Good Housekeeping’s Shrimp and Squash Orzo Recipe

My little sister Gabi recommended this recipe to me after she made it and omg omg is it yummy!! I loved it so much that I made it twice in two weeks. 🙂 The second time I added a bag of fresh spinach that I had in my fridge and in addition to adding some extra nutrition it tasted delicious! This recipe is fabulous for leftovers too…portion it into individual tupperwares, pop in the fridge, and grab one on the way to work or heat up for dinner.

Here is the recipe!

Ingredients

• 1 package(s) (20-ounce) peeled and trimmed butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 medium (8- to 10-ounce) onion, finely chopped
• 3  fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
•  Salt
•  Pepper
• 1 pint(s) grape tomatoes
• 1 pound(s) (16- to 20-count) shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1/8 teaspoon(s) cayenne pepper (ground red pepper)
• 2 cup(s) (12 ounces) whole-wheat orzo
• 2 ounce(s) goat cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. In 18-by 12-inch jelly-roll pan, combine squash, onion, sage, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss until evenly coated. Roast 15 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and roast 15 minutes longer.
3. Meanwhile, heat covered 4-quart covered saucepan of water to boiling on high. In medium bowl, combine shrimp, cayenne, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil until well mixed. Add to pan with vegetables and roast 7 to 9 minutes or until shrimp just turn opaque throughout.
4. Add orzo to boiling water and cook as label directs. Drain and return to saucepan. Add goat cheese, vegetables, shrimp, accumulated pan juices, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Stir until well combined.

roasted veggies & shrimp

Recipe Source: Good Housekeeping

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Pesto Pizza with Spinach and Mushrooms

Lately I have been making a lot of pizza…boboli makes it so easy with their yummy pizza crusts and once you top them you just need to bake them for 8-10 minutes…dinner in an instant which is what I love! The other night I put together this yummy pizza with ingredients in my fridge…and it was DELICIOUS! I will definitely be making it again soon!

Ingredients:

• 1 boboli 8 inch pizza crust
• Basil pesto
• Fresh spinach (washed)
• Mushrooms, washed, sliced, and uncooked
• Fresh garlic (just put a little since there is already lots in the pesto…I love garlic so I always include it in here but if you are not a garlic lover feel free to skip it)
• Mozzarella cheese
• Feta cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Place pizza crust on a cookie sheet. Top pizza with pesto, garlic (and spread it into the pesto), spinach, and mushrooms. Drizzle olive oil over the mushrooms since they are going on uncooked.
• Top with cheeses, sat, and pepper.
• Place in the oven and cook for 8-10 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!

Note: I didn’t put specific amounts of ingredients since you can really put as much as you like of anything on the pizzas. To each their own! 🙂

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Quick, Fresh, and Healthy Pizzas

I have been craving pizza lately but I feel like when I order it in or go out it is so unhealthy. So tonight I decided to make my own healthy pizza! I love the boboli crusts because you just throw all your topping on, pop it in the oven, cook for 8-10 minutes, and it’s all done and ready to eat! This is a fun thing to make with a lot of people since the pizzas are personal size so everyone can make theirs to their liking. Tonight I used some fresh and healthy ingredients that I had in my fridge…tomatoes, spinach, garlic, and of course cheese. It was so yummy and I can’t wait to make it again soon!

Ingredients:

• 1 boboli pizza crust (8 inches)
• Mozzarella cheese
• Feta cheese
• Fresh spinach
• Fresh tomatoes
• Fresh garlic
• Tomato sauce of choice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Note: For all the ingredients just use as much as desired! 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Place pizza crust on a cookie sheet. Top with tomato sauce, spinach, tomatoes, mozzarella, feta, fresh garlic, salt, and pepper.
3. Place in the oven to cook for 8-10 minutes until cheese starts to brown and bubble.

Enjoy!!!

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Summer Salmon Pasta Salad

We have been having such a hot summer and the last thing that I want is to make something hot for dinner. I made this pasta salad the other night and it was light, healthy, and delicious. The best part was all of the leftovers- I think I got at least 4 meals out of it! I love the crunchiness of the veggies and knowing how healthy it is with the salmon and whole wheat pasta. It would be a fabulous side to bring to a BBQ or party!

