Shrimp & Kale

Shrimp... avocado... Mmm!  Shrimp has been my favorite food since, oh, probably since I was about 4 years old.  My favorite treat as a tike used to be a trip to Red Lobster and order the shrimp off the kids' menu.  While I've outgrown popcorn shrimp, I have not outgrown shrimp.  And my love for seafood, let me tell you - if it's fresh from the sea, it's definitely for me.  The great part about shrimp, in regards to eating light, is that they're one of the leaner proteins and suitable in just about every dish.  Since I have a very large bag of kale we're working our way through, it only made sense for it to go to good use in this dish.

Servings: 2-4 depending on hunger, side dishes, etc.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp EVOO or cooking spray
• 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 bag frozen tail off, peeled shrimp, thawed
• 1/2 c. chardonnay
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 4 c. kale, chopped
• 1 heirloom tomato, chopped
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
• 1 deep skillet/pan with lid.

Directions:

1. Heat EVOO or cooking spray in skillet over med-high heat
2. Add in onion and garlic, cook for about 3 min until onion begins to tenderize and garlic is fragrant.
3. Add in shrimp and stir.  Cook until shrimp begin to loose their transparency.
4. Add in chardonnay, red pepper flakes, basil.  Stir into shrimp.  Let shrimp simmer in the wine until pink and opaque.
5. Mix in the kale.  Make sure to mix so the wine can get on all the kale leaves to help them wilt quicker.
6. Lower heat to medium.  Cover the skillet.  Let simmer for about 10 minutes.
7. Uncover the skillet and add in tomato.  Cover skillet again and let simmer for about 5 minutes.  Tomato shouldn't get too mushy, just fully warmed through.
8. Serve onto plate.  May be served over rice, pasta, lentils, quinoa, on it's own, etc.
9. Garnish with sliced avocado.

Eggs over a field of greens

Today marks my first 5k tempo run under a 9:30 pace.. I've had the hardest time breaking 10 minutes. I know, I know, some of you rock 8 minute miles or faster, but at barely 5 feet tall and feet flatter than a hobbit's (not as hairy and my toes are cuter), I struggle with a short gait and holding a fast pace for more than 1/2 a mile.  It appears that long distance runs, intervals, fartleks, foam rolling, stretching and icing all really do make a difference.  I was spending some time talking with my better half on proper running form and hand/arm posture.  I always learned the "potato chip" hand position.  Tonight, he taught me about tea cups.  Yes, tea cups. Apparently you ever so lightly "hold" a proper tea cup in each hand and gently "brush" the tea cup against your side.  I'm not even sure what to think about this... aside from, maybe I can go for a jog with the Mad Hatter and enjoy a bit of tea and crumpets with him.

But yes, after being proud of by sub 9:30 pace, we needed a quick dinner that would be ready in 30 minutes or less.  We've started a new habit of tagging runs.  I come home from work then take the pup for a run. Maybe place a casserole in the oven.   Hubs gets home a little after and preps for his run and he may start to prep dinner if it's a more complicated dish.  I come home, stretch, cool down while hubs heads out for his run, and cook dinner if it's a regular dinner or at least the side dishes to the casserole or finish what he's started.  Dinner is then ready and on the table once he gets back from his run.  It's been working out fairly well these past few weeks.

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 1/2 spaghetti squash with seeds cleaned out
• 2 Tbsp EVOO
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 c. sugar snap peas
• 3-4 c.  kale leaves
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 4 eggs
• 4 Tbsp marinara sauce
• Casserole dish, 1 deep skillet/pan, and 1 non-stick pan, plastic wrap

Directions:

1. In a casserole dish, place spaghetti squash with the cut-side facing up.
2. Fill dish with about 1/4 to 1/2" of water at bottom.
3. Rub 1 Tbsp EVOO over the spaghetti squash.
4. Cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap.
5. Place dish in microwave for 10 minutes.
6. In a deep skillet, heat 1 Tbsp of EVOO over med-high heat.
7. Add the garlic and snap peas to the skillet and cook until garlic starts to turn brown and peas become a bit tender.
8. Add in kale and red pepper flakes, turn temperature down to low and cover skillet with lid.
9. Heat the non-stick pan and fry four eggs over easy.
10. About now, the spaghetti squash is done in the microwave.  Scoop out the "meat" or the squash from the skin and mix into the kale and snap pea mixture.
11. Place the kale, snap pea, and spaghetti squash mixture in a serving plate.
12. Top the greens with 2 fried eggs per plate.
13. Place about 1 Tbsp of marinara sauce over each egg.

Sweet & Light Collard Greens

Collard greens can get a bad wrap, since somehow these healthy nutritious greens can become sinfully delicious.  My better half isn't much into these greens, healthy or not healthy.  But I will put them on his plate and he does eat them... just not with a smile on his face.  Tonight's concoction resulted in eating his plate clean without a scowl on his face, so I'll take it as a win.  Personally, I love collard greens and tonight's recipe was just the right about of sweet without adding everything from grandma's baking cupboard.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 slices Turkey Bacon, diced/chopped
• 1 bundle of fresh collard greens, rinsed & chopped
• 1 Tbsp Honey
• 2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar

Directions:

1. Place a deep skillet over medium-high heat
2. Spray skillet with cooking spray or EVOO
3. Once skillet is warm, add in turkey bacon.  Cook for about 5 minutes until it starts to get crispy.
4. Add in collard greens and lower temperature.  Allow collard greens to begin to wilt.
5. Mix honey, vinegar, & brown sugar in a small bowl.  Toss into greens.
6. Reduce heat to low and cover skillet.  Let collard greens tenderize, color will change from dark green to a lighter green.  Keep covered for about 20 minutes.
7. Serve and enjoy

Hummus & Nut Encrusted Chicken

Holy smokes, it's been quite awhile since I've posted a recipe to the blog.  But that's because a lot has been going on in the past few months.. let me see, I graduated law school, studied and took the bar exam, and starting to work full-time again like a normal person contributing to society.  I have never been so happy to just lead a normal life... as in, come home, make dinner, clean the kitchen, maybe do a little laundry, you know... the mundane things in life.

Tonight's recipe is brought to you by - what is left in the fridge before tonight's grocery shopping trip.  I love hummus but never seem to make it through a container, so that's how hummus came to jazz up the chicken.

Ingredients:

• 4 Chicken breasts 4 (or 1 per person)
• 4 Tbsp Hummus - I prefer roasted garlic hummus
• 1 tsp Minced Garlic (if not using garlic hummus)
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/4 c. Almonds - Chopped
• 1/4 c. Pistachios - Chopped
• 1 lemon, sliced into wedges

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450F
2. Lay chicken breasts into a baking dish
3. Spread 1 Tbsp of Hummus on top of each chicken breast
4. Sprinkle garlic, paprika, cumin, and red pepper flakes on top of the chicken breasts
5. Spread chopped almonds and pistachios on top of hummus and press into the hummus
6. Place chicken breasts into oven and bake for appx. 30-40 minutes until done (juices should run clear)
7. Serve with lemon wedges