Spiced Shrimp with Israeli Salad and Couscous

We recently subscribed to Hello Fresh, which is basically a meal plan delivery system. They send you fresh food and recipes every week to keep your dinner time from getting too boring.  If you're interested in trying it out, you can get $40 off your first box here.

Our dinner was getting boring, and my husband had had enough of it. So far I have really enjoyed the stuff we've been making.  This one was especially fun to make because I have never had any kind of Israeli dish.  Turns out that it is the perfect meal for this crazy summer time heat (imagine that... Israel).  It is so light and fresh and won't bog you down, and I just couldn't not share it.

Looks pretty close to the picture on the recipe!

What you'll need:

• 20-24oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 cup Israeli Couscous
• 2 small red onions, one finely diced, one cut in 1-inch cubes
• 2 Persian cucumbers, finely diced
• 1/2 oz fresh mint leaved, finely chopped
• 4 Roma tomatoes, cored and seeded; two finely diced, two cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 lemons, zested and halved
• 6 oz plain yogurt
• 2 Tbsp southwest seasoning
• olive oil
• salt a pepper to taste

What to do:

Preheat oven.  Set the broiler to 500°F.

Cook the couscous: Heat a large drizzle of oil in a small pot over medium heat.  Add about 2/3 of the diced onion and all of the couscous.  Cook and stir for about 2-3 minutes, or until the onion is soft.  Add 4 cups of water and a dash of salt.  Bring to a boil, then simmer on low for about 15 minutes, or until the couscous is cooked through and water is absorbed. (I actually ended up doing this wrong. I think I cooked it on too low of a temperature and ended up with too much water when the couscous was done cooking.  If this happens, just drain the water out with a colander and return it to the pot.)  Cover and set aside in a warm place.

Make the yogurt sauce: In a small bowl, combine half of the lemon zest and mint, all of the yogurt, a squeeze of lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.

Make the salad: In a medium to large bowl, stir together the remaining diced onion, lemon zest, and mint, the cucumber, diced tomato, a sqeeze of lemon, large drizzle of oil, and salt and pepper.

Cook shrimp and veggies: Toss the shrimp, cubed onion, and cubed tomato in a drizzle of olive oil, all of the southwest seasoning, and salt a pepper.  Spread out evenly on a baking sheet and broil about 5-6 minutes, turning about halfway through.  Everything should be lightly charred when done.

Plate it up! Combine the salad and couscous.  Taste and see if it needs more salt and pepper.  Serve the shrimp and veggies on top of the couscous salad and top with the lemon-mint yogurt (as pictured).

Enjoy!

Here is what Hello Fresh's dish looked like (mine is pictured above):

They used skewers; I did not. I also plated less couscous salad because I cannot eat that much.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: about 15 minutes

Makes about 4 servings.

Super Easy (and delicious) Beef Stroganoff

One of my personal favorites to make, this dish is one that can be thrown together at the last minute if you're in a hurry or just don't really feel like cooking much.  Plus, it's delicious.  Much better than Mr. Helper.

What you'll need:

• 8oz of pasta (typically egg noodles, but I used bow ties this time)
• 1lb ground beef
• 1 cube beef bouillon, crushed
• 1 can cream of mushroom
• 8oz sour cream
• 2oz half and half (milk works, too)
• salt and pepper

What to do:

Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling water and drain.

While the pasta cooks, heat a large drizzle of avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the ground beef to the pan, season with salt a pepper, and chop up into bits as it cooks through.  Drain and return to the skillet.

Add sour cream, cream of mushroom, half and half, and bouillon to the pan.  Stir until well combined and heated through.  Salt and pepper to taste, then stir the cooked pasta into the mixture.

Serve it up, and enjoy!

Makes about 4 servings.

Prep time: about 3 minutes

Cook time: 10-15 minutes.

How to Spruce up your Chicken or Tuna Salad

If you're in a whole "New Year New You" weight loss craze right now and are in a frenzy looking for light and tasty meals (or even if you're not; I'm not), this is one of them.  For some reason, I always see dieting people eating chicken or tuna salad, and not really enjoying it.

First of all, if you're trying to lose weight, watch how much mayo you use.  Everything else is on point for a healthy lifestyle.

Second, I use this same recipe for both my chicken and tuna salad with the exception of the boiled eggs.  Those generally only go in my tuna, but don't taste bad in the chicken.  Also, I do not have a problem with celery per se, but I do have a problem with it in things.  It is one of those weird texture things, and I can only eat it alone or with a nut butter.  Off topic.

Anyhow, this particular day I made chicken salad.  I took inspiration for this recipe from my friend after the first time I had chicken salad at her house, and I am never going back to the old ways.

