Crispy Breaded Shrimp with Cannellini Beans

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• I got this recipe from a Real Simple email that featured quick meals.  Not only was this meal quick but really healthy about 450 calories per serving- something that my trainer will appreciate!  I didn't have some of the key ingredients, you would think I would learn to make a list BEFORE going to the market!  Even though I was missing some key ingredients it was still delicious.  I will make this again - I would like to add in some spinach to the beans as the recipe requests as well as maybe do a lemon vinaigrette for the top.   Try it the next time you need to get a wonderful dinner on the table within 20 minutes!

Crispy Breaded Shrimp with Cannellini Beans

Adapted from Real Simple

• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
• 1 Tablespoon Parmesan cheese
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 19-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed

Preheat over to 400 degrees.  Mix together bread crumbs, dried oregano, old bay, parmesan and 3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil.  Add shrimp and toss to combine.  Place shrimp on baking sheet and add the excess bread crumbs to the top of the shrimp.  Bake 10 - 12 minutes.

Meanwhile heat the remaining two Tablespoons of oil and garlic.  Saute about 1 minute careful not to burn.  Add in beans, 1/4 cup water and salt and pepper.  Cook 3 minutes until the beans are cooked thru.

Serve the beans on the plate with the shrimp and extra bread crumbs.   Enjoy!

Spring is HERE!

I had a wonderful weekend - first a concert, then my mom and grandma were visiting, which is always wonderful.  We attended a family party for my cousins husband who will start a new tour in Afghanistan on Saturday.   Sunday we decided to go to the Farmer's Market by my sisters house - it was a perfect day to be in the sunshine, 72 and breezy!  There are so many delicious things that are starting to come into season and I can't wait until I get to enjoy all of it with the fresh fruits and veggies that I got!  More to come this week!

Chicken Piccata

Sometime recipes just don't work out the way that you had intended, that's what happened the other night when I decided to try the Chicken Piccata recipe featured on Pioneer Woman Cooks.  I have tried several of her recipes with success - you must try her onion blue cheese sauce, I could eat it on ANYTHING!

The resulting dish from the Chicken Piccata recipe was really good, but for some reason my sauce didn't thicken.  I still poured it over my deliciously crispy chicken and loved it.  I would try it again - hopefully it will thicken up next time!

Chicken Piccata
Adapted from Pioneer Woman Cooks

2 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 cup white wine
3/4 cup chicken broth
2 whole lemons
3/4 cup cream
Handful of grape tomatoes, halved

Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper and dredge in flour.  Heat butter and oil in a large saucepan.  Fry each breast - careful not to burn the butter.  Remove to a plate.

Add in wine, chicken broth and juice of lemons.  Scrape bottom of pan.  Allow sauce to cook and reduce by half.  Add tomatoes.

Reduce heat and add cream.  Whisk until sauce has thickened.  (I cooked mine for a while but it didn't thicken at all, must try again!)

I used baby bow tie pastas and added them to the sauce right at the end.  Spoon pasta onto plate, top with chicken and pour sauce over the entire plate.  Enjoy!

Blueberry Cheese Danish

We got a wonderfully large container of blueberries at Costco and I knew that we needed to do something with them other than just add into our breakfast yogurt.  This weekend gave me the perfect opportunity to do something different and delicious for breakfast.  It came together in about 5 minutes and we had a super indulgent breakfast that was ready in a flash!   The blueberries were wonderful little bursts of flavor in this danish and the lemon was a subtle flavor in the background.

Blueberry Cheese Danish
Adapted from Taste of Home

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon zest
juice of half a lemon
1 cup blueberries
Sugar for dusting

Glaze
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Juice of half lemon

Beat together cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice until creamy.  Unroll puff pastry onto a baking sheet, spray the pan with cooking spray.  Place cream cheese mixture in the center of the pastry, sprinkle with blueberries.  Fold ends of the pastry in and pinch edges to seal.  Brush with an egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  Remove and let cool 5 minutes.

To make glaze whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice.  Drizzle over danish.

