Jerk Marinade

Cooking with friends and family is always a good idea! The other night I made a jerk marinade using a combo of a few different recipes I came across. This was for a "Jerk Chicken and Waffle Sandwich" that we made. It was very flavorful and packed a punch.

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recipe

jerk chicken and waffle sandwich

• ½- medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 4 medium scallions, green onions chopped
• 2-3 Tablespoons Fresh Thyme
• 1½ tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped
• 8 Garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon powder
• 1 Tablespoon Allspice coarsely ground
• 1 tablespoon coarsely white pepper
• ½ Tablespoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Honey
• 2 Tablespoons Maggi Sauce or Soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon bouillon powder (such as knorr)
• 1 cup Fresh (Mango, Pineapple)(optional)
• 1 or more Scotch Bonnet Pepper (adjust to taste)

Directions:

Blend ingredients together in a food processor. That's all! For this sandwich, simply make your favorite waffle and favorite cut of chicken! We topped ours with lettuce and tomato.

Chicken and Green Beans

Buzzfeed always has videos that makes cooking look so simple. I decided to try out one of their recipes for a meal prep option. I must admit, it was as easy as they made it seem! 

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RECIPE

MEAL PREP: CHICKEN AND GREEN BEANS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 pound green beans
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ cup basil pesto

Directions:

1. In a large pan, heat olive oil and add chicken thighs. Season with salt and pepper. When the chicken is completely cooked through, remove from pan, slice into strips, and set aside.

2. Add green beans and cook until crisp and tender. Return the chicken strips to the pan, then add tomatoes and pesto. Stir until fully incorporated.

3. Serve immediately or divide into 4 food storage containers and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Caprese Bruschetta

Have you ever gotten an ingredient that you really didn't plan on using? Well, when someone hands you fresh mozzarella, you make bruschetta! This can be super fun and quick- especially if you are hosting a party, or just want a light snack.

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recipe

caprese bruschetta

• 1 french baguette loaf
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
• 8 ounces of balsamic vinegar
• 8 ounces of fresh mozzarella

I found this recipe on House of Yumm when looking up ways to use mozzarella:

1. Make Balsalmic Glaze. Pour the balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan, and heat over low to medium heat until it comes to a slow boil. Allow to simmer for about 8-10 minutes. The vinegar will thicken while it cooks. Once the amount that is in the pan reduces by about half, turn the heat off. Pour the vinegar into a bowl to allow to cool. As the vinegar cools it will thicken more and become a glaze.
2. Chop, cut and roll. Chop the fresh mozzarella. Cut the tomatoes in half or thirds to desired size. Roll the basil to chop into fine strips. Combine the mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil together and gently stir to mix.
3. Slice and toast the baguette. You can toast the baguette if desired, or serve un-toasted. Slice the baguette into your desired slice size. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil, lay the slices down, and cover with butter or olive oil. Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
4. Serve with the bruschetta on and the balsamic glaze drizzle on top of the baguette.

Pesto Sauce

At times, it's so convenient to pick up a pre-made sauce, but there is something about making sauces from scratch that is so gratifying! Skip the preservatives and use fresh ingredients! Your taste buds will love you!

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recipe

Homemade pesto

• 1.5 cup Basil Leaves
• 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup Pine Nuts
• 2 Garlic Cloves
• 1/2 tsp Salt and Pepper
• 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Throw all of this in a food processor to yield around 1 cup. It's that simple and it tastes SO much better than packaged pesto. After making the pesto I prepared "Pesto di Basilico". This was gemelli pasta (cooked according to the directions on the box), grape tomatoes, spinach and grilled chicken breasts.  

Lamb Chops

Lamb chops are, hands down, one of my favorite things to make. It is so simple and quick-- perfect for one of those nights when you want something quick, but don't have all of the time in the world.

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RECIPE

pan-seared LAMb CHOPS

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Season the lamb chops lightly with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add the chops to the skillet. Cook about 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare.

In the top photo above, I seasoned the lamb chops with salt and pepper. After pan searing them, I let them rest with herbed butter on the top. You can find a recipe for the herbed butter on my page! I paired the lamb chops with mashed potatoes and sauteed asparagus. But for this week in particular, I used what I had and paired the lamp chops with polenta and grilled squash! 

Stuffed Pasta Shells

Here's a recipe I love and tried for the first time about a year ago. These are pasta shells stuffed with Hot Italian Sausage, Spinach, Arugula & Peppers and smothered in a Garlic Fontina Cream Sauce. This recipe will yield about 20-22 stuffed shells. Let me know if you decide to try it out!

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Recipe

stuffed pasta shells

• 20 Jumbo Pasta Shells
• 1.25 pound hot Italian Sausage (ground)
• 1 ¼ cup spinach (chopped)
• 1 cup arugula (chopped)
• ¾ cup red & yellow peppers (diced) 

For the cream Sauce:

• 1 ¾ cup Heavy Cream
• 4 Garlic Cloves, smashed
• 1 cup Fontina Cheese, (cubed)
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 ½ - 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese 
• 1 tbs. Italian Seasoning 

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Cook shells according to package directions. Drain and set shells inside baking dish lined with foil.
2. Prepare Cream Sauce on medium heat. Add heavy cream, Italian seasoning, and smashed garlic cloves to saucepan. When the sauce starts to simmer, remove the smashed garlic cloves and then add in the Fontina & Parmesan cheese. Mix until the cheese is melted and then reduce heat to low.
3. Brown Italian Sausage in saucepan. Drain excess oil and then reduce heat to low. Mix in the Spinach, Arugula & Peppers. Spoon the Sausage mix into shells and then drizzle the cream sauce over the shells.
4. Sprinkle the shells with Mozzarella, cover with foil and bake in the oven for around 20 min. After 20 min, I uncovered the shells and then broiled them on high for 2-4 min, until they were nice and bubbly. Enjoy! 

Salmon en Croute

Have you ever seen one of BuzzFeed's Tasty videos? They make everything look so easy and delicious, but I'm always skeptical. Does the food actually taste as good it looks?? Once I saw the video for this recipe, I knew I HAD to try it.  And, I wouldn't lie to you, this was just as simple and tantalizing as it looked online. 

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Recipe

Salmon en Croute

• 1 salmon filet
• 1 sheet puff pastry, room temperature
• 1 egg, beaten
• 5 ounces spinach
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves chopped garlic
• 1/2 chopped medium onion
• 1 Teaspoon salt and pepper (each)
• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan

Directions:

1. Preheat. Oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Spinach mixture. In a pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add the garlic and onions, cooking until translucent. Add the spinach, salt, and pepper, cooking until spinach is wilted. Add the breadcrumbs, cream cheese, parmesan, and dill, stirring until mixture is evenly combined. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Salmon and puff pastry. On a cutting board, smooth out the sheet of puff pastry. Place the salmon in the middle of the pastry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Place several spoonfuls of the spinach mixture on top of the salmon, smoothing it out so that it does not spill over the sides. Fold the edges of the puff pastry over the salmon and spinach. Flip the puff pastry-wrapped salmon over and transfer to a baking sheet.
4. Egg and score. Brush the beaten egg on the top and sides of the pastry. Score the top of the pastry with a knife, cutting shallow diagonal lines to create a crosshatch pattern. Brush the top again with the egg wash.
5. Bake. 20-25 minutes, until pastry is golden brown.

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