Guy Day Friday [Shrimp Tacos]

I discovered this delicious shrimp taco recipe a few weeks ago (thanks, Pinterest) and thought it would be PERFECT for a guy who wants to make something a little more involved than a single protein + a veggie + a starch. It’s delicious AND healthy, so a real winner in my book.

I altered the recipe slightly to make it a little spicier. I like to serve it with 1/2 cup black beans or refried black beans (organic!). This is pretty close to ‘clean eating’, except for the tortillas. I usually get wheat tortillas, but you could skip them all together and just do taco salad. It would be yummy either way!

Ingredients:

• Raw (or frozen) large shrimp (remove tail) *you’ll want about 5-7 per taco
• Tortillas (flour, corn, you pick!)
• 1 small red onion
• 1 tomato
• 1 avocado
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro (finely chopped)
• 1 lime or lime juice
• Small head of lettuce or red cabbage
• Fresh salsa (not salsa from a jar, should be found in the produce section)
• Optional: jalapenos, cheese, salsa
• 1 6 oz. container of 0% greek yogurt

Spices needed:

• Cumin (1/2 tsp) + 1/4 tsp for sour cream
• Paprika (1/4 tsp)
• Crushed red pepper (1/4 tsp)
• Cayenne pepper (1/4 tsp)
• Garlic (1 clove – minced)
• Salt (dash – OPTIONAL)

Directions:

1. In a large skillet with a TBS olive oil, put thawed shrimp flat on one side over medium heat
2. Cook shrimp on each side for 3 minutes
3. Mix garlic, cumin, cayenne, red pepper and salt in a small bowl (if you have time to marinate the shrimp, mix these items before, add 1 TSP olive oil and put shrimp in bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes before cooking)
4. While shrimp are cooking, chop your avocado, tomato, onion, lettuce, and lime (and jalapeno if you have one)
5. Once shrimp are pink on both sides, cover with spice mixture and 1/4-1/2 cup of water (depending on how many shrimp you have) and turn heat down to low-medium to let simmer (for 2-5 minutes)
6. Mix yogurt, juice from 1 lime (or 1 TBS lime juice), 1/4 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp paprika and 2 TBS chopped cilantro together to make Cilantro-Lime Sour Cream
7. Heat tortillas just before serving
8. Serve and top with items of choice + a side of black beans or refried black beans

This is an EASY dinner and delicious to top it off! I like to use the leftovers for taco salad the next day. Enjoy!

GuyDay Friday [PieDay]

When we went to Key West in January, I fell in love with chocolate-dipped key lime pie on a stick. Ha, you’re drooling now, right? Me too. It’s seriously as delicious as it sounds – or maybe even better. Upon returning home, I found that Kermit’s Key Lime Pie Shoppe will ship 12 of these heaven-on-a-stick treats to you… for a price: $79 + overnight shipping. I weighed this in my mind as the thought of having 12 of them in my hands was amazing but HOLY COW, that’s a lot of money for some pie.

So, instead of splurging on a shipment of heaven-on-a-stick, I decided to make my own. Easy, peasy, right? Well, kind of. I got a recipe from The Food Network and altered it to be dark chocolate. Also, I found it to be a little unclear on what kind of bowl exactly to use to melt the chocolate (I’m thinking for the average person, you don’t just have large bowls that fit over top of pots of boiling water). I used a glass mixing bowl and it didn’t break. Not saying that’s the best option but it was what I had to work with and the outcome was pretty good  (and tasty).

Ingredients:

• 1 Frozen Key Lime Pie (or, make your own pie and freeze it)
• Popsicle sticks (I suggest Michaels or SuperTarget to find these)
• Two 16 oz. bags of dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips (or one of each)
• Empty large yogurt container or something similar (should be deep and not too wide)
• Wax paper
• Heat safe bowl (think silicon or ceramic)
• Rubber spatula

Directions:

• Freeze the pie if not already frozen
• Cut pie into even slices (recipe called for 10, I got 8)
• Insert popsicle stick into crust and about 1/2 way into pie slice (be gentle so as not to crumble the crust)
• FREEZE until rock hard (this may require making your freezer colder for a little bit!)
• Bring a pot of water to boil and place a heat-safe bowl over top of the pot (try this bowl!) without touching water
• Once water is boiling, turn off heat and place 2/3 chocolate chips in bowl and stir with rubber spatula until melted
• Once melted, remove bowl from pot and stir in other 1/3 of chips until melted (may need to use a hand mixer)
• Pour chocolate into empty (clean) yogurt container
• Dip each piece of pie into the container getting a thin labor of chocolate all over (thin is key!)
• Place pie slices on wax paper to dry and then return to freezer once chocolate has hardened
• Serve on a hot, summer day (or a cool winter day when you want the taste of summer)