Ingredients:

• 2 5oz. cans salmon (in water)
• 1/2 cucumber, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/ 2 cup mayonnaise
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp. dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp. dried dill
• 1 lb. whole wheat pasta

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. While pasta is cooking, mix together all other ingredients.
3. When pasta finishes cooking, drain and let cool. Gently mix in other ingredients and put in the fridge to chill before serving.

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Salmon with Hawaiian Marinade and Pineapple

I love love love salmon and have been craving it lately so decided to make it tonight for dinner. I was planning to make rice and steamed spinach with it but it has been so hot that I ended up just making it into a salad with the spinach, which was light, healthy, delicious, and VERY nutritious. I found this yummy marinade made by Lawry’s and they have so many different kinds that I bought a few. I can’t wait to test them all out since this one was so yummy!

Ingredients:

• Salmon fillets (as many as you are cooking)
• Lawry’s Hawaiian style marinade
• Pineapple (I use the little Dole cups in 100% real fruit juice)
• Olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Drizzle olive oil in a baking dish so salmon does not stick to it. Place salmon fillets in and pour marinade over. I use about a 1/4 cup of marinade for every 2 fillets but definitely use more/less if you want to. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes and then top with the pineapple (and juice from the fruit cup). Put in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until salmon is cooked through.

Serve with rice, veggies, or over spinach leaves and with balsamic vinaigrette (and any other veggies and toppings that you like) like I did tonight!

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Asian Glazed Salmon

I was looking for a recipe for this kind of salmon and couldn’t find one so I did what I usually do- I made one up! I combined all of the ingredients that I wanted in my glaze and it turned out really yummy! To be honest I was a little scared since it was just guessing what would sound good and in what proportions but it was delicious and I cannot wait to make it again.

Here is the recipe!

Serves: 2

• 1 lb. fresh salmon

For the glaze:

• 2 tbsp. dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp. golden brown sugar
• 1 little packet of soy sauce (the kind you get from a Japanese restaurant… I’m assuming it’s about 1 tsp.)
• Juice of 1/4 of a lemon

Sides (all are optional, choose what you like or add your favorites)

• Brown rice
• Veggies of choice (I used asparagus and mushrooms but I thought bok choy would be really good for next time)
• Squid salad or seaweed salad (I picked this up at an Asian market and it complimented the meal really well)
• Olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. While oven is preheating, prepare the glaze. Just put all of the glaze ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl and mix it all together! It’s as easy as that. You can add more/less of any of the glaze ingredients based on your preferences.
3. Drizzle olive oil in a baking pan and place salmon in it.
4. Pour glaze evenly over salmon and put in the oven and cook for 30-35 minutes, until salmon is fully cooked through.
5. While salmon is cooking, start rice and veggies. I used little individual packs of brown rice that are pre-cooked and you just pop them in the microwave for 90 seconds and then they are ready! I like these because I don’t need TONS of leftover rice and each little container is enough for one serving. You can find them in the grocery store in the rice aisle. I am obsessed with them! For the veggies, I just sauté them in olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. You can start the rice and veggies at the very end since they both cook quickly.

Note: If you have leftover salmon, you can use it the next day in a salmon salad or make a salmon sandwich. Or just make a repeat of the dinner. Enjoy! 🙂 

The glaze!

The full dinner 🙂

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Bagel with Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese, and Cucumbers

For some reason I was craving this the other night so I decided to make it. 🙂 I usually buy something similar to it at a local bagel shop but I am on a kick of MAKING all of the things that I spend too much money on so I went to the grocery store and then got to work! It was super easy and quick to make and a whole lot cheaper in the long run than what it costs to buy one of them. Now I am obsessed and have eaten several of these in just the last few days for breakfast, lunch, AND dinner! 🙂

Ingredients:

• 1 whole wheat bagel
• Cream cheese
• Cucumber slices
• Smoked salmon (buy it pre-sliced this makes it MUCH easier!)
• Salt and pepper if desired

Directions:

1. Put bagel in toaster and while it is toasting, slice cucumbers.
2. When bagel is finished toasting, spread cream cheese on it, top with cucumber slices, and then smoked salmon.
3. Serve with fresh fruit and enjoy!

Nutrition info:

• Salmon is FULL of healthy omega 3’s.
• Whole wheat bagels provide healthy fiber.
• Cucumbers are low in calories and provide potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K.
• Cream cheese is really not GOOD for you, but just use a little. Or use light, low-fat, or fat-free if you like. I like to use the regular kind and I just make sure not to overdo it. 🙂

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