Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad

I love a great way to put veggies into things, and the higher antioxidants/vitamins/good things, the more I love the veggies.  In theory anyway, since I actually hate brussels sprouts.  Seriously hate.  Even covering them with butter and bacon doesn't typically make them edible in my opinion.  I did cut the recipe in half since it is such a huge amount of food.

Ingredients (serves 8-10):

• 1/4c fresh lemon juice
• 2T dijon mustard
• 1T minced shallot
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• 1/4t kosher salt
• ground black pepper
• 2 bunches of kale (about 1.5lbs), center stem discarded and leaves thinly sliced
• 12oz brussels sprouts, finely grated or shredded
• 1T olive oil
• 1/3c almonds, coarsely chopped
• 1c grated pecorino

 Directions:

1. Mix together lemon juice, mustaard, shallot, garlic, salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl.  Set aside to let all the flavors meld together for a while.
2. Toss together the shredded kale and sprouts in a large bowl and set that aside.
3. Put the olive oil in a skillet and toast the almonds, lightly salt after done toasting.
4. Pour the dressing into the bowl of kale and sprouts and toss to coat (a little more olive oil can be added to help here).  Throw in the toasted almonds to garnish.  Top with the pecorino before serving.
   

Crispy Fried Chicken (low carb version)

I love fried chicken.  I will openly admit, mostly for the breading portion... so how does this fit in to a low carb lifestyle where I (obviously) shouldn't be eating bread?  On a recent trip to Florida, we stopped at a roadside stand in GA and picked up some peanut flour (it sounded interesting).  It's not the *absolute* lowest carb thing in the would, but from what I can find, it has about 20g of carb per cup... and considering that I used about a cup (considering that some was left over) for this recipe, it doesn't seem so bad!!

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 3 chicken breasts, cut into strips/pieces (I assume you can also purchase tenders)
• 2T cajun seasoning
• 2T salt
• 1T ground black pepper
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1.5c peanut flour
• 1t ground oregano
• 2T cajun/rib/any seasoning mix you love
• 1t onion powder
• 1/2t garlic salt
• 1t garlic powder
• 3t Italian seasoning
• 1/2t chipotle chili powder
• 1t black pepper
• 2t salt
• 2T paprika
• crisco/frying oil (I think we used about 2 cups)

Directions:

1. Put chicken breast pieces in a large plastic bag and cover with water, add 2T cajun seasoning, 2T salt, and 1T ground black pepper.  Let sit for about an hour.
2. In another large, plastic bag (I used gallon size), combine the peanut flour with the remaining seasonings and shake together.
3. Put the eggs in a pie pan (or other large dish object) and add about a tablespoon of water.
4. Pat the chicken pieces dry, and cover in the egg solution then put (a couple pieces at a time) into the bag with the seasoned flour and shake.
5. Place the pieces on a rack to let dry while you work on the remaining pieces.
6. Once the pieces are dry, repeat with the egg wash and dredging process a second time (I did a couple pieces a third time just for fun to use up the eggs).
7. Heat the oil to 365 (F) and start with the frying!!  Something to keep in mind - the peanut flour does make them turn brown almost immediately, and while they start to look a little "overdone", they actually aren't.  Make sure to leave your chicken in long enough to cook all the way through!
8. Then, grab a bit of BBQ sauce (or other sauce), if desired and chow down!!  :)

Eggplant Pasta (low carb)

This is my second time around trying this recipe, and I'm so glad it came out right this time!!  To explain, last time my eggplant "noodles" came out terrifyingly salty.  I ate two bites and couldn't even pretend to be able to finish.  :(  This time, however, it came out delicious and the most amazing part was how filling this is, especially considering that it's (mostly) all veggies!!

