Spicy Shrimp and Quinoa Salad

One of the things I love so much about the weather transitioning to Summer is that is has be craving more salads. I have been trying to mix up my traditional salads and that's where the craving for this spicy shrimp and quinoa salad came into play. Wow, it is good! 

Let me start out by saying that I am not a fan of really spicy food and I loved this. It is a mild heat with the mix of the chili powder and paprika in the shrimp marinade. You could certainly add more of less heat depending on your liking. 

This salad is healthy and the ingredients are clean and easy to prepare. You will find that it is filling yet it won't weigh you down. It makes for a perfect lunch, dinner or side salad to bring to a Summer BBQ. See below the recipe for my "make ahead" tips! I hope you enjoy this salad as much as I do this Summer! 

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Spicy Shrimp & Quinoa Salad 

Ingredients:

• Half a pound or about 8 large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails on
• 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1/3 cup cherry tomatoes, washed and cut in half
• 1/3 cup chickpeas
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese 
• Half an avocado, diced 
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil for cooking 

Shrimp Marinade:

• 3 Tsp. lime juice
• 2 Tsp. olive oil
• 1/2 Tsp. chili powder
• 1/4 Tsp. paprika 
• 1/4 Tsp. Lawry's season salt 
• Ground pepper 

Salad Dressing:

• 1 small shallot, diced
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil 
• Drizzle of honey, about 1/4 Tsp. 
• Pinch of ground cumin
• Salt and ground pepper 

Serving size: 2

1. Combine all the ingredients for the shrimp marinade: lime juice, olive oil, chili powder, paprika, Lawry's season salt and ground pepper in a bowl. Add in the shrimp and toss well. Marinate for a half hour in the refrigerator. 
2. Rinse and drain quinoa and cook according to box directions. Set aside.
3. Combine all the ingredients for the salad marinade: diced shallot, lime juice, olive oil, honey, ground cumin and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Sit with whisk. To the bowl, add the cooked quinoa, tomatoes, chickpeas, feta cheese and avocado and toss gently. 
4. Remove the shrimp from the refrigerator. In a cast iron skillet, add 2 Tbsp. olive oil to the pan set to medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for a few minutes on eat side until cooked and pink in color. 
5. Divide the quinoa mixture evenly among 2 plates. Top each serving with shrimp and serve. 

Make Ahead Tip! If you would like to make this ahead of time, or are cooking for a large crowd, you can marinade the shrimp and make the quinoa salad mixture (without the avocado) and keep in the refrigerator. Right before you're ready to eat, cook the shrimp and dice the avocado and serve. 

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light 

Oven Roasted Beets →

Beets are one of those foods you either love or hate. I happen to love them. My husband happens to hate them.  I received 3 large beets from our weekly Farm Fresh to You shipment so I decided to roast them up for lunch while he was at work so we didn't have to play the "beets taste like dirt" game. 

But, the truth is whether you fancy them or not, my roasted beet recipe satisfies all pallets. And, guess what? My husband liked them. What I love about this recipe is that it is super healthy and has a natural salty sweet sensation with the caramelization from the baking process and the sea salt on the finish. They were perfect on top of a fresh bed of spinach topped with feta cheese and a vinaigrette dressing. Next time you are in need of an easy side dish or want to impress your guests with a gourmet salad topper, give this recipe a try! 

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Oven Roasted Beets

• 3-4 Large beets, washed and peeled 
• Olive Oil (enough to coat)
• 1 tsp. Red Wine Vinegar
• Ground Pepper and Sea Salt 
• Cooking Spray 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with tin foil, spray with cooking spray, and set aside. Wash the beets, remove the stems and peel the skin with a veggie peeler. Cut the beets in 1 in. pieces. In a bowl, toss with olive oil and liberal amounts of salt and pepper. Place on the prepared cookie sheet and roast for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove and immediately toss with red wine vinegar and salt and pepper. Serve immediately for a warm salad/side dish or refrigerate for later use. 

Roasted Green Beans with Almonds and Shallots

It's the end of the week and don't you wish dinner would just make itself and appear on the table? That's how I usually feel most weeks. Insert these amazing roasted green beans with almonds and shallots. I can't promise that dinner will make itself but they are incredibly easy and the flavor is beyond amazing. 