Lessons learned: My chocolate was far too thick on the pie slices, causing it to be difficult to bite into and then requiring us to use forks. If you think there’s excess chocolate on the pie, use a rubber spatula to remove before cooling. Otherwise? It was absolutely delicious and I will 100% be making these again. I would recommend pie without whipped cream so that you can dip the WHOLE slice of pie. I didn’t use the yogurt container so my bowl wasn’t deep enough to get the whole slice.

I have a feeling I will one day order Kermit’s Key Lime Pie bars and have them specially delivered; but for now, this recipe is about $70 cheaper and pretty close to being the same. Definitely worth giving it a shot. I shared with my friend who has two kids (4 and 2) and thought they would love to make these – and eat them. Happy Pie Day!

Guy Day Friday [Protein Energy Bites]

Have I mentioned that our stove has been broken for more than 2 weeks now? It’s terrible. We’ve used our griddle and crock pot for meals but seriously, there is SO MUCH you need a stove for! My husband is likely getting tired of me telling him we should just forget the warranty company and go buy a new one (I REALLY WANT TO BE ABLE TO USE A STOVE!). Anyway, I made these delicious protein energy bites to travel with us for the holidays and since they’re no-bake, it worked out perfectly.

Ingredients: 

1 c. quick oats (I actually used steel cut)
2 TBS chia seeds (PACKED WITH PROTEIN!)
1 TBS flax seeds
1/2 cup Chocolate Chips (or dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, raisins, craisins, almonds, walnuts)
2/3 c. coconut flakes
2/3 c. peanut butter (I used crunchy! Almond butter would also be good!)
1/3 c. honey (or agave nectar!)
1 tsp. vanilla

Optional:

1 TBS protein powder

Directions: 

Mix all ingredients in same bowl until combined well (I used my hands but a wooden spoon would work too)

Put in refrigerator for 30 minutes until mixture cools/hardens a bit

Roll out into 1 inch balls  on wax paper

Should make 20-25 balls per batch. Keep refrigerated. Good for up to 5 days (I doubt they’ll last that long after you try the first one! SOOOO good!).

Let me know if you try other ingredients, I’d love to know what flavor combinations you come up with!

Guy Day Friday [Turkey Burgers]

Hopefully you’ve started trying out those cookie recipes by now for all of your holiday parties. They’re good, right? Today’s post is all about meat and a healthy lunch/dinner that is easy, relatively quick and definitely delicious. You can make 4-5 burgers with a pack of turkey, which is great if you’re making dinner for someone or if it’s just you and you want to have lunch for the week!

Ingredients:

1 pack of lean ground turkey
1 can of Rotel
1 block of cheese (I like pepperjack or habenero cheese)
1 buns (or you can eat them without bread!)
Directions:

• Open the turkey
• Drain the rotel
• Mix 1/2 can Rotel in with turkey (I use my hands)
• Shred some cheese and mix in well with the turkey/Rotel mixture
• Make into patties and place in skillet with a little oil (I like coconut oil)
• Skillet should be on med-high and cook until both sides are brown
• Meat should not be pink on inside!
• If you want cheese on top, add a slice and serve with bun

I eat these bunless to save on the bread calories (also, I’m not a “bread person” but my husband will tell you I’m a “butter person” so if there’s good butter and bread to eat it on, then I will partake!).

I like to pair steamed veggies or roasted brussels sprouts with the burgers. It’s really a quick and healthy meal. And they save great for lunch the next day! In the summer, it’s nice to do these on the grill! Also, bison meat is really lean and just as delicious when made into burgers!

Enjoy + happy almost Christmas!

 

Guy Day Friday – Cookie Time!

 

 

THREE DAYS left to enter the giveaway and have a chance to win items from Noonday Collection, Fiber & Water, Evelyn Henson, LH Calligraphy, Emily McDowell and more!

