Shrimp Taco Bowl

This may well be my best taco bowl to date! Mango salsa, Avocado and sweat chili sauce shrimp! It’s perfect for a weeknight meal.

Ingredients:
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 c sweat chili sauce
Zest and juice of 2 limes
1 mango, diced
1/4 c jalapeno, minced
1/4 c chives, minced
1/4 c cilantor, chopped
Butter lettuce, torn
Flour Tortilla
1 avocado, chopped

Preheat oven to 400. Spray a metal bowl and place tortilla in bowl, lightly spray abs bake 8 – 10 min until lightly brown. Repeat.

Toss shrimp in a large bowl with oil and salt. Add chilie sauce, zest and set aside for 10 minutes.

Combine mango, jalapeño, lime juice, cilantro and chives in a bowl.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and 1 tbsp oil and shrimp and cook until pink and cooked through, about 3 min per side.

Place lettuce in the bottom of each bowl. Top with salsa, shrimp and avocado.

Serves 2 – 4.

Advertisement

Radish Salad with Radish Sandwiches

There is something so magical about butter and radishes – add a little lemon zest and it’s out of this world!

Ingredients:
1 head of butter lettuce, torn
1 bunch of radishes, sliced thin
2 tbsp butter at room temp
Zest of lemon
4 sliced dark rye
Salt

Dressing:
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1 c half and half
1/3 c chives, minced

Combine dressing ingredients in a jar and shake to combine.

For the sandwich:

Cut 1/4 of the radishes into thin strips. Mash the lemon zest and butter together, spread on bread and top with radishes.

For Salad:

Combine lettuce and remaining radishes with 1/4 c dressing. Toss to coat.

Serves 4.

Grilled Chicken with Shallot Vinaigrette

The shallot Vinaigrette really makes this grilled chicken dish stand out! Make sure you get chicken with the skin on for this one.

Ingredients:
1 chicken, cut into pieces
Salt and pepper
12 shallots, sliced thin
1/2 c hazelnut of olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat grill to high. Salt and pepper chicken. Cook for 10 – 15 min per side, turning a couple of times.

Combine  the shallots, oil, lemon juice and salt.

Place chicken in a shallow dish and top with shallot mixture. Cover with foil and let rest 15 minutes. 

Serves 6.

Jalapeño Polenta Bread

This is a quick and easy Bread from Patricia Wells! It’s delicious the next day too!

Ingredients
Olive oil spray
1 1/4 c instant polenta
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 c buttermilk
1/4 c jalapenos, minced
1/2 c parmigiano, grated

Preheat oven to 425. Spray a 10 in round pan.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.

Pour into pan and bake for 15 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and slice.

Serves 8.

Romaine with Warm Mushrooms

I love salad with a warm dressing – truffle oil makes it decadent!

Ingredients:
Vinagrette:
zest and juice of 2 lemons
2 tsp dijon
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp truffle oil
1 tsp truffle or reg salt
1/4 c olive oil

Salad:
1 tbsp oil
1 lb crimini, sliced thin
1 sprig rosemary
1 tsp salt
1 shallot, sliced thin
1/4 c chopped parlsey
2 tbsp chives, chopped
3 hearts romaine, sliced thin
1/4 c pecorino, shaved
2 tbsp pinenuts, toasted
Salt and pepper

Combine Vinaigrette ingredients in a small jar and shake to combine.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add Mushrooms, rosemary and salt and cook till carmalized. Remove from heat, remove rosemary, stir in parsley and chives.

In a large bowl combine remaining ingredients, drizzle with vingairette and cheese top with Mushrooms.

Serves 4.

Lentil Salad with Spinach and Goat Cheese

To make this a quick weeknight meal, buy the precooked lentils from TJ’s.

Ingredients:
16 oz cooked lentils
2 red onions, sliced thin
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 c raisins
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
Juice of 2 lemons
Zest and juice od 1/2 orange
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp agave nectar
1 apple, chopped into small pieces
Salt and pepper
3 c spinach
1/4 c soft goat cheese
1/2 c sliced toasted almonds
1 c pom seeds

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skilled over medium heat. Add onions and 1/2 tsp salt and cook until slightly browned. Add curry and raisins and cook for 5 minutes. Add Pom molasses and remove from heat.