Ingredients:

• 2 medium/large eggplants (ours equaled about 2lbs)
• 4T olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2t chile flakes
• 4 small tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1/2c cream (I used half heavy, half light cream)
• 1/4c grated fresh parmesan cheese
• 1/4c fresh basil
• kosher salt
• pepper

Directions:

1. To prepare the eggplant, peel it first then slice lengthwise into 1/4" wide pieces.  Salt both sides of each piece and lay out on a grate (over a baking sheet), or place in a colander in the sink for 45min (up to 2 hours) to drain out the water.
2. After the eggplant has purged out the water, rinse well under cold water then slice into small strips lengthwise (these will be the noodles so the thinner they're sliced, the more like spaghetti they will be) then put in a bowl of cool water and let it sit for a little, then keep rinsing (this is the part I added between the first and second times).  Make sure to squish all the water out at the end - don't worry about damaging the noodles, they're pretty resilient, just make sure they're as dry as possible.  At the end, you can try a piece to make sure it's not too salty!
3. Heat up the olive oil in a large frying pan.
4. Add the garlic and chile flakes to the oil for a couple minutes until they start to smell delicious.
5. Throw in the eggplant noodles and coat them in the garlic/chile oil for a couple minutes then add the tomatoes and let mingle for 4 minutes together.
6. Pour the cream into the pan, and turn up the heat to help it simmer off and thicken.
7. Once the cream has thickened up, add the cheese, basil, and pepper to taste.  It shouldn't need any salt to be added!!
8. Enjoy your dinner!!

Shrimp Bake (low carb)

I asked Mike if he wanted some pasta or something for this to go over (it's similar to shrimp scampi) but he declined... after, I think we would have been happier if I had made some cauli-rice to soak up the butter sauce because it was *awesome*!!

 

This picture was taken with the "leftovers" so it's slightly cooled down to explain the butter looking this way.

Ingredients:

• 2lbs uncooked shrimp (I used the 31-40 size), peeled and deveined
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 stick of butter 
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1T basil
• 1t oregano
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400(f) and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (easy clean up).
2. Put shrimp in the lined baking sheet (go for single layer instead of clumped in the middle to ensure each shrimp gets cooked in the sauce).
3. Melt butter in a pan over medium heat.
4. Add the garlic to the butter and let simmer for a minute (so the garlic can seep into the butter).
5. Throw in the lemon juice, basil, oregano, salt and pepper then remove from heat.
6. Pour the sauce over the shrimp (you may need to stir gently to ensure each shrimp is coated).
7. Put in the oven and let bake for 12 minutes (keep an eye on this, if your oven cooks faster like mine does, it may be done in less time).

Low Carb (Cauliflower Crust) Caprese Pizza

So my mom reminded me today that she hasn't seen any new recipes for a long time... and it's true, I've been so busy with everything in life that I haven't been posting.  I also have fully switched my diet to a low carb lifestyle (I need to get ready to put on a wedding dress in less than 5 months, people!), so I think I should focus more on those recipes... and still add some "normal" recipes since they are quite delicious.  So, without further comment, here is the first recipe, and the best low carb pizza crust I've tried to date!

Ingredients (pizza crust):

• 1 medium/large head cauliflower
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1c shredded mozzarella cheese
• Italian seasoning mix
• salt and pepper

Ingredients ("cheap" pesto):

• 1c fresh basil leaves
• 2-3 garlic cloves, peeled (I love garlic)
• 1/2c extra virgin olive oil, separated
• 2T walnuts (yes, pesto is supposed to have pine nuts but $9 for 3oz makes me cringe!)
• 1/4c fresh parmesan

Ingredients (pizza toppings):

• pesto (about 1/4-1/2c or one batch here)
• pepperoni (we love pepperoni)
• 3-4 fresh roma/plum tomatoes, sliced
• 1 lb fresh mozzarella, sliced

Directions (pizza crust):

1. Preheat oven to 400(F) and line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Cut the cauliflower into florets and use a food processor to make into a "rice" consistency.  If you have a smaller food processor, like me, this will take a few rounds.
3. Add the eggs and cheese to the cauliflower along with seasonings (to taste) and mush together - I use my hands just because I find it easiest.  The "dough" may not stick together very well at this point, but just make sure it's all combined.
4. Spread the "dough" on the lined baking sheet (mine took the entire sheet and was almost to the top of the sides). 
5. Once it's pretty even and patted down, bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges are golden and it bounces back a little bit when pushed (GENTLY).
6. Let the crust cool down for a few minutes before adding toppings, this will give it a chance to become more firm... which is important if you want to eat the pizza with your hands!

Directions (pesto):

1. Put the basil, nuts, garlic, and half the olive oil in a food processor and thoroughly chop.
2. Add the parmesan and drizzle in the remaining olive oil until a wet paste consistency is achieved.
3. EASY!!