Slice and serve while warm.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Caramel Corn

I love popcorn!  I always have to get it at the movies - I won't eat before the movies just so I can have enough room for a tub of popcorn!  We have an air popper that I use a couple of times a week - we just add some melted butter and salt and enjoy!  While checking out some different blogs a couple of weeks ago I came across this caramel corn recipe and decided that I would have to try this ASAP!  The best thing is that I had everything is that I needed!

The result was really yummy!  I only made a half recipe in case I didn't like it and because my husband and I do need a ton of this stuff around!  I do caution that you check the popcorn often towards the end - I ended up cooking mine about 10 minutes less than the recipe suggested.

Caramel Corn
Adapted from Annie's Eats

1/2 cup popcorn kernals, unpopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Pop popcorn and place in two large bowls - you need a lot of room to toss the popcorn with the syrup.

Melt butter over medium heat, once melted add in the corn syrup, brown sugar and salt.  Increase heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.  Boil for 5 minutes without stirring.  Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla.  Caution - mixture will boil and froth at this point.   Pour the caramel over the popcorn and stir to coat.  You need to work quickly because the caramel does begin to harden.

Spread the mixture evenly onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 250 degrees for 40 minutes tossing every ten minutes.  Test after 30 - 40 minutes.   Allow to cool completely before breaking up to serve.

Impress your Date - Sake Glazed Salmon

Earlier this week the hubby handed me the phone, on the other line was a good friend who needed some cooking advise.  He wanted to cook his girlfriend a meal that was delicious, easy and impressive, preferably seafood.  I was both honored that he considered me a reliable source, it must be the hubby talking me up to his friends he does like to brag about what he gets to eat, and nervous.  What if it doesn't turn out right, what if she hates it and doesn't want to take more than a bite!?!

I took a moment and it then it came to me - the easiest salmon recipe that I have, Sake Glazed Salmon.  I got this recipe from one of my favorite chefs - Nigella Lawson.  I love the way she LOVES food!  She has the best way of describing food, using adjectives that I could only hope to, relishing in the wonderfulness that is food.  I own all of her cookbooks, but Nigella Express is the one that I turn to the most because they are all quick to prepare but full in flavor.  This recipe is based on the Mirin Glazed Salmon recipe in this book.  I really wanted to try it but didn't have any Mirin and substituted with Sake.  I have made the salmon with Mirin and we actually prefer the sake version, try them both and you can decide!

Fingers are crossed that he will be able to impress his girlfriend with this - I know that my hubby is always impressed when I serve this up!

Sake Glazed Salmon
Adapted from Nigella Express

1/4 cup sake
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 - 4 oz. pieces of skinless salmon
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar

Mix the sake, brown sugar and soy sauce in a shallow dish that will hold the salmon.  Marinate the salmon for 3 minutes on each side.  Heat a large skillet on the stove.

Cook the salmon in the dry pan for 3 minutes on the first side and flip over.  Add the the marinade and cook for 3 minutes more.  The salmon will be medium at this point - cook a little longer if you want it to be fully cooked.

Remove salmon to your serving plate - I usually make some rice and serve the salmon over to catch all the yummy sauce.  Add rice vinegar to the pan and stir to combine. Pour the sauce over the salmon and serve immediately.

I usually add some steamed vegetables to this dish, my favorites are green beans or asparagus.  Right before pouring the sauce I add the vegetables to the sauce to give them a little flavor.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

I love any excuse to bake something!  I have tons of cupcake liners for just about every holiday imaginable!  I saw this recipe for Lucky Green Velvet Baby Cupcakes on Tasty Kitchen and knew that they would be perfect for St. Patty's Day!  This recipe didn't disappoint - be sure you have somewhere to take them because it makes a lot of cupcakes! 

Lucky Green Velvet Baby Cupcakes
Found at Picky Palate

1 Box Yellow Cake Mix
4 Whole Eggs
1/2 cup Water
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
1 small box Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
1/2 cup sourcream
Green Food Coloring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer, add cake mix, eggs, water, oil, pudding, and sour cream. Beat on medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes. Slowly beat in 5-8 drops of green decorating paste until you get the desired color of green. Scoop batter into paper-lined mini cupcake tins. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until cooked through. Let cool completely.


Frost cupcakes with your favorite frosting and enjoy!