Mango Ginger Peanut Shrimp

Another delicious dinner using sauce from Stonewall Kitchen.

4 lb .peeled, deveined shrimp

1\2 bottle Stonewall Kitchen mango ginger marinade

Marinate shrimp in marinade. Spread out on sheet pan. Bake at 400F for 10 minutes or until pink. Top with crushed peanuts (optional).

I served with rice and roasted veggies.

Balsamic Fig Salmon (or Chicken Thighs in the Oven with Veggies

This was seriously the best salmon I’ve ever eaten!

3 lb. fresh salmon

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 bottle Stonewall Kitchen Balsamic Fig Dressing

Marinate salmon and chicken in dressing.

Toss veggies with olive oil and seasonings.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Lay out on sheet pans and baking dishes and cook for approximately 30 minutes.

Super yummy!

Patty Melts

I love making patty melts for the family. I don’t love trying to cook 8 sandwiches. Making them the oven makes it all super easy.

I start by laying out the bread on the baking sheet. Preheat your oven to 400.

I cook the burgers on the stove top and the onions too.

I put the butter side down bread on the baking sheet and top it with cheese. The dairy-free cheese works the best because it doesn’t melt away to nothing immediately.

Stop it with the cooked onions.

Add the cooked Burger.

Put on the lid. Bake for 15 minutes. Flip and bake 5 to 10 minutes more. Broil for a few minutes to make brown and crispy if necessary

I served these yummy Patty melts with a side of coleslaw and stuffed portobello mushrooms.

Bacon Veggie Quiche

I love making breakfast and brunch dishes on the weekend! Quiche is one of the family faves!

I buy ready made crust. This recipe makes 2 quiche.

The boys voted for bacon. I used a full pound. I cook it in the oven at 350F till brown and mostly crispy. It takes about 20-25 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

I’m using broccoli slaw for my veggies today. My Misfits order is late, so no onions to put in, but I made up for it with seasonings and garlic.

Once the veggies are soft, set aside to cool. Cut up the bacon and stir in with 1 c. shredded cheese (I used vegan mozzarella).

Divide the bacon, veggie, cheese mixture between the two pie plates.

Combine 10 eggs and 1/2 c. sour cream (I used Tofutti) and pour over filling. It comes to about 1 1/2 c. per pie.

Bake at 325F for 45 minutes or until set (knife comes out clean). Enjoy!!

The quiche pairs nicely with my new find “Wild Little Thing”. It’s is pink and has guava, hibiscus, and strawberry in it. Slightly sour ale. Yummy!

Creamy Cheesy Pesto Meatballs with Mac and Cheese and Mushrooms

I’m always on the lookout for an alternative to tomato based sauces, since I am nightshade sensitive. I love this creamy cheesy pesto and will make it again!

Homemade meatloaf style meatballs:

3 lb. ground turkey

2 Tbsp. sweet pickle relish

2 Tbsp. pesto

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 egg

1/2 c. cottage cheese or ricotta (I use Lactaid for my lactose intolerant son)

1/2 c. seasoned Panko breadcrumbs

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Spray 13 x 9 baking dish with coconut oil
3. Combine all meatball ingredients and shape into golf ball sized meatballs
4. Place in baking dish and spray lightly with coconut oil spray
5. Bake 40 minutes or until golden

Creamy pesto sauce:

8 oz. cream cheese (I used vegan)

1 c. cottage cheese or ricotta (lactose free or vegan)

2 Tbps. pesto

1 c. pasta water from cooking macaroni

1. Melt cream cheese in skillet
2. Add pesto and blend
3. Add cottage cheese or ricotta
4. Reduce heat to lowest possible setting while you cook your noodles

My favorite method for cooking pasta (thanks to Alton Brown)

Rather than boiling dried pasta, I rehydrate it!

1. Place raw noodles in large pasta pot and cover with cold water by about an inch.
2. Bring to a boil, being sure to stir as it heats up to keep the noodles from sticking together. As always, season your water with garlic and salt so it infuses into the noodles. It will take about 10-15 minutes for the noodles to be done. They will swell and absorb much of the cooking water. Reserve about a cup of the cooking water to loosen the creamy pesto sauce.
3. Add pasta water to pesto to loosen. Taste and add seasoning as needed.

Assembling the dishes to bake:

1. Spoon about 1 c. sauce over the meatballs in the baking dish, and roll to coat.
2. Top with shredded cheese of choice (I used vegan cheeses, mozzarella and parmesian types) to prepare to bake.
3. Combine remaining sauce with noodles and place in a second prepared 13 x 9 baking dish and top with shredded cheese.
4. Toss your favorite veggies (I used mushrooms) with oil and seasoning of choice. My go to is a seasoning blend that is actually a chicken rub.
5. Spread veggies on sheet pan.