What you'll need:

• 2 large (12.5oz for chicken; 9oz for tuna) cans of chicken or tuna (packed in water), drained
• 1 medium apple, diced
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/3 cup natural sliced almonds
• 2 T mayo or Miracle Whip
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 stalk celery, diced (optional)
• 2 boiled eggs, diced (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

You can also sprinkle in some parsley and basil if you're feeling froggy, but I did not do that this time.

What to do:

In a medium size bowl, toss diced apple in lemon juice to completely coat and set aside to soak.  This will hinder the oxidation process and prevent your apples from turning an ugly brown color.  Also, you get a fresh lemon flavor in your salad.

In a separate bowl, finely shred your meat with two forks (seriously, why did I never think to do this??).  Add mayo and spices and stir until all of the meat coated with mayo.

Remove apple from lemon juice (or keep the juice if you want some added citrus flavor in your salad) and add to chicken/tuna along with the almonds, celery, and eggs.  Stir until you have a nice even mixture.

Serve with crackers, on a sandwich, or just eat it out of the bowl with a fork.

Enjoy!

Makes about 4 servings.

One Pot Cajun Style Red Beans and Rice

I posted this recipe about two years ago and referenced today to make dinner.  I realized as I was making it that I could make some minor adjustments to make it better.  So... here is the new and improved version of my red beans and rice.  Now in an easy one pot recipe.

If you haven't noticed by now, I'm all about easy meals.  What choice do I have?  I have other obligations that keep me from being in the kitchen all day (darn!).  So here I have an easy way for you to make red beans and rice without compromising your cooking integrity by using a box (also, less sodium than the box).

I should also mention that my family does not do spicy very well, but I know that many of you out there love to have your mouth on fire.  For you, I will include some spicy alternatives.  You're welcome.

What you'll need:

• 1 can of red beans (undrained) [spicy alt: creole cream style red beans: New Orleans spicy]
• 1 can of petite diced tomatoes (undrained) [spicy alt: Rotel]
• roll of sausage (regular, green onion, or jalapeno)
• 1 cup rice (uncooked)
• 1 T Tony's creole seasoning
• 1 tsp basil
• 2 T parsley (because I put parsley in everything)
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/4 cup dried minced onions
• 1 cup water
• pepper to taste
• cayenne pepper (optional)

**Salt is not necessary for this recipe.**

What to do:

Slice up sausage and put in a medium to large pot.  Cook on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, or until it starts to brown.  

Add garlic and let cook an additional 30 seconds.  Add everything else.  If you do use salt, be careful to only use a tiny amount since the sausage and Tony's are already salty.

Bring mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat and cover.  Let simmer for about 20-25 minutes, or until rice is tender, stirring occasionally.

Serve immediately with cornbread or crackers.

Enjoy!

Prep time: 5-10 minutes
Cook time: About 45 minutes

Serves: 5-6

Black Bean and Sweet Potato (Vegan) Chili

I recently went through a weird period in my food life where all I could seem to put in my body was crap foods.  For about two straight weeks I was eating all the wrong things, feeling sluggish, and my weight was fluctuating more than usual.  My solution was to make it through an entire week of eating only vegan meals.  I figured it would be a good cleanse as well as a project that would get me back on track with my normal eating routine.

During this week I discovered some tasty foods that I plan on making again and again as well as some foods I will never ever ever make again.  It was a learning experience, and I managed to actually lose about 3lbs. One of my favorite meals I made was vegan chili.  The recipe I used as a guideline can be found here, but of course I could never follow a recipe exactly, so I'm posting the way I made mine.  It was so freaking delicious I will never make ground beef chili again.

I believe I have a homemade chili recipe on here somewhere.  As you might be able to tell from that, I like to make sweet chili.  I always make sweet cornbread and crumble it into my chili.  This vegan chili is already sweet, and it has way less calories than regular chili.  Not only do you not get the calories and fat from the ground beef, you also don't have to add any cornbread.  The sweet potatoes, corn, and carrots give it the exact same flavor as regular chili with sweet cornbread crumbled in.  And it's just as filling! You absolutely cannot go wrong with this recipe.

What you'll need:

• 1 small onion, chopped (or half of a medium to large onion)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (I actually got really lucky and found a head of garlic with GIANT cloves, so I only needed one)
• 1 green bell pepper, diced and deseeded
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1 tbs chili powder
• (1) 28oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1 large carrot or 10-12 baby carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 3/4 - 2 cups frozen corn (or one can drained)
• (3) 15.25oz cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
• 1/2 small jar of salsa (I used Tostito's Restaurant Style)
• (1) 14oz can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
• salt and pepper to taste

What to do:

Heat oil in the bottom of a large pot over medium heat.  Add onions and cook about 3 minutes.  Add bell pepper and continue to saute for another 4 minutes, or until pepper is soft.  Add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds until fragrant.  Add cumin and chili pepper and saute for another 2 minutes.

Add crushed tomatoes and mix together.  Add the rest of the ingredients and stir them all together in the pot.  Bring the chili to a boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer covered on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes, and then uncovered for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes and carrots are cooked all the way through.

