Shrimp and Edamame Succotash

Summer is here! Its a great time to try new light, fresh and healthy meals...like this one. Who doesn't like shrimp..paired together with beautiful tomatoes, sweet kernels of corn, red pepper, BACON ...sorry, with a hint of garlic and onion...delicious! The shrimp can be grilled or cooked in a pan this is a great healthy and refreshing meal.

Shrimp and Edamame Succotash

 

Bursting with summer flavors, this Shrimp and Edamame Succotash is a fun twist on the traditional and makes the perfect weeknight dinner.

Author: Lindsay L

Ingredients

• 2 slices of bacon, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup onion, minced
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1.5 cups frozen, shelled edamame
• 1 pound shrimp, raw, peeled & devined
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 Tbsp melted butter
• optional toppings: basil & goat cheese

Instructions

1. In a large saute pan, cook bacon, onion, garlic and peppers over medium heat for 5 minutes.
2. Cook edamame according to package directions. Add to pan along with corn and cook 3 minutes more.
3. Set aside.
4. Place shrimp on skewers, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with paprika. Grill 2 minutes per side.
5. Plate succotash mixture, top with shrimp and add fresh basil and goat cheese if desired.

Notes

If you don't want to grill your shrimp you can easily cook them in the pan.
Feel free to sub your favorite bean for the edamame.

Easy Burrito Bowls

OK, this is another Pinterest find and it got my attention because it claimed to better than Chipotle...Really this I must try! I love Chipotle and we are schedule to have one coming to a town very near me...I can't wait! In the mean time I am going to give this a try...it takes a total of 25 minutes to prepare and it's not only delicious but it's healthy! Looking forward to trying this...with brown rice of course!

EASY BURRITO BOWLS

Prep Time: 10 minutes   Cook Time: 15 minutes  Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 cup uncooked rice

1 cup salsa, homemade or store-bought

3 cups chopped Romaine lettuce

1 (15.25-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

1 (15-ounce) black beans, drained and rinsed

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

FOR THE CHIPOTLE CREAM SAUCE

1 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon chipotle paste*

1 clove garlic, pressed

Juice of 1 lime

1/4 teaspoon salt, or more, to taste

Make Zesty Ranch Bacon & Cheddar Dip

INSTRUCTIONS

To make the chipotle cream sauce, whisk together sour cream, chipotle paste, garlic, lime juice and salt; set aside.

In a large saucepan of 1 1/2 cups water, cook rice according to package instructions; let cool and stir in salsa; set aside.

To assemble the bowls, divide rice mixture into serving bowls; top with lettuce, corn, black beans, tomatoes, avocado and cilantro.

Serve immediately, drizzled with chipotle cream sauce.

NOTES

*2 tablespoons chipotle peppers, in adobo sauce, can be substituted for chipotle paste. 

Adapted from The Garden Grazer

Sworkit Workout Apps

Are you like me and can't find the time to go to the gym or just don't like the idea of the gym but want to fit exercise into your life schedule...well there is an App for that! Sworkit by Nexercise seems to be the new thing. The perfect work out for you - Anywhere - Anytime - Personalized! More than 4 million people have downloaded the app, so it's worth a shot! Sworkit - Simply Work-it - is aiming to give on-the-go fitness a fun new spin, and may be the answer to having an effective workout almost anywhere. So get to work! The app is available on Amazon, Google Play and the Apple Store.

Tomato Fritters

My name is Keisha and I'm a Pinterest Addict!!! It could be worst right??? I love the whole idea of Pinterest...you get to discover so many creative ideas with whatever you're into...fashion, food, flowers..whatever. So I was having some Pinterest time and came across this refreshing recipe for Tomato Fritters. Summer is a great time for tomatoes and this such a cool new idea right. I love fried green tomatoes but this is a healthier option for beautiful, sweet, ripe tomatoes. These fritters are made with summer tomatoes, feta and fresh dill or the herb of your choice...I bet finely chopped fresh basil would be yummy! They are a little crispy on the outside and moist and bursting with flavor on the inside. What a great quick and easy summer appetizer idea...you can top it with green onions and serve them plain or with yogurt! 