Directions (putting it all together):

1. Turn your oven to the broiler setting (I used the low setting since the high one still burns everything I try to cook with it).
2. Now that the pizza crust has cooled, it should be pretty firm... perfect to spread the pesto over (remember, you don't need a huge amount of pesto for a huge amount of taste so while it may look like a thin covering, it's what you're looking for).
3. I added the pepperoni on top of the pesto, then the sliced tomatoes, followed by the fresh mozzarella.
4. Now put the pizza back in the oven until the cheese is melted and delicious looking (about 5-10 minutes)!

****Keep in mind that fresh mozzarella is a lot of water, I patted down the top of the pizza a little bit to remove the little "puddles" that were there when it came out.  Of course, if you're using different toppings, this won't be an issue!!

Cheese Stuffed, Bacon Wrapped Chicken

Well, it's true, I (obviously) love bacon... just check out how to wrap sweet potatoes in bacon if you have any doubt of this.  I also love cheese, and chicken is one of the few meats that I enjoy *all* of the time, so how could anything go wrong with putting all these items together?!  This came from a blog without measurements, so I tried to adapt a little, also understand that I am fully onboard with using more cheese and/or more bacon!!

Ingredients (should serve 4):

• 4 chicken breasts
• 4oz cream cheese or cheese spread (I used mostly artichoke asiago from Wegmans and it was awesome)
• 1/2c shredded cheddar cheese
• 16 pieces of bacon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 (F)
2. Show that chicken who's the boss!  I guess most people use a meat tenderizer (I used a jar wrapped in a plastic bag, then put "meat tenderizer" on our wedding registry), to pound the meat into an even patty.  Cut each one in (approximately) half.
3. Spread cream cheese over one side of the chicken (I used the mushed side) pieces, then evenly divide the cheddar cheese on top.
4. Take a piece of chicken and roll/fold the ends together, so the cheese is in the middle.  Take two pieces of the cut bacon and wrap one direction, then two more pieces to go the other direction, until you have a little "package" held together with bacon.
5. Lay on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil and continue with remaining chicken pieces.
6. Bake for about 45 minutes, then turn the oven to broil and toast that bacon!  Flip each piece of chicken over to be sure to get the underside bacon also toasted!

Bacon Wrapped Sweet Potatoes

To celebrate spring deciding to show up, Mike asked if we could at least grill this week.  So we made some salmon packets on the grill, along with these delicious sweet potatoes.  They were awesome after a hard evening of playing in the dirt!

Ingredients (serves 2 very hungry people as a side):

• Sweet potato, cut into thick (french fry) strips
• Bacon, cut in half to match number of sweet potato strips
• Brown sugar
• Chipotle pepper (dried and preferably in a shakable container)
• Toothpicks (especially helpful if grilling)

Instructions:

1. Boil water and add sweet potato strips.  Cook until tender to pierce with a fork (for mine, I think it took around 15 minutes and that might have been a little long).
2. Remove sweet potato from water and sprinkle with chipotle pepper.
3. Take a strip of sweet potato, and make a small mound of brown sugar (this should caramelize when cooking) the length of the strip.  Wrap with a piece of the bacon and secure with a toothpick.  Repeat until all strips are used (and/or there is no bacon left).
4. Grill until the bacon is cooked then get your sweet potato on!!

Sorry that this is a little not measured, but I modified a recipe as I was going to make it work.. the amount of bacon definitely depends on how big your strips of potato are.  Next time I definitely need to make more potatoes (I used only one) and maybe use mini marshmallows inside the bacon (to make it a little like sweet potato casserole).. 

Green Smoothie

So I'm a little late in getting this one posted, and it's a little surprising to me since I'm not really a "veggie" person, that I actually found a green smoothie that I not only stomach, but actually really like!  I can't wait to make it for Mike and see what he says about it!

Ingredients (2 servings):

• 1 frozen banana (I peel and slice before freezing so they're easier to use in smoothie making)
• 6 frozen strawberries (I suppose fresh is also fine)
• 1 apple (I used gala)
• 1 orange
• 1c kefir (yogurt would also work, we usually have homemade kefir on hand for our puppy)
• 2 handfuls of baby spinach

Directions:

1. Core and cut the apple into chunks then peel the orange.
2. Throw everything into the blender and make it smoothie.
3. Drink up the deliciousness!

