Shrimp Scampi

This is my husband's recipe for shrimp scampi and it is delicious! This recipe is also super easy and quick to make!

To make 2 servings of shrimp scampi you will need:

• 6 oz. PASTA (we used fettuccine)
• 12 oz. SHRIMP
• 3 Tbs UNSALTED BUTTER
• 2 Tbs OLIVE OIL
• 1/2 medium ONION, chopped
• 2 cloves GARLIC, minced
• 1/8 tsp RED PEPPER (feel free to add more if you like spicy food!)
• 1/2 tsp SALT
• 1/4 tsp PEPPER
• 1 LEMON or 3 Tbs LEMON JUICE
• 1/4 cup WHITE WINE
• Optional: PARSLEY, to garnish

Start off by putting a pot of water on to boil. Once the water comes to a boil, add the pasta and cook according to the directions on the box (about 10 minutes). 

Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a skillet and then add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once the butter is melted and the oil is hot, saute the onion and garlic until the onion starts to get translucent. Add the red pepper, salt, and pepper.

Next, add the shrimp, wine, and lemon juice.

Stir everything together and bring the contents to a simmer. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the shrimp turns pink.

Add the cooked pasta and toss the it in the sauce!

Serve and garnish with chopped parsley!

Yum!

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Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients:

• 6 oz. PASTA (we used fettuccine)
• 12 oz. SHRIMP
• 3 Tbs UNSALTED BUTTER
• 2 Tbs OLIVE OIL
• 1/2 medium ONION, chopped
• 2 cloves GARLIC, minced
• 1/8 tsp RED PEPPER (feel free to add more if you like spicy food!)
• 1/2 tsp SALT
• 1/4 tsp PEPPER
• 1 LEMON or 3 Tbs LEMON JUICE
• 1/4 cup WHITE WINE
• Optional: PARSLEY, to garnish

Directions:

1. Start off by putting a pot of water on to boil. Once the water comes to a boil, add the pasta and cook according to the directions on the box (about 10 minutes). 
2. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a skillet and then add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once the butter is melted and the oil is hot, saute the onion and garlic until the onion starts to get translucent. 
3. Add the red pepper, salt, and pepper.
4. Next, add the shrimp, wine, and lemon juice. 
5. Stir everything together and bring the contents to a simmer. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the shrimp turns pink.
6. Add the cooked pasta and toss the it in the sauce.
7. Serve and garnish with chopped parsley!

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Spaghetti Squash & Meatballs

Lately my husband and I have been trying to focus on eating healthier and cutting back on carbohydrates. One meal that we both loved was this spaghetti squash with meatballs. It is basically spaghetti and meatballs, but instead of using spaghetti we used spaghetti squash. Now, I'm not going to lie to you and say that it tastes just like regular spaghetti because it doesn't. It isn't pasta, it's a vegetable! Don't let that keep you from making this dish though, it turned out delicious! The flavors of the tomato sauce paired really well with the flavor of the spaghetti squash! We liked it so much we are making it again this week!

This recipe will make about 16 meatballs which I would consider 4 servings. To make the meatballs you will need:

• 3/4 lb. GROUND BEEF
• 2 cloves GARLIC, minced
• 6 Tbs PLAIN BREAD CRUMBS
• 1 LARGE EGG
• 6 Tbs PARMESAN CHEESE, shredded
• 2 Tbs FRESH PARSLEY, minced
• pinch of SALT and PEPPER
• splash of MILK
• 3-4 Tbs OLIVE OIL

To make the sauce you will need:

• 1/2 YELLOW ONION, chopped
• 2 cloves GARLIC, minced
• 1/2 tsp SALT
• 1/2 tsp PEPPER
• 28 oz. CRUSHED TOMATOES 
• Optional: 1/4 cup WHITE WINE
• 1/4 tsp SUGAR
• 1/2 tsp SALT
• 1/2 tsp PEPPER
• 2 Tbs FRESH PARSLEY, minced

You will also need:

• 2 medium SPAGHETTI SPAGHETTI SQUASHES (1/2 a squash per serving) 

Start off by mixing together the ground beef, garlic, bread crumbs, egg, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, pepper, and milk in a medium bowl.