Whisk together lemon juice, orange zest and juice, red pepper flakes, garlic, 1 tsp salt and agave. Stir in apple. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl combine lentils, spinach, onion mixture, apple, crumbled Goat Cheese, Pom seeeds, almonds with the dressing. 

Serves 6.

Lamb with Pomegranetes and Honey

This dish is from Simple by Diana Henry. It is perfectly spiced and the mint and Pom seeds add a nice contrast. Serve on warmed flat bread.

For the lamb:
4 lb lamb
9 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
Salt
Leaves from a small bunch of mint
4½ tbsp pomegranate molasses 
4½ tbsp honey
4 tbsp olive oil
Juice from 4 lemons
To serve:
1 pomegranate
Leaves from a small bunch of mint
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 3/4 c Greek yogurt
Flatbreads or cooked couscous 

Pierce deep holes all over the lamb. In a mortar, make a marinade: crush the garlic to a paste with the salt, then add the other ingredients, starting with the mint, and pound some more.

Place lamb in a large bowl. Pour on the marinade, turning the lamb over to coat it. Cover and put in the fridge for about 12 hours.

Return the lamb to room temperature and place in a slow cooker and cook covered for 8 hours. Pull the foil over the lamb and seal to form a tent. The lamb is cooked when you can pull the meat apart with a fork.

Mix the pomegranate seeds with the mint, then add the garlic to the yogurt. Shred the lamb at the table and serve with the yogurt, pomegranate and mint, plus flatbreads or couscous and a salad.

Serves 6 – 8

Cumin-Coriander Roasted Carrots with Pomegrante and Avocado

This salad is so good – the roasted carrots with the creamy Avocado – perfect!

Ingredients:
20 carrots
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp cumin, ground
1 1/2 tsp corriander, ground
1 tsp chili flakes
salt and pepper
2 ripe avocados
1/4 c walnuts, toasted
4 c spinach
cilantros

1 c greek yogurt
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 c pomegrante seeds

Dressing:
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp dijon
1/3 c oliveoil
1/4 tsp honey
1/4 tsp lemon juice

Combine dressing ingredients in a small jar, shake to combine.

Stir together the yogurt, garlic and Pom seeds and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400. Place carrots in a single layer. Toss with olive oil, spices and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes turning a couple times. 

Toss the spinach with a little dressing to coat. Top with avocado, walnuts, carrots and yogurt sauce.

Serves 6.

Korean Chicken & Cucumber Salad

Wow – this chicken will take you to flavor town!! The sweetness of the chicken with the heat of the mayo and crunchy cilantro on a soft bun is perfection!! Another winner from Diana Henry.

Ingredients:
Chicken:
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c soy sauce
1/4 c brown sugar
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
3 tbsp sesame oil
1 1/2 lb chicken tenders

Mayo:
1/4 c mayo
1 tsp gochujang
1 clove garlic, minced
Juice on one lime

Cucumber Salad:
3 persian cucumbers, sliced thib
1 carrot, shredded
1 shallot, sliced thin
1/4 c rice wine vinegar
1 jalapeno, minced
salt

To serve:
Buns, hawaii rolls
Cilantro

Combine all ingredients for the chicken in a bowl and chill for 4 hours – overnight.

Combine all the ingredients for the mayo and set aside.

Toss all the ingredients for the salad, set aside.

Heat a large skillet over high heat, add the chicken and 1/4 of the marinade. Cook turning the chicken several times until golden and Cooke through.

Spread the mayo on the buns, top with the chicken and cilantro. serve cucumbers on the side.

Serves 4 – 6.

Pasta with Asparagus and Saffron

Another winner from Diana Henry. 

Ingredients:
Large pinch of saffron
1 tbsp butter
2 shallots, minced
3 1/2 oz dry vermouth
1 c chickeb stock
4 oz proscuitto, torn
1/2 heavy cream
Salt and pepper
Lemon juice
6 oz pasta
1 1/4 c asparagus, sliced thin

Put saffron in a cup with 3 tbsp hot water, set aside.

Cook pasta according to package. Add asparagus for the last 3 minutes.

Melt butter in a 12 inch skillet over medium heat, add shallots and cook till soft. Add the vermouth and boil until reduced to 3 tbsp. Add saffron water and stock and boil till reduced by 2/3. Add cream and boil until it costs back of a spoon, stir in lemon and remove from heat. Stir in drained pasta and asparagus.

Serves 4.