Serves about 6-8.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hr 10 minutes
Total time: 1 hr 20 minutes

Tasty Detox Smoothie

Whether you just spent the weekend partying or just came out a holiday food binge, your body is probably looking for equilibrium.  Sometimes, in order to do this, you just need to spend a few days detoxing.  I prefer to do it the natural way with whole foods, versus the detox in a box.
A really good and natural way to help cleanse your body is by drinking a detoxifying smoothie.

What you'll need:

• high fiber fruit (such as an apple or pear)
• citrus fruit (orange or lemon)
• high fiber green (kale or spinach)
• 1-2 tbs. of a high fiber grain (barley or oats)
• 1/2 cup of water
• jalepeno puree (optional for those who like a little kick)

What to do:

Chop up the apple or pear into smaller cubes, peel and separate the citrus, and remove kale leaves from the stem.  Combine all ingredients in a blender and liquefy.  Serve immediately, and enjoy!

Recipe: Easy Homemade Chili

It's starting to get cold outside!  It's the time of year for soup and chili, and I could not be more excited!  Here's an easy recipe for super yummy chili that only takes about 35 minutes start to finish.

What you'll need:

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 small sweet bell pepper, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped (I only used half)
• 1 can red beans (undrained)
• 1 can diced tomatoes (undrained)
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1-3 tsps. chili powder (optional, depending how much of a kick you want)
• basil
• pepper
• parsley

Instructions:

Drizzle some oil in the bottom of a large saucepan or soup pot.

Add onion and bell pepper.

Saute for about 3-4 minutes. 

Add ground beef, pepper, basil, and parsley, and cook until brown. (If you are making rice or cornbread, now is the time to start it.)

Drain.

Add beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and chili powder.  I also added more parsley and basil.

Bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

The end result should look something like this:

Serve in a bowl with rice, cornbread, or crackers. It also makes an awesome lunch the next day! 

Serves about 6. 

Recipe - Goulash with Chicken and Rice

There are so many variants of goulash recipes, it's ridiculous.  If I am correct, it is basically just a medley of ingredients thrown together into a soup.  If it's not that, whatever.  I call this dish I make "goulash," so there.  I always make enough to last for a few days, and it's a great use for leftover chicken or Thanksgiving Turkey.

I should probably mention, before I get started, that I never measure anything when I cook.  If you're looking for a recipe that has exact measurements, you will be sorely disappointed.  Also, I never make this dish the same way twice, so I will include different options.

I will start off with how I made it on this particular evening, and then offer different options for you to adjust to your personal taste.

What you will need:

• chicken (I usually use 3lbs of boneless skinless breasts)
• instant brown rice (4 servings)
• 1 can of cannellini beans - drained and rinsed
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1 can drained corn
• 1-2 zucchini and/or yellow squash - sliced
• chicken broth (optional)
• marinade (optional)
• very large mixing bowl or stock pot

Having this for dinner was a last minute decision, so I didn't have time to marinate my chicken.  I made the decision to boil it in the marinade (hooray for executive decision making!).  You can cook your chicken however you want (boil, bake, use leftovers), as long as it ends up ripped up or cut up in your dish.  For the purpose of the recipe, I will let you in on what I used for a marinade.

Marinade:

• honey
• soy sauce
• red wine vinegar
• lemon juice (about 3 capfuls)
• garlic powder
• salt
• pepper
• dried diced onions
• parsley

Instructions:

• Combine marinade ingredients in the pot with your chicken.  Fill the rest of the way with water, cover, and boil on medium heat until chicken is done.  Remove the chicken and let sit on a plate until it is cool enough to rip apart.  Save the broth.
• While the chicken is cooking, put zucchini and/or squash slices in a buttered skillet.  Saute on low until cooked through.
• Combine beans, tomatoes, and corn in a large skillet and heat on medium low until tomatoes and beans are done.  Season with salt and pepper.
• Rice: follow the directions on the box.
• Combine all cooked ingredients in a very large bowl or stock pot and stir together.  If you boiled the chicken, use about 1.5-2 ladle-fuls of the broth in the mixture to moisten the rice.

And this is what you get:

Well, this is what I got.  It looks funny.  It tastes awesome.

Now of course you're wondering about variations.  Like I mentioned earlier, I don't think I have ever made this the same way twice.  Here are a few ways to vary it up a bit:

1. Use leftover chicken or turkey.  You can pull it apart and warm it up in a skillet.
2. Steamed broccoli instead of zucchini.
3. Black beans (or any kind of beans) instead of cannellini beans
4. Pasta instead of rice.
5. Use whatever vegetables you want (example: leftover Thanksgiving veggies).

Enjoy!

Reheating Tip: Put some water in a microwavable cup and leave it in the microwave while reheating the food.  It helps prevent drying out of the food.