Crockpot Coffee Ancho Chile Short Ribs

This recipe is Paleo friendly, and sounded like a little different than what we usually have... plus, it has coffee in it, and who doesn't love coffee in their food?!  The outcome for our family was that it was a little "mild", but when I had the leftovers a day later, I liked it much more.  I also should say here that I did do a half recipe (there are only two of us and short ribs were a more expensive cut), so I'm not sure if that made it so it was less submerged and so it needed the extra day to sit in the juice to be more delicious?  Either way, here it is!!

Ingredients (serves 3-4):

• 4lbs grass fed beef short ribs
• 1c brewed coffee
• 1 large yellow onion, roughly sliced
• 4 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
• 4 garlic cloves (or 6 with my proportions)
• 2T raw honey
• 2T extra virgin olive oil
• 1T lime juice 
• 1/2c vegetable broth or water
• salt and pepper, to taste

 Directions:

1. Submerge the dried chiles in a bowl of hot water.  Let them sit for about 20 minutes until soft.
2. Put the chiles, coffee, garlic, honey, olive oil, lime and salt and pepper in a food processor and puree.
3. Place the onions in the bottom of the crockpot and pour the broth (or water) over them.
4. Stack the short ribs on top of the onions, then cover with the ancho chile/coffee sauce.  Season with a little additional salt on top.
5. Cover and let cook on low for 6-8 hours (or on high for 5-7 hours).

Mozzarella Sticks

Okay, so these are definitely not the "traditional" mozzarella sticks (obviously), but I thought that for being so quick and easy, they're pretty delicious and a great way to do them on the run.  I do admit that for the next round of these, I will be using some fresh mozzarella (perhaps my homemade stuff) because I think that would be a little more "stretchy" (not sure that's the right word to use).

Ingredients (makes 12 sticks):

• 12 pieces of string cheese
• 12 egg roll wrappers
• 1 egg 
• oil for deep frying
• marinara or spaghetti sauce for dipping

Directions:

1. Put egg in bowl and whisk in about 1t of water to make an egg wash.
2. Place a piece of string cheese near the bottom corner of one wrapper.  Fold bottom corner over the cheese and roll halfway.  In the middle, fold in the sides toward the center, over the cheese.  Lightly moisten the remaining corner of the wrapper with the egg wash, then continue to roll the cheese.
3. Repeat with the remaining 11 wrappers and cheese.
4. In a large pan, heat the oil to approximately 350 degrees.
5. Fry the sticks, a couple at a time, for 30-60 seconds on each side, until golden brown.  Drain each stick on a paper towel covered plate to remove excess oil.
6. Serve warm, with the marinara/spaghetti sauce.

Bang Bang Chicken

I found this on the P (yes, okay, I really do have a problem these days), and it said as a takeoff from PF Chang's... since I haven't been there in a few years, I'm not sure about that.  I do know that I loved it, and Mike loved the chicken.  He did find that he liked using BBQ sauce for dipping more than the sauce that came with it (I loved the sauce that was with it). 

Ingredients (serves 2 people... 3 meals apparently!):

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
• 1c buttermilk (I used kefir and Mike didn't notice the change)
• 3/4c flour
• 1/2c cornstarch
• 1 egg
• 1T garlic pwder
• 1t smoked paprika
• 1T hot sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• Panko breadcrumbs
• oil for frying

   For the sauce:

• 1/2c mayonnaise
• 1/4c sweet chili sauce
• 1T hot sauce
• 2T honey

 Directions:

1. Combine flour, cornstarch, and spices together in a bowl, then add the hot sauce, egg and buttermilk into them... whisking until you have a smooth batter.
2. Add the chicken pieces to the batter and toss to ensure all pieces are coated then set aside.  Put the panko breadcrumbs in a shallow dish or plate.
3. In a small bowl, mix all ingredients for the sauce together and place in the fridge until ready for serving.
4. Heat the oil in a large skillet.  One by one, remove chicken from the batter and dredge through the breadcrumbs, coating completely.  Fry chicken on each side for approximately 3-5 minutes (until cooked through).
5. After frying, move to paper towel lined plate to drain any excess oil then repeat until all chicken is cooked.
6. Serve with the sauce (either drizzled or for dipping). 

Hot Crab Dip

Delicious crab dip, made in the crockpot (slow cooker, whatever you want to call it).  When I made it, I wished I would have had the smaller serving pots (to keep warm while serving) but it was delicious even without that convenience!