Don't be afraid, get your hands in there and mix it all up!

Once the mixture is well combined roll out balls that are about 1 & 1/2 inches in diameter and place them on a cookie sheet. Once all of the meatball are rolled out, place the cookie sheet in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Doing this helps them stay together better while you brown them. 

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, sear the meatballs in the pot, turn to brown. (You are not trying to cook the meatballs just yet, you are just trying to get a good sear all over.) 

Place the meatballs on a paper towel once they have a good sear in order to drain off any excess oil. 

Into the large pot with oil, add the onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes until they start to to turn translucent.



Then add the crushed tomatoes, wine, salt, pepper, and parsley. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat.

Then add the meatballs to the sauce and cook for another 30 minutes. Stir gently as to not break up the meatballs. If the sauce starts to get too thick you can add more crushed tomatoes if you have them or else a little bit of water.



While the meatballs are cooking prepare the spaghetti squash. This way all of the food will be ready at once!

Pierce the skin of the squash several times with a sharp knife in order to allow the steam to escape (Basically stab it a few times, but be careful! The skin is very tough!).

If you choose to bake it, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and then bake it on a cookie sheet for 1 hour. OR you could take the quicker route and put it on a plate and microwave it for 10-12 minutes making sure to rotate the squash half-way through. Your choice! The squash is done cooking when you can pierce the squash with your knife fairly easily.

After cooking your squash, cut it open lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. 

Then take a fork and scrape the stringy, spaghetti-like squash out.

Transfer the squash to a bowl... 

and top with the sauce and meatballs! 

Then sit back and enjoy!

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Spaghetti Squash & Meatballs

Ingredients:

To make the meatballs you will need:

• 3/4 lb. GROUND BEEF
• 2 cloves GARLIC, minced
• 6 Tbs PLAIN BREAD CRUMBS
• 1 LARGE EGG
• 6 Tbs PARMESAN CHEESE, shredded
• 2 Tbs FRESH PARSLEY, minced
• pinch of SALT and PEPPER
• splash of MILK
• 3-4 Tbs OLIVE OIL

To make the sauce you will need:

• 1/2 YELLOW ONION, chopped
• 2 cloves GARLIC, minced
• 1/2 tsp SALT
• 1/2 tsp PEPPER
• 28 oz. CRUSHED TOMATOES 
• Optional: 1/4 cup WHITE WINE
• 1/4 tsp SUGAR
• 1/2 tsp SALT
• 1/2 tsp PEPPER
• 2 Tbs FRESH PARSLEY, minced

You will also need:

• 2 medium SPAGHETTI SPAGHETTI SQUASHES (1/2 a squash per serving) 

Directions:

1. Start off by mixing together the ground beef, garlic, bread crumbs, egg, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, pepper, and milk in a medium bowl. Don't be afraid, get your hands in there and mix it all up!
2. Once the mixture is well combined, roll out balls that are about 1 & 1/2 inches in diameter and place them on a cookie sheet. Once all of the meatball are rolled out, place the cookie sheet in the freezer for about 10 minutes. 
3. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, sear the meatballs in the pot, turn to brown. (You are not trying to cook the meatballs just yet, you are just trying to get a good sear all over.) 
4. Place the meatballs on a paper towel once they have a good sear in order to drain off any excess oil. 
5. Into the large pot with oil, add the onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes until they start to to turn translucent. Then add the crushed tomatoes, wine, salt, pepper, and parsley. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat. 
6. Then add the meatballs to the sauce and cook for another 30 minutes. Stir gently as to not break up the meatballs. (If the sauce starts to get too thick you can add more crushed tomatoes if you have them or else a little bit of water.) While the meatballs are cooking prepare the spaghetti squash.
7. Pierce the skin of the squash several times with a sharp knife in order to allow the steam to escape while cooking (Basically stab it a few times, but be careful! The skin is very tough!). The squash is done cooking when you can pierce the squash with your knife fairly easily.
• If you choose to bake it, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and then bake it on a cookie sheet for 1 hour. 
• If you choose to microwave it, put it on a plate and heat it for 10-12 minutes making sure to rotate the squash half-way through.
8. After cooking your squash, cut it open lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. 
9. Then take a fork and scrape the stringy, spaghetti-like squash out.
10. Serve the meatballs and sauce over the spaghetti squash and top with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil! Then sit back and enjoy!