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Cookies may seem like a daunting item when you think about baking and getting the timing right and what if they’re too gooey or what if they burn? You could just pick some up from the store, right? Wrong. I’m going to give you THREE recipes, all with less than 5 incredients EACH. You can’t mess these up!

Peanut Butter Cookies:

1. 1 c. creamy peanut butter
2. 1 c. sugar in the raw (or white sugar)
3. 1 egg

• Beat all 3 together until well mixed
• Make 1 inch balls and push down with thumb or fork to flatten
• Bake on 350 for 8-10 minutes (then cool for 5-10 minutes)

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies:

1. 1 c. Nutella
2. 3/4 cup wheat flour (or white)
3. 1/2 – 1 c. chocolate chips (I like dark chocolate chips but milk or white would work too)
4. 1 egg

• Mix all items together until flour and egg can no longer be detected (I use a wooden spoon)
• Make 1 inch balls and place on wax paper on a baking sheet (evenly spaced)
• Bake on 350 for 6-8 minutes (I go for 6-7) then cool and serve

 

Pumpkin cheesecake whoopie pies:

For the cookies:

1. 1 box spice cake mix
2. 1 can pumpkin puree
3. 1/3 c. coconut oil or 1/2 c. vegetable oil

• Mix well together until smooth
  
• Make 1 1/2 inch cookie balls on wax paper (on baking sheet) and space at least 1.5 inches apart
• Press down on top or use a spoon to smooth out the tops (will make prettier cookies)
• Remember, it takes 2 cookies for each whoopie pie – you will need all of those cookies! (looks like a lot!)
• Bake on 350 for approximately 14 minutes (cookies should be soft to touch and rebound after touching)

For the filling:

1. 1 box Jello cheesecake filling
2. 16 oz whipping cream

• Mix both parts together until well mixed and thick looking
• Spoon into a ziplock bag, seal it and then cut 1/4 inch off one bottom corner

Making the whoopie pies:

• After cookies have cooled, take one cookie and pipe filling onto bottom, then place another cookie on top
• Do this until all cookies/filling has been used
• Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve (you can keep them separated in tupperware with wax paper!)

 

Now, who is taking cookies to their holiday party or family gathering this year? Can’t wait to hear how it goes! Enjoy!

Guy Day Friday – Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

Sometimes I get tired of eating meat and veggies for dinner, and my husband tells me that I can’t just eat Zuppa Toscana or Shrimp & Grits (I would totally do this) for dinner every night, so I have to find new recipes now and again. These stuffed peppers are incredibly delicious and filling – and EASY!

Ingredients:

1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 red onion
1 TBS garlic
1 cup quinoa
1 pack large portabella mushrooms (I get the 5 pack – it makes for leftovers)
1 TBS olive oil
1 cup spinach
Cheese of your choice (I used Gouda this past week)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Wash your mushrooms off and then put them on a baking sheet (stem up!) and drizzle with olive oil, bake for 10 minutes
• While mushrooms are baking, chop peppers and onion and sauté with garlic, pepper and any other spices you like

• Cook quinoa (1 cup with 2 cups water): bring to a boil, cover and reduce to low heat for 10-15 minutes

• Mix spinach in with other veggies (will only take a minute or two for it to wilt down)

• In a separate bowl, mix 1/2 quinoa and the sautéed veggies
• Put spoonfuls of mixture on mushrooms and cover with cheese

• Bake for another 8 minutes on 350
• Serve immediately

*You will probably have extra mushrooms (save them for lunch/dinner!) and also left over quinoa. I like to mix in a spoonful of cilantro and some lime juice with the quinoa and serve it as a side with another meal!

Don’t worry about this not being enough food for you, or worried that it’s not meat. Portabellas are very meaty and filling. I like to sauté some extra spinach to serve with them or steam any other kind of veggie. Healthy and delicious!

PS  – don’t forget to check out the BIG GIVEAWAY happening now!

Guyday Friday [Perfect Pancakes]

Creating pancakes for breakfast seemed hard for the longest time…. and then I actually tried. And they weren’t half bad. And they’re actually quite easy (which I can say now that I’ve been making them for years, but trust me, they’re not that hard!).