Ingredients (supposedly serves 8):

• 1c mayonnaise
• 8oz shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 scallions, minced
• 6oz canned crabmeat, drained
• 1 clove garlic, crushed (I obviously used 2-3 because that's how I roll)
• 3oz cream cheese, softened

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker and stir together.
2. Cover and set to low.  Let cook for 1 hour.
3. Stir together to blend the (now) melted cheeses then re-cover and let cook for another hour.
4. Serve with delicious veggies for a low carb version, or crackers/toasted bread for carb lovers!

Diablo Crabby Crab Legs

I may not be a caveman, or even eat like one all of the time, but I do love experimenting with different things to eat and I don't judge recipes these days based on a certain type of diet.  I call it equal opportunity eating... okay, so I try not to eat too much sugar, or a lot of carbs, but I still make them and sample.  Anyway, this recipe is safe for the cavemen (and ladies) to eat, and is delicious with crab and shrimp also!

Ingredients (serves 4.. or so):

• 5 snow crab leg bunches
• 2T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 jalapeno, diced
• 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1t cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.  Add the crab and cook for approximately 6 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes (until onion is transparent).  Stir in pepper and tomatoes and continue cooking for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and cayenne and remove from heat.
3. Puree the tomato/onion/garlic mixture in a food processor and use as a dipping sauce for the crab.

Ricotta (super easy, super delicious)

This recipe was a find in a cookbook that I found on super sale - yay for Good Housekeeping and for book sales!  It's almost completely idiot-proof which is great for me!  I do tend to use full milk that we buy from a local farm for this recipe (and the kefir), but it works also with the D milk from the store! 

Ingredients (makes about 2c):

• 8c whole milk
• 1t salt
• 3T fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Either use a large strainer lined with cheese cloth, or a small handheld strainer and some patience (the texture was better with the cheesecloth but the cleanup was traumatic), set this close to working space.
2. In a heavy bottomed 4 quart saucepan, bring milk and salt to a boil, stirring occasionally to prevent the milk from scorching.  If using a not "heavy bottom" saucepan, stir frequently to prevent.
3. Once milk reaches rolling boil, quickly add the lemon juice then remove from heat.  Cover and let sit for 5 minutes (the milk will start to separate once the juice is added, it's normal!).
4. Using a slotted spoon (or very carefully pouring) transfer the whey into the strainer and let sit for 3 minutes to continue to drain.  Discard the whey (or use to water the plants) and you're left with some delicious cheese!!

Stuffed Shells

I found a recipe online for pesto stuffed shells and that sounded awesome... unfortunately, I didn't have pine nuts... or enough olive oil... sooo no making pesto for me.  I did a little improvising, and came up with this recipe that I found to be quite delicious!

Ingredients (makes about 9x12 dish):

• ~1c arugula (leftover from a "grassy" tasting smoothie
• 2c ricotta (I made mine because it's super easy... I should post this recipe next)
• 1.5c shredded mozzerella
• 4-5 garlic cloves (I used 5, and it was really garlicky, so if you don't like it, 3-4 may be better)
• 2T olive oil
• 8-10 basil leaves
• 1 egg
• 1 box shells
• 1-2c tomato sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350(f).
2. Combine arugula, ricotta, 1 cup of mozzerella, garlic, olive oil and basil in a food processor until thoroughly chopped and combined then add the egg (I did two rounds with half the ingredients in each, then added the egg after since our food processor isn't huge).
3. Cook shells according to directions (10 minutes in salted/oiled water), then run under cold water.
4. Spread half the tomato sauce on the bottom of the baking dish (enough to cover completely.
5. Stuff the shells - they should have approximately a .25 inch gap from the stuffing, and put into the baking dish.  Cover with the remaining tomato sauce, then sprinkle the top with the remaining .5c of mozzerella.
6. Bake for 30 minutes.

Berry Banana Oatmeal Smoothie

I've been on a smoothie kick recently, so Mike has been faithfully drinking them - even the ones that "taste like freshly cut grass".  Apparently he's not a huge fan of arugula in his breakfast smoothie.  ;)  He did like this one as his (current) favorite though!