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Spinach Alfredo Pizza

One of my favorite types of pizza is spinach alfredo. Even as a kid I loved it! When my family would go out to dinner at a pizza buffet restaurant I would always head for the spinach alfredo. It might sound weird at first, but it is so good! In just one bite you get the creamy, cheesy flavor of the alfredo sauce with baked spinach and even more more cheese on top of a softy and chewy crust. Yum!

To make this pizza you will need:

• PIZZA DOUGH (click here to get the recipe I use!)
• 2 Tbs BUTTER
• 1/4 cup HEAVY CREAM
• 1/2 cup PARMESAN CHEESE, grated
• 2-3 cups of FRESH SPINACH
• 1 & 1/2 cup MOZZARELLA CHEESE

Start off by preparing the dough. If you decide to use the recipe that I use, follow the directions at this link. Once the dough is ready, prepare the sauce. Now, you could just use a jar of store bought alfredo sauce but I like to make my own (It's really easy!). To do this I melt the butter in a small saucepan, then stir in the heavy cream, and lastly whisk in the parmesan cheese. Boom! Alfredo Sauce!

Next, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F, roll out your dough, and spread the sauce on top!

Then layer on the spinach! Don't be afraid to add a lot (the picture below is not what I would consider "a lot," I just forgot to take a picture after we added more). The spinach will shrink up a lot in the oven!

Lastly, sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top and pop it in the oven! Bake for 15-20 minutes depending on how thinly you rolled out the dough.

Mmmmm just look at that cheesy goodness!

Slice up the pizza and dig in!

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Spinach Alfredo Pizza

Ingredients:

• PIZZA DOUGH (click here to get the recipe I use!)
• 2 Tbs BUTTER
• 1/4 cup HEAVY CREAM
• 1/2 cup PARMESAN CHEESE, grated
• 2-3 cups of FRESH SPINACH
• 1 & 1/2 cup MOZZARELLA CHEESE

Directions:

1. Start off by preparing the dough. If you decide to use the recipe that I use, follow the direction at this link. 
2. Once the dough is ready, prepare the sauce. Now, you could just use a jar of store bought alfredo sauce but I like to make my own (It's really easy!). To do this I melt the butter in a small saucepan, stir in the heavy cream, and lastly whisk in the parmesan cheese. Boom! Alfredo Sauce!
3. Next, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F, roll out your dough, and spread the sauce on top!
4. Then layer on the spinach! Don't be afraid to add a lot. The spinach will shrink up a lot in the oven!
5. Lastly, sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top and pop it in the oven! Bake for 15-20 minutes depending on how thinly you rolled out the dough.
6. Slice up the pizza and dig in!

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Salsa

I love eating chips and salsa at restaurants but somehow the salsa you buy in stores never seems to taste as good, am I right? Maybe it's just me... Anyway, I have found a recipe for salsa that I think is just as good as the salsa you get from restaurants! It is also incredibly easy to adapt it to your tastes. If you like spicy food, add more jalapeno! If you don't like chunky salsa, chop the heck out of it with a food processor!

If you use the quantities of ingredients I have listed below, it should make about 2 cups of salsa that I would consider to have mild to medium heat. Remember, if you want it hotter (or less hot) just vary the amount of jalapenos!