All the dishes can go into the 375F oven for 25-35 minutes, or until veggies are desired tenderness and cheese is melted. Be sure to rotate halfway through for even cooking.

I served the mac and cheese on the bottom of the bowl, topped with the meatballs and mushrooms.

Totally yummy! This recipe is a keeper.

Stuffed French Toast

It’s been a while since I’ve made this. I won’t wait so long again. It’s too yummy and a huge hit with the kids!

2 loaves cinnamon raisin bread

2 – 8 oz. tubs cream cheese

1/2 c. Agave or sugar or other sweetener

1/2 c. Apple butter

12 eggs

2 c. Sweetened vanilla almond milk

1. Spray two 13 x 9 baking dishes with coconut oil spray.

2. Lay out bread slices in pairs to fit baking dishes.

3. Mix cream cheese and sweetener until smooth and creamy.

4 . Set too bread slices aside and spread each bread slice with cream cheese mixture and top bread slices with Apple butter.

5. Place too slice on each.

6. Make two batches of 6 eggs and 1 cup milk. Pour each over one of the baking dishes.

7. Bake at 350F for 30- 40 minutes until set. Broil a few minutes or until golden.

ENJOY!!

Korean BBQ Rice Bowl

We love picadillo. This is my Korean BBQ version!!

2 lb. Ground beef

1 large red onion, chopped

2 carrots diced

2 ribs celery, diced

2 bunches chard, chopped

2 pouches Saffron Road Korean BBQ sauce

1 can cannelini beans

1. Brown beef in skillet sprayed with coconut oil.
2. Transfer to crockpot on high leaving grease in skillet and add one pouch sauce to meat.
3. Cook chopped onion, carrots, and celery in grease in skillet over low heat until softened. Add to crockpot with second pouch of sauce and beans.
4. Add chopped chard.
5. Cook rice according to directions. I added garlic, ginger and butter to the cooking water.
6. Serve and enjoy!

Our New Greenhouse!

I’m so excited to share a picture of our new Greenhouse! Can’t wait to see what we will grow. By we I mean Daniel of course LOL!

Spaghetti Squash Meatball Casserole

We signed up for produce delivery and ended up with multiple spaghetti squash! I saw a recipe for spaghetti squash as a crust for a pizza. And modified it to make this amazing casserole!

24 home cooked meatballs.

One large spaghetti squash

2 cups marinara sauce

Two tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons vegan Parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons butter

1 Cup vegan mozzarella shreds

1. Cook and Shred spaghetti squash. I do mind overnight in the crock pot by poking four or five holes with a sharp knife please sing 1 in of water in the bottom and cooking on low for 8 hours. In the morning I put it in the fridge so it’ll be cool enough to work with when I get home from work.

2.  Combined spaghetti squash, olive oil, and parmesan cheese. Spread into a 13 by 9 pan sprayed with coconut oil.

3.  Baked at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

4. Remove from oven and spread half the jar a marinara across the spaghetti squash evenly.

5.  Top with meatballs.

6.  Mix remaining have jar sauce with quarter cup red wine and 3 tablespoons pesto. Spread over meatballs and top with cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes and serve over cooked noodles mixed with butter pesto and Parmesan.

Zucchini Mac and Chicken Parmesan

Tonight’s dinner was amazing!

Chicken Parmesan Ingredients

8 chicken breast cutlets

1 C. Italian dressing

3 C. Italian seasoned Ritz cracker crumbs

1 C. Marinara sauce

1 C. Daiya mozzarella shreds

Marinade chicken in Italian dressing.  Preheat oven to 400 F.

Dredge in cracker crumbs and place on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake 25-30 minutes until golden.

Meanwhile – start the zucchini mac:

Zucchini Mac Ingredients

1 lb. cooked pasta

1/4 c. Italian dressing

1 large zucchini shredded

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 C. cottage cheese (I use Lactaid)

8 oz. cream cheese (I use vegan)

1 C. Daiya mozzarella shreds

Cook onion and zucchini with a little Italian dressing just until softened.

Stir in cream cheese and blend in  until melted.

Add in cottage cheese and cooked noodles.

Pour into 13 x 9 baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.

Top with shredded “cheese” and set aside.

By now, the chicken should be mostly cooked through and have internal temperature of 140 – 145.

Reduce oven to 350F.  Top with sauce and cheese, and return to the oven – side by side with the zucchini mac.

In 30 minutes, check to see if cheese is melted.  Broil a few minutes, if needed.