Ingredients (makes 2 portions or 1 very very large portion):

• 1 banana, cut into slices and frozen
• 4-6 strawberries, cut up
• 1/4 c oats
• 1/2t vanilla
• 3/4c milk (I used about 1c to make it less thick)

Directions:

1. Put the oats in the blender and let it run until they are a fine powder (this helps hide to oat taste).
2. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
3. Drink and enjoy!  :)

Fresh Mozzerella and Basil Bites

I had some hesitation here to use wonton wrappers for italian food... but my overgrowing basil plants were begging me to use them, and so I did.  Turned out to be great - minus burning my fingers as I had never actually pan fried things before and didn't pay attention to the idea of not picking up things from oil.  So we learn.  ;)

Ingredients (makes quite a few- I think about 30?):

• 8oz fresh mozzerella cut into cubes (I realized after that the next time I make mozz I should make in a sheet, then cut into triangles for this recipe)
• 1 egg, beaten with 1T water added
• 15 fresh basil leaves
• 30 sheets wonton wrappers
• 1c extra virgin olive oil (or combo of oil for frying)
• 1c favorite warm tomato sauce

Directions:

1. Wash the basil leaves and stack together (about 5 at a time), then roll and cut into strips (aka chiffonade if you'd like to be fancy).  I think it would also work to dice, as long as they can get into small pieces!
2. Take wonton wrapper, and put a bit of basil in the middle, top with the cheese (you can do this the opposite way, but I found the cheese keeps the basil down and out of the egg wash).
3. Brush the edges of the wonton with the egg wash (just a little here), and press the edges together to form a triangle then fold the ends under and let rest for a minute (or more while you do the rest).
4. Heat the oil in a large pan until it reaches 350 (f).
5. Place the little parcels in the pan at about 6 at a time, keeping in mind that by the time you put the last one in the pan, the first one should be flipped over. 
6. Cook until golden brown on both sides, then drain on paper towels.
7. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and garnish with some extra basil (if there's any left!).
8. Serve immediately with warm tomato sauce.

Blueberry Cheese Rolls

I came across this recipe and thought "yummy!" so I made, and the man of the house agreed.  We also learned in the process that our puppy will do just about anything for a frozen blueberry!!  I tried these with strawberries the second time, and since it's not the appropriate time of year, used frozen berries both times (I did defrost first).  The results were awesome and I may use mixed fruit next!

Ingredients (makes 4):

• 1 pkg. refrigerated crescent rolls (we determined original was better than butter)
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2T sugar (or splenda)
• 1/2c blueberries

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375(f).
2. Unroll dough into four rectangles, firmly pressing together the perforations to seal (or buy the uncut package and cut into fourths.
3. Combine the cream cheese and sugar and spread onto the rectangles, leaving about 1/2-1/4 inch border.
4. Divide the blueberries between the four rectangles, placed on the cream cheese, then bring the corners to the middle and press to seal.
5. Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until golden brown.

While I think they say this should be eaten immediately, they're still delicious the next day, or frozen and reheated a few days later as a quick breakfast.  :)

Spinach & Brie Puff Pastries

I found this recipe on the P(interest), and decided to try it.  The first time, I did as written, with spinach and brie... then I realized I still had more puff pastry... and since we had some corned beef from dinner, I made Reuben versions (corned beef, sauerkraut, and swiss) that were even more amazing than the spinach and brie!  I'm basically now addicted to using puff pastry for sandwiches.

Here it is as the corned beef reuben:

Ingredients (4 puffs):

• 1c fresh spinach, chopped
• 4 thin slices brie (I used a little thicker because brie is awesome)
•  egg, beaten
• 4t freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 puff pastry, thawed if frozen
• salt and petter, to taste
• sesame and poppy seeds for decoration (I didn't mind these not being there)

 Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350(f).  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  
2. Put the spinach in a bowl, stir in half the beaten egg and nutmeg then season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface into a rectangle (16x8 inches) and trim the edges (or don't).  Lightly flour the top of the pastry and cut the rectangle into 4 pieces, each about 4 inches wide by 8 inches tall.
4. Cut 1 inch wide strips diagonally on both sides of the pastry, leaving the center intact (to use later for weaving on top).  Try to cut an equal number of strips on both sides.
5. Divide the spinach equally between the rectangles, n the center, top wth the brie, then braid by crossing the strips over the filling alternating from side to side.
6. Brush the tops of the pastries with the remaining beaten egg (after adding about 1T of water), then (if you've chosen the seeds) sprinkle these on top.
7. Bake 20-25 minutes or until delicious looking!