I'll be honest, I didn't like green beans growing up. So when I had a bag of them staring me down in our refrigerator, I knew I had to do something different with them. I chose simple ingredients that I had on hand that I thought would make for a winning combination. The shallots give this dish a nice caramelization and the almonds a nice nutty flavor. 

My husband and I both absolutely loved them and will definitely be adding them into the dinner rotation. They make the perfect weeknight side dish or they are also great for making for a crowd. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do! 

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Roasted Green Beans with Almonds and Shallots 

• 1 lb. green beans, rinsed and trimmed 
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 Tbs slivered almonds 
• Sea salt and cracked pepper
• Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Trim the ends of the green beans and add to a large bowl. Toss the green beans with a liberal amount of olive oil, sea salt and pepper. Spread the green beans out evenly on a sheet pan and roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Stir the green beans and sprinkle with the shallots and almonds and place back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes. Once cooked through, remove from oven and finish with a sprinkle of sea salt and enjoy! 

Spring Lemon Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Growing up, I never really appreciated the season of Spring. Maybe it was because I grew up in California and we “don’t really have seasons” or maybe it was because I loved Summer due to the fact that there was no school. However, I have grown to love the season of Spring over the years. I love all of the new beginnings the Spring season can bring, the sunny yet crisp days and a whole new crop of fruits and vegetables in season.

I found this Spring lemon chicken and vegetable soup recipe  and since I had most of these ingredients on hand from my Farm Fresh to You shipment and from the Meyer lemons my parents gave me over Easter, I knew I had to try it. 

The soup was light yet filling and full of nutrients! I love the hint of the lemon with the sweetness from the peas and the tender chicken. You could eat this soup for a light lunch or pair it with a Spring salad and crusty loaf of bread for a main course. I made a few variations to the original recipe. I added seasoning salt (Lawry’s) to give it another layer of flavor, used parsley instead of basil, and used half of the suggested lemon zest. The flavor came out amazing! My husband is not usually a big fan of soup as the main course, but he loved it and was asking for seconds.

If you give this soup recipe a try, I would love to hear how you like it! Comment below or post a picture on Instagram and tag me :) 

Photo Edits: Twenty8 Moments Photography 

Chicken Fajita Bowls

I hope you all had a great Easter weekend! I enjoyed time with my family and am feeling refreshed. However, the last thing I feel like doing after a holiday weekend is make a fancy weeknight meal. This recipe for chicken fajita bowls is so easy, healthy and yummy!

When I say this recipe is easy, I am not joking. You literally put all of the below ingredients into the slow cooker and voila, dinner practically makes itself! This is a great one to add to your weeknight meals or it is also a great meal to serve for a big crowd. 

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Chicken Fajita Bowls

Serves: 4-6

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 onion
• 1 packet of your favorite fajita seasoning 
• Juice of 1 lime 
• 3/4 cup of fresh salsa (plus more for serving)
• *1 cup cooked rice or quinoa 
• *1 can of black beans rinsed and drained 
• Toppings: grated cheese, dollop of greek yogurt or sour cream, salsa, avocado, lime wedges, cilantro

Thinly slice the bell peppers and onions and add them to the bottom of the slow cooker. Put the chicken breasts on top of the peppers, sprinkle the fajita seasonings, lime juice and add the salsa on top. Turn the slow cooker on low for 5-6 hours. Before serving, cook the rice or quinoa separately and set aside. Warm the black beans and set aside. Once everything has cooked through, in a bowl layer the rice or quinoa on the bottom, add the black beans, chicken fajita mix and all your toppings. Enjoy!  

* If you would like to cook the rice and beans in the slow cooker, add to the slow cooker on top of the chicken and add 1 1/2 cups water. I personally like to cooke them separately in case I want to use the mix in tortillas or on top of a salad. 

Introducing Taylor's Corner & Cedar Plank Salmon

I am so excited to introduce a new section on the blog called Taylor’s Corner! Taylor is my husband’s best friend who also shares an extreme passion for cooking, more specifically anything he can grill or smoke. Tyler and Taylor (it has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?) went to high school together, lived together for 5 years post college, allowed me to be a “third roommate” while my husband and I were dating, and most recently were in each other’s weddings. 

Our dinner parties have gotten an upgrade over the years and have become a big part of our friendship. My favorite kind of dinner parties are the ones where your guests come over wanting to try out new recipes and end up in the kitchen or by the grill with you. And, that is exactly what happens when Taylor and his wife Ashley come over for dinner. 