To make this delicious, restaurant style salsa you will need:

• 1 (14 oz.) can of WHOLE PEELED TOMATOES, separate the juice from the tomatoes, but save the juice!
• 1 (10 oz.) can ROTEL 
• 1/4 cup RED ONION, chopped  
• 1/2 medium sized JALAPENO (de-seeded and de-veined), finely chopped 
• 1/4 cup FRESH CILANTRO
• 1-2 Tbs LIME JUICE
• 1/4 tsp SALT
• 1/4 tsp CUMIN

Start off by roughly chopping the onion and finely chopping the jalapeno. Then throw all of the ingredients (except for the juice from the whole tomatoes) into a food processor...

NOTE: If you don't have a food processor you can still make this salsa, you will just have to chop everything by hand!

...and pulse it until you like the size of the chunks! Then add some some of the juice from the whole tomatoes until you get a consistency you like. (I used about half of the juice.)

Now the best part, taste the salsa! Add more spices, jalapeno, or lime juice until you like it!

Once you are happy with the flavors, serve the salsa with chips and dig in!

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Salsa

Ingredients:

• 1 (14 oz.) can of WHOLE PEELED TOMATOES, separate the juice from the tomatoes, but save the juice!
• 1 (10 oz.) can ROTEL 
• 1/4 cup RED ONION, chopped  
• 1/2 medium sized JALAPENO (de-seeded and de-veined), finely chopped 
• 1/4 cup FRESH CILANTRO
• 1-2 Tbs LIME JUICE
• 1/4 tsp SALT
• 1/4 tsp CUMIN

Directions:

1. Roughly chop the onion and finely chop the jalapeno. 
2. Next, throw all of the ingredients (except for the juice from the whole tomatoes) into a food processor and pulse it until you like the size of the chunks.
• NOTE: If you don't have a food processor you can still make this salsa, you will just have to chop everything by hand!
3. Add some some of the juice from the whole tomatoes until you get a consistency you like. (I used about half of the juice.)
4. Now the best part, taste the salsa! Add more spices, jalapeno, or lime juice until you like it!
5. Once you are happy with the flavors, serve the salsa with chips and dig in!

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I based my recipe on the Pioneer Woman's salsa recipe: http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/appetizers-and-snacks/restaurant-style-salsa/

Grow Your Own Green Onions (Scallions)!

See the green onions in the picture above? I grew them!!! And it was super easy! All you need is green onions, a glass, and water! Next time you buy green onions chop off the bottom 2 inches and throw them in a glass of water. After about two weeks they will grow back and look the same as the day you bought them! (You will need to refill the water every few days.)

I have noticed that after the first re-growth they do not grow as fast (I am assuming because of a lack of nutrients since the onions are just in water). If you want to be able to continuously re-grow them, simply plant them in some soil and water regularly. When you plant them make sure that the bulbs (the bottom inch) are covered by soil. Make sure that a little bit of the onion is still poking out of the ground though.

Day 1:

Day 3:

Day 14:

Whenever you want green onions just use a pair of scissors to cut off how much you need! (I harvested mine all at once.)

Strawberry Scones

I made these scones last weekend and they turned out to be delicious! I ran across this recipe online when I was searching for new things that I could make with some leftover buttermilk. I rarely buy buttermilk, so when I have it around I want to use it!

To make 6 large strawberry scones (or probably 8-10 medium sized scones) you will need:

• 3/4 cup (FROZEN or FRESH) STRAWBERRIES, chopped
• 2 & 1/4 cup FLOUR
• 1/2 Tbs BAKING POWDER
• 1/2 tsp BAKING SODA
• 1/4 cup GRANULATED SUGAR
• 1/2 tsp SALT
• 1 stick very cold UNSALTED BUTTER, cubed
• 3/4 cup BUTTERMILK
• 1/2 tsp LEMON JUICE
• 1 tsp VANILLA EXTRACT

For topping:

• 1 & 1/2 Tbs UNSALTED BUTTER, melted
• 2 Tbs LARGE CRYSTAL SUGAR or GRANULATED SUGAR

Start off by chopping the strawberries into bite sized pieces. Then stick them in the freezer while you prepare the dough. Freezing the strawberries will prevent the juices from oozing when you mix them into the dough making the dough too wet. (If you use pre-frozen strawberries you obviously don't have to wait around for the strawberries to freeze which makes the process go faster!)

