingredients were screaming for me because, without searching for anything specific, those same ingredients kept popping up- tacos, flautas, noodle bowls, salads..... I began to rack my brain for what I might have at home, and also what I was craving. Flautas it is! So here we go!

Ingredient List:

9 flour tortillas or 12 corn tortillas
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 can black beans (drained)
1/2 can corn (drained)
1/2 onion diced or 1 tbsp dried minced onion
1/2 cup salsa
1 large sweet potato
guacamole (see quick recipe below)
spices/seasonings (to taste)
- Cumin, pepper, red crushed pepper, garlic powder, salt, cilantro

- Pre-heat oven to 425.
- make guacamole so flavors can mix while you're preparing everything else

Guacamole:
1 large avocado, cumin, lime juice, garlic powder, salt, pepper, 2 tbsp medium salsa.
- slice avocado and place in small dish. Begin to mash. Add salsa and continue to mash. Add the rest of the seasonings to taste- remember it's always easier to add to your mix, than to take away! Mix until everything is blended, but it will be slightly chunky. Set aside.

- Next cook sweet potato. Poke several times with a fork, wrap in a damp paper towel, and microwave for 6 minutes. Check, if potato is soft it is ready. If not, continue to cook in 1 minute increments until soft to squeeze.
- If you're using fresh onions, go ahead and dice the onion and saute it until tender. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- Brown the ground beef. I didn't add any extra seasoning to mine because you will add that when making the filling.
- Combine the corn, beans, beef, onion, and sweet potato in a large bowl. (Cut the sweet potato in half and using a fork, scrape out the inside).
- Season the mixture with cumin, pepper, red crushed pepper, garlic powder, salt, cilantro and salsa. mix well. Take a taste of the mixture and adjust as you desire.

** now it's time to assemble the flautas- for perfectly crispy flautas use a raised baking rack- that way they cook on both sides evenly (see picture below). However if you don't have a raised rack, you can use a regular baking sheet and make sure to turn the flautas half way through. **

*** another note: to make it easier to work with the tortillas, and make sure they don't break, do this: 2-3 at a time, take the tortilla and barely dampen with water. The best way I can explain this is to hold the tortilla in one hand and run your other hand under the water. shake it off, then run your wet hand across both sides of the tortilla- it's barely anything, just enough to barely moisten the tortilla. Place tortillas on a plate in the microwave for 30 seconds. If you do more than a few at a time they will stick together. ***

Take a tortilla and place a line of filling down the middle. (see picture) Then top the filling with a small amount of guacamole. ( you could use cheese here- but since we can't have cheese in our house, guacamole makes a great replacement and still gives the creamy texture. )

- Take one end of the tortilla and fold across the filling, pulling it tight. Then begin to roll it up! 

- Once rolled, spray tortilla on all sides with cooking spray or olive oil and place on baking rack. (see picture) It's ok if they touch

Repeat process with warming tortillas, filling, and rolling until you have made as many as you like. 

- Place on the lowest rack in the oven. I always have to put my raised rack on a baking sheet so it's more sturdy in the oven- you might want to consider doing that. 

- Mine took about 15 minutes to cook, but you may want to check them every five minutes to make sure they aren't getting too crispy. If they are, you can always flip them or turn down the oven heat. 

- They will be done when the outside is crispy and light brown, and the inside has an internal temp of at least 140. I served with simple corn chips and salsa, however, if you're feeling fancy you can always make rice and refried beans!

Enjoy!