Recently they came over to kick off the 2015 BBQ season and Taylor pulled out all the stops with this amazing cedar plank salmon recipe.  It was seasoned perfectly and had a hint of smokiness on the finish from the cedar. We had never made cedar plank salmon and were surprised at how easy and tasty it was. We paired it with alfresco sides like caprese, a spring salad, a loaf of rustic bread and a very yummy dessert that I will be sharing next week.   

Whenever Taylor and Ashley come over for dinner, one thing is for sure…there is always plenty of good food, laughter and wine! I hope you enjoy this recipe and many more to come in...Taylor’s corner!

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Cedar Plank Salmon

• Salmon (we used two large fillets- skin on)
• Grainy Mustard
• Sprinkle of brown sugar
• 1-2 large lemons, sliced
• 1 bundle of green onions, diced
• Cedar planks (we used 2 from here), soaked for 2+ hours prior to cooking 

Preheat the grill to medium- high heat. Place the salmon skin side down on the cedar planks. Salt and pepper the salmon. Spoon the grainy mustard all over the top of the salmon and sprinkle with brown sugar.  Slice the lemons and place the slices on top of the salmon.  Grill for 20-25 minutes, until flakey. Top with green onions and serve on the cedar planks. Enjoy! 

Turkey and Quinoa Lettuce Wraps

It was close to 90 degrees this weekend in Southern California! Between all the ice cream eating to stay cool, it has me wanting to cook lighter meals. I love mixing up our week night meals from the ordinary lean protein, vegetables and healthy carbs on the plate. Although this recipe contains those main food groups, let's face it, they are way more fun to eat!

I have made a lot of variations of lettuce wraps over the years but this recipe is currently our favorite. It is loaded with protein and has a ton of flavor! The best part about this recipe, is that it is extremely versatile and honestly anything goes! It also makes for great leftovers to have for lunch the next day :)

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Turkey Quinoa Lettuce Wraps 

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil for cooking
• 1 shallot 
• 1 clove crush garlic (I omitted this since my husband is allergic)
• 1 lb. ground turkey (I use 99% Lean but you can use any ground meat)
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 red bell peppers (can also use yellow)
• 2 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup dried yields 4 cups cooked) 
• 1 8 oz. can sliced water chestnuts 
• 1 small bunch green onions, thinly sliced 
• 1 head of lettuce, washed and drained with the leaves pulled off (ice berg, bib or butter lettuce)
• sesame seeds for garnish

The Sauce:

• 2 Tbsp. hoison sauce 
• 3 Tbsp. soy sauce (I use tamari lite gluten free) 
• 3 Tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• freshly grated ginger (1 in. piece of ginger)

Additional toppings might include: chopped roasted peanuts, crispy rice noodles, cilantro, etc.

1. In a medium skillet on medium-high, warm the olive oil. Add the crushed garlic and shallot. Cook until translucent but not burnt. Add the ground turkey meat and cook until it is cooked through. Using a spatula, break up the pieces as it cooks to resemble ground beef. 

2. Add the mushrooms and bell peppers and cook through. Turn to low and fold in the cooked quinoa.

3. In the meantime, combine all of the sauce ingredients in a bowl with the freshly grated ginger. Add the sauce to the cooked mixture once all ingredients have cooked through. 

4. Fold in the water chestnuts and green onions. 

5. Serve in lettuce cups garnished with sesame seeds and additional green onions sprinkled on top

Greek Kale Salad

The end of Winter has me craving a warm, breezy day where I can kick off my flip flops and enjoy the sunshine. To cure that craving, I made a light yet filling greek kale salad. It is full of nutrients and protein and the dressing takes this kale salad to the next level. 

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Greek Kale Salad 

Salad:

• 1-2 bunches of Kale
• Cheery tomatoes
•  1 ripe avocado
•  Feta Cheese (full fat)

Dressing:

• 1/3 C. Red Wine Vinegar (white wine, red wine or champagne vinegar would work)
• ¼ C. Olive oil
• Juice of Half a Lemon
• 1 shallot (small to medium in size)
• 1 T Dijon Mustard
• Sea Salt
• Fresh Ground Pepper

Remove ribs from kale and chop in 1-2” squares and put into a non-reactive bowl. Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar and shake. Pour dressing onto kale and massage with hands for 1-2 minutes. Cover the bowel and put it in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours, or overnight. Add the tomatoes, avocado and feta cheese (and any other toppings of your choice). Toss and enjoy!