Cut the stick of butter into cubes and then put it in the freezer with the strawberries to allow the butter to get very cold! When your strawberries are pretty frozen (this could take about an hour if you use fresh strawberries) preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt into a large bowl. Mix well to make sure all of the ingredients are equally dispersed. Next cut the cold butter into the flour using either a pastry cutter or two knives. You want to end up with pea sized balls of butter in a coarse flour mixture.

In a small bowl, mix the buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Pour the buttermilk mixture and frozen strawberries over the flour mixture.

Gently mix together the wet ingredients and dry ingredients with a spatula until the dough just starts to form. (I had to add a few extra tablespoons of buttermilk to get the dough to come together. If you need to add more liquid be careful to not add too much, add it one tablespoon at a time!)

Once the dough will just hold together, (I should still be kind of crumbly!) form it into a rectangle on a floured surface. Press the dough out to be about 1 & 1/2 inches thick.

Next, brush the melted butter onto the dough and sprinkle the sugar on top. The sugar will almost create a crust on top of the scones once baked.

Cut the large rectangle into 6 pieces and then transfer them to the baking sheet. You could cut the scones into smaller pieces if you don't want such large scones.

Then bake for 25-30 minutes! Look how much they grew!

 Don't they look yummy!

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Strawberry Scones

Ingredients:
To make 6 large strawberry scones you will need:

• 3/4 cup (FROZEN or FRESH) STRAWBERRIES, chopped
• 2 & 1/4 cup FLOUR
• 1/2 Tbs BAKING POWDER
• 1/2 tsp BAKING SODA
• 1/4 cup GRANULATED SUGAR
• 1/2 tsp SALT
• 1 stick very cold UNSALTED BUTTER, cubed
• 3/4 cup BUTTERMILK
• 1/2 tsp LEMON JUICE
• 1 tsp VANILLA EXTRACT

For topping:

• 1 & 1/2 Tbs UNSALTED BUTTER, melted
• 2 Tbs LARGE CRYSTAL SUGAR or GRANULATED SUGAR

Directions:

1. Chop the strawberries into bite sized pieces. Then stick them in the freezer while you prepare the dough. 
2. Cut the stick of butter into cubes and then put it in the freezer with the strawberries to allow the butter to get very cold! 
3. When your strawberries are pretty frozen (this could take about an hour if you use fresh strawberries) preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
4. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt into a large bowl. Mix well to make sure all of the ingredients are equally dispersed. 
5. Cut the cold butter into the flour using either a pastry cutter or two knives. You want to end up with pea sized balls of butter in a coarse flour mixture.
6. In a small bowl, mix the buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Pour the buttermilk mixture and frozen strawberries over the flour mixture. Gently mix together the wet ingredients and dry ingredients with a spatula until the dough just starts to form. (I had to add a few extra tablespoons of buttermilk to get the dough to come together. If you need to add more liquid be careful to not add too much, add it one tablespoon at a time!)
7. Once the dough will just hold together, (I should still be kind of crumbly!) form it into a rectangle on a floured surface. Press the dough out to be about 1 & 1/2 inches thick. 
8. Next, brush the melted butter onto the dough and sprinkle the sugar on top. The sugar will almost create a crust on top of the scones once baked.
9. Cut the large rectangle into 6 pieces and then transfer them to the baking sheet. You could cut the scones into smaller pieces if you don't want such large scones. Then bake for 25-30 minutes! 

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I adapted this recipe from a recipe I found on the following site: http://www.breadtastic.com/quick-breads/tartines-strawberry-buttermilk-scones/