PS.  I realize I need to add pictures of this the next time I make them!!

1950s Style Meatloaf

The favorite meatloaf of Mike!  I found this recipe a few years ago when my friend and I had a 1950s dinner party for our boyfriends (meatloaf, salad, mashed potatoes and jello).

Here is a picture made the non-traditional way (in a single serving, heart shaped springform pan) to celebrate Valentine's day:

Ingredients (serves 1 very hungry Mike):

• 1.5lbs ground beef (80/20)
• .5lb ground pork sausage
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1c fine breadcrumbs (or ground pork rinds)
• 1 large garlic clove, pressed (I use 2-4)
• .5 c minced sweet onion
• .25 c minced green bell pepper
• 1 tsp each oregano and kosher salt
• 1 T worchestershire sauce
• 1 pkg dry onion soup mix
• .5 c milk
• 6oz can tomato paste
• 4 (or 6) strips of bacon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 (F).
2. Combine beef, sausage, eggs, bread crumbs, garlic, onion, pepper, oregano, salt, worchestershire sauce, soup mix, milk, and half the tomato paste in a bowl.  Gently mix until combined - do not overwork the meat or it will become tough.
3. Form into loaf and cover with the remaining tomato paste. 
4. Weave the bacon strips over the top.
5. Bake for 1 hour, let meatloaf rest for 15 minutes before cutting to serve.

Cajun Seafood Pasta

This requires quite a few spices we didn't own the first time, and a little planning, but is really amazing (one of the most asked for recipes I make).

My picture... keep in mind that the shiritake doesn't absorb as much sauce as quickly, so usually I add the noodles and continue to cook for a little to help absorption (here, it doesn't look like I did that).  They also will get a little less "saucy" if you can leave them alone overnight.

Ingredients (Serves 3-4 with shiritake):

• 3 packages shiritake noodles (I think the original recipe asked for 2lbs of spaghetti)
• 2c heavy whipping cream
• 1T chopped fresh basil
• 1T chopped fresh thyme
• 2t salt
• 2t ground black pepper
• 1/2-1t crushed red pepper (I think the original recipe said 1.5t but it was really spicy)
• 1t ground white pepper
• 1c chopped green onion
• 1c chopped parsley
• 1 pound shrimp
• 1/2c shredded swiss cheese
• 1/2c grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Pour cream in large skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until just about boiling.
2. Reduce heat, add herbs, salt, peppers, onions and parsley.
3. Simmer 7-8 minutes or until thickened, then stir in seafood cooking until shrimp is no longer transparent.
4. Stir in cheeses, blending well then serve over noodles.

I usually cut up my shiritake noodles a little and add them to the skillet while it's still warm and then let them cook for a couple minutes together.  I think this helps them get a little more of the flavor.  Also, I think that I typically cook this a little longer to get it thicker (when there aren't starchy noodles to absorb the extra sauce boiling a little longer to reduce helps out).  With the crushed red pepper, consider that less may be more, and if you're packaging this to eat for lunch the next day, the pepper taste does increase over time!!

Roasted Salmon with Lemon & Herbs

This is a really great, really quick, low carb dinner!

1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1 leek, trimmed and sliced
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 T chopped fresh parsley
2 T chopped fresh dill
1 pounds salmon fillets
salt and pepper
cooked baby spinach leaves and lemon wedges, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 400(F).  Heat 1 T of the oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and leek and cook, stirring, until slightly soft (about 4-5min).
2. Meanwhile, put the remaining oil in a small bowl with the lemon juice and herbs and season with salt and pepper.  Stir together well.  Rinse the fish under cold running water, then pat dry with paper towels.  Arrange the fish in an ovenproof dish.
3. Remove the skillet from the heat and spread the onion and leek over the fish.  Pour the oil mixture over the top, making sure that everything is well coated.  Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through.
4. Arrange the cooked spinach on serving plates.  Remove the fish and vegetables from the oven and arrange on top of the spinach.  Serve with the lemon wedges.

I make some variations, including using the frozen salmon fillets from Wegmans (about 4-5).  I use dried parsley and dill if I do not have fresh in the house (I don't like wasting most of a bunch of herbs).  I also found that I can eat it just with the onion and leek mixture and it's amazing, so no extra lemon or spinach involved.  I will openly admit that it's probably healthier to eat with the extra greens!!  :)