TOMATO FRITTERS

                PREP TIME:10 mins   COOK TIME:10 mins  TOTAL TIME: 20 mins

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

• 2 eggs
• 4 tomatoes, 1 and ½ cup when chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ¼ cup crumbled feta
• 4 and ½ tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ cup olive oil to fry

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Whisk the eggs.
2. Remove the seeds of tomatoes and squeeze gently to remove their excessive juice because we don’t want them to make the batter too juicy.
3. Chop them in tiny pieces and toss in whisked eggs. Add tomato paste and stir.
4. Fold in crumbled feta.
5. Add in flour and stir. You may need to add a little more flour because the tomatoes might still release their juice when mixed with other things. You should have a batter a little thicker than a cake batter.
6. Add chopped fresh dill, salt and black pepper and stir.
7. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and drop batter with a teaspoon in the oil. Fry it about 30 seconds on each side or until it has the color you desire.
8. Transfer on a paper towel to remove excessive oil and serve warm.

Sweet Potato Praline Cake

Listen...this is not healthy!!! Again this is not healthy...but it does contain vegetables :) and it is Delicious!! It has become one of my family favorites and I made it for my class mates and they are still talking about it. Now, I know you are probably thinking...I don't have time to make a cake from scratch...and guess what - you don't have to! I am all about semi-homemade dishes - I mean I work and go to school..I am a wife, mother, grandmother and believe it or not I have friends..so I'm a busy girl! This is a fool proof recipe and thanks to Duncan Hines Butter Recipe cake mix - no one will ever know the difference..and I make it in a bundt cake pan..beautiful! Oh, and the praline sauce......shut your mouth and keep on talking! I am a sweet potato lover...pumpkin not so much so I changed the recipe to make it a sweet potato cake instead of pumpkin...but the choice is yours. You can bake a medium sized sweet potato and get your 1 cup of mashed sweep potato or you can purchase a can of Bruce's baked sweet potato with nothing added. Amazing! Try it..take it to the next family dinner it will become everyone's favorite. Don't forget the Homemade Vanilla Bluebell ice cream. Talk back to me...leave comments after you try this one.

Praline Sweet Potato Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/4 cup whipping cream

1 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow cake mix

1 cup (from 15-oz can) Bruce's mashed sweet potato or 1 med. sweet potato baked (you can make it with pumpkin - don't use the canned pie filling)

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 container (1 lb) Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy cream cheese frosting

Caramel topping, if desired

Additional coarsely chopped pecans, if desired

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 325°F. In 1-quart heavy saucepan, stir together butter, whipping cream and brown sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, just until butter is melted. Pour into 2 (9- or 8-inch) round cake pans; sprinkle evenly with 3/4 cup pecans.

2. In large bowl, beat cake mix, sweet potato (or pumpkin if you choose), water, oil, eggs and 1 teaspoon of the pumpkin pie spice with electric mixer on low speed until moistened. Beat 2 minutes on medium speed. Carefully spoon batter over pecan mixture in each pan.

3. Bake 43 to 45 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

4. Stir remaining 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice into frosting. To assemble cake, place 1 layer, praline side up, on serving plate. Spread with half of the frosting. Top with second layer, praline side up; spread remaining frosting to edge of layer. Drizzle with caramel topping and additional pecans. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.

Bananas, Oats, Raisins and Vanilla

I came across this on Facebook ...it was posted on twitter by Perez Hilton and I thought it looks delicious! It's egg-less, dairy-less, flour-less and has no added sugar! In addition it's a quick easy recipe that you can make ahead and pack with your lunch or have after dinner. I'm putting this on my list for this week. Happy baking!

St. Patty's Day Treat!- Corned Beef and Cabbage

I love, love, love this dish...so delicious yet so simple, especially in the slow cooker. If you have never tried it treat yourself and your family and it will become a favorite...if you've tried it before try it again in the slow cooker. All that flavor really soaks into the cabbage...mouth watering. This is going to happen tomorrow...with cornbread of course! 

INGREDIENTS

Serves 6-8

4cups hot water
2tablespoons cider vinegar
2tablespoons sugar
1⁄2teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1large onion, cut into quarters
3lbs corned beef brisket(with spices)
8small white potatoes or 8 small yellow potatoes, scrubbed and cut into quarters
1head cabbage, cored and cut into 10 wedges (about 1 1/2 pounds)
4 -5carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces

DIRECTIONS
Combine the water vinegar, sugar, pepper and onions, in a 6 qt crock pot and mix well.
Place corned beef and contents of spice packet in the mixture.
Scatter the potatoes over the top and along the sides.
Cover and cook on high heat setting 4 hours.
Remove the lid and scatter the cabbage wedges over the top.
Cover and continue cooking on high 3-4 hours longer, or until beef is tender.
To serve, carve the beef into slices against the grain and serve with the cabbage and potatoes, with some of the cooking liquid spooned on top of the beef to keep it moist.