Cumin Lime Shrimp

Ok folks, this is a little risky, I am adding a recipe that I HAVEN'T ACTUALLY TRIED YET so we can all try it together and see what we think! My sister-in-law , Lisa, loves this recipe and thinks we should give it a whirl, so it's on this weeks meal plan! It sure looks tasty and simple! OK, I can officially say I have made this meal and It IS TASTY!!! It has a ton of flavor with different ingredients and we really enjoyed its zest! We had a little left over so we put it in some pitas with the brown rice and some avocado for lunch the next day and it was delicious! Also, we were in the mood for green onion (instead of cilantro) and that definitely worked, so you could do either!

Ingredients:

¼ cup olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon 
¼ cup lime juice (about 2 limes)
Zest of one lime 
1 teaspoon cumin 
⅛ teaspoon salt 
1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp (U.S. wild-caught or farmed)
½ jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1 large shallot, sliced 
½ cup chopped cilantro 

Directions:

In a large bowl, add  whisk together ¼ cup olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, cumin, and salt. Add shrimp and marinate for 15 minutes. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add jalapeño and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add shallot and cook for additional 2 minutes.  Add shrimp and one half of the marinade to the skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until shrimp turn pink. Stir occasionally to make sure shrimp cook evenly. Turn off heat, stir in cilantro, and serve. Let me know if you liked it!

Meal Plan Aug.9- 15

Sunday: BBQ'd Burgers, Corn on the Cob, Watermelon

Monday: Chicken Cesar Salad with Bread sticks

Tuesday: Lime Shrimp

Wednesday: French Dip Sandwiches

Thursday:  Baked Penne Pasta

Friday: left overs

Saturday: out

I am going to do my quick marinate on the chicken tenders that I use in the Cesar Salad and BBQ those at the same time as I BBQ my burgers, prepping two meals at once= saving time and energy for me! (Then you can reheat your chicken for the salad on Monday night, or just chop it and serve it cold over the lettuce- you decide!) The lime chicken and the French Dip are new recipes that I will post this week. And the Baked Penne Pasta is a good, ol' classic around here!

I did a poll (which not too many people replied on) but it looks like people prefer to make their own shopping lists, so I will not be including one anymore! It's probably easier to make one individually depending on what is and is not already in your kitchen! Happy Planning!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

OK, here's a crowd pleaser.... BBQ chicken pizza just like California Pizza Kitchen!!!

Ingredients:

pizza dough (I use the whole wheat or plain dough from Trader Joe's)

BBQ sauce (use your family's favorite)

Red Onion, thinly chopped

Cilantro, chopped

Mozerella Cheese, grated

Shredded Chicken (pre-cooked of course!)

Directions:

Let me start off by saying I don't use measurements for this recipe, I just eyeball the whole thing. If you like a lot of cheese or a little sauce, whatever your preferences, make it to suit you! Moving on, I usually crock pot my chicken (see BBQ shredded sandwich recipe) so I don't have to worry about cooking the chicken specifically for the pizza. (Another side note, I usually make 3-4 chicken breasts in the crock pot and split the chicken between two meals- this and shredded BBQ chicken sandwiches- to save time, energy and headache during the week!)

Now, if you get the pizza dough from Trader Joe's you are going to use a little flour and roll it out. Spray your cookie sheet before placing the dough on there or it will never come off in one piece. Pour some BBQ sauce on and spread it around with the back of a spoon, add some chopped cilantro, thinly sliced red onion, sprinkle on your shredded chicken, and then your mozerella cheese. (I like to put the cheese on last because it holds everything else on the pizza when you eat it). Bake it in the oven per dough instructions (Trader Joe's instructions are 450 degrees for 15 minutes, approximately). I watch it and pull it out then the cheese is melted and the crust is toasted.

Serve with a green salad and enjoy!

Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

This is a crock pot favorite and so simple! Put 3 chicken breasts and 1/2 cup of water (or chicken broth) in the crock pot and cook it on low for 6-8 hours. About 1/2 hour before it's done cooking, open the crock pot lid, shred the meat with 2 forks, add some s&p and some of your favorite BBQ sauce. Let it cook the rest of the time- or sit on warm if it's already done. Get some fun dinner rolls (we like Chibata rolls from Trader Joe's that are par-baked, so we bake them for about 15 minutes so they are warm and toasted and crunchy!). Serve them on warm or toasted rolls with baked beans, corn on the cob, salad or any other side!

Baked Salmon

So sorry, I just realized this wasn't posted! It is super simple, I use the frozen salmon steaks from Trader Joe's, fresh caught not farm raised for more food value and less "added junk". I let them defrost the day that I am cooking them on my countertop and if they are ready before I am, I put them in the fridge until I get cookin'!

 

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375. Line your broiling pan with a piece of foil, spray it with your choice of kitchen spray so the fish doesn't stick. Lay the fish down, if it has skin on it, lay the skin to the foil. Sprinkle the fish with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Let it bake for 15-20 minutes until it is no longer translucent and flakes easily. It will peel easily off the skin when done, so when transferring it from pan to plate, leave the scales behind! Serve with plenty of fresh lemon wedges! 

*picture coming soon*

Meal Plan Aug.2-Aug.8

Okay, so one of my favorite blogs makes mention of ways to simplify your life, and one of those ways is to simplify your meal plan. So here is my attempt at that. The recommendation was to make a plan for each day of the week and carry that out, week after week. Like this:

Sunday: BBQ

Monday: Main Dish Salad

Tuesday: Chicken or Fish

Wednesday: Crock pot

Thursday: Pasta/Pizza/Soup

Friday: Left overs

Saturday: out

So, here I go at attempting to simplify my life by sticking to my plan within my meal plan!

Sunday: BBQ Steak, Grilled Bell Peppers & Onions, Wild Rice

Monday: Steak Cobb Salad

Tuesday: Salmon, Brown Rice, Snappin' Snap Peas

Wednesday: BBQ Shredded Chicken Sandwiches, Confetti Coleslaw, Fruit Salad

Thursday: BBQ Chicken Pizza (CPK Style), Green Veggie Salad

Friday: Left overs

Saturday: out

Saturday Morning Scramblers

We don't eat these very often, not because they aren't good, but because I don't usually make a big breakfast in the morning. But this is a fun "treat" breakfast in our house- good to wake up to on a birthday morning or for a fun surprise for the family. And I only make it on the rare occasion that all these ingredients are already in my fridge! (usually the weekend following the week when I have made a Steak Cob Salad for dinner one night).

Ingredients:

eggs

green onion

bell pepper

shredded cheddar cheese

3 pieces of bacon 

mushrooms

pepper

* Mix and match the ingredients, the more the merrier! If you have to omit some or don't like others, that's a-okay too!

Directions:

Add a little coconut oil to a hot frying pan, beat your eggs in a bowl with a little pepper, and pour into the frying pan. With a spatula, move the egg batter to the center of the pan, in a motion all the way around the pan. When the eggs are half way cooked, add your green onions, mushrooms, and bell peppers and those continue to cook with the eggs. Then add your already cooked chopped bacon and your shredded cheese until the cheese melts. Constantly turn the eggs so that they don't burn or stick. Serve with some fresh fruit and enjoy!