To make the easiest pancakes you’ll ever make, here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 1/2 cups flour (or 1 cup white flour, 1/2 cup wheat flour)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4-1 1/2 cups almond milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 TBS coconut oil (can use 2 TBS vegetable oil if coconut oil isn’t in your pantry!)
• Griddle (I love this one that we got for our wedding!) or hot non-stick skillet with 1 TBS melted butter

Directions:

• Mix the dry ingredients first
• Pour in 1 1/4 cup milk (you may need more but hold off for now), mix in with dry ingredients
• Add the eggs, vanilla and oil, use whisk to mix  (it shouldn’t be totally smooth)
• IF you want to add in fruit (or chocolate chips, now is the time – add and mix well

  

• Griddle should be heated to 350 degrees, or skillet on med-high heat
  
• Use 1/4 cup measuring cup to drop pancakes on skillet/griddle

  

• Once you see bubbles start appearing on side that’s facing up, you can flip to the other side
  
• It should take about 2 minutes on each side but depends on how big/thick your pancakes are
  
• Serve immediately. If you have extras, put them in tupperware or a sandwich bag and refrigerate them.

PS – we’ve been drinking almond milk for a while now and recently discovered this disclaimer on the back of the carton:

“SILK ALMOND MILK WILL STAY FRESH 7-10 DAYS IN REFRIGERATOR AFTER OPENING”

…even though the expiration date is in December? Gross. Now we write the date in permanent marker on the cap once we open the carton. So, yeah.

Anyway, give the pancakes a shot. The first one is always the trickiest. And your whole first batch might be a fail, but you’ll get the hang of it. And you’ll love them. Also? It only takes about 15 minutes to make a batch of these babies!

Guyday Friday

I’ve decided to dedicate all future Friday posts to guys – and cooking for guys. This came after a good guy friend told me he didn’t know how to make scrambled eggs, so he always hard boils his eggs. I wanted to give him some easy recipes that will also be delicious and can provide more than one meal for him. However, before we jump into meal #1, I am DYING to tell you about the next giveaway to raise more funds for the Pretty in Pink Wishes fundraiser and to help those ladies cross more items off their bucket lists.

Some super amazing folks have committed to donating FABULOUS items in order to help raise more money. I won’t tell you what exactly we have so far but I will tell you that we have items from Evelyn Henson, Fiber & Water, Jen Yamzon, Lori Wells, LH Calligraphy and Carolyn Leona (and hopefully more to come!). Go ahead and start donating, anyone who donates $10 or more from today through the end of the giveaway (I’m thinking 12/15 so you can have your items by Christmas??) will be entered! Come back here and comment that you donated!

I decided on Zuppa Toscana for this week’s recipe since the polar vortex has hit us and the weather is below freezing. A bowl of this will warm you right up! I got the recipe originally from my mother-in-law (who is also one of the best cooks I know!) and I’ve doctored it a little to make it my own.

Shopping list:

1 lb. Italian Sausage (I like hot, choose mild if your tastebuds aren’t in the mood for spicy)
(2) 32.5 oz cartons of chicken broth (or vegetable. Also, I get the lower sodium, organic kind)
1 TBS. pepper flakes
8 oz. of heavy cream (buy the small carton)
9 medium potatoes
1 red onion
4 slices of bacon (optional – I don’t use it personally but if you’re a bacon lover, go for it!)
1 tsp. Garlic (buy the minced garlic in a jar)
1 bunch of kale
1 handful of spinach

Directions: (1 hour prep/cook time)

In a large skillet, brown the sausage and red pepper flakes (should take about 10-15 minutes)

While the meat is cooking, chop the onion and potatoes.

If using bacon, set aside the sausage and cook the bacon in the same skillet until crisp (about 10 minutes). Drain the grease (leaving a couple tablespoons).

Whether you used just the sausage or the bacon, add in the diced red onion and garlic to your meat and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a large pot, mix the broth, peeled and chopped potatoes and bring to a boil. Boil for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Mix in the meat, cook on medium for 5 more minutes.

Stir in the heavy cream and cook through (about 5 more minutes).

Mix in the spinach and kale and let cook for 2 more minutes before serving. Serve immediately.

This should make dinner/lunch for at least a few days and keep you warm and full at the same time. Plus, it’s easily reheated so you can take it to work with you (I LOVE one-container lunches!). It’s super easy and super delicious. Can’t wait to hear what you think!

Hoping everyone has an AMAZING weekend that’s full of so much joy, oh, and that you stay warm! We’ll be bundled up and rooting on our Hokies (sad face for this season!). At least we’ll have good company at the game!