Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta

I've been combing thorough my favorite recipe books and websites in search of some new recipes that incorporate more proteins than I'm used to cooking. I've been trying to run more and want to build muscle in my legs faster so I'm trying to up my intake. (And having three brothers that are all super into lifting, strength training and protein shakes is a good motivator!)
This dish was simple to prepare and really unexpected! The garlic panko crumbs make this dish and I will use the panko "soaking" method whenever a recipe calls for bread crumbs or panko again. The feta was just strong enough to make the dish savory and decadent, but was not overpowering.

I would absolutely make this again and think I'll play around with this as an appetizer for dinner parties! Look at that perfectly golden crust!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for baking dish
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup panko
1 1/2 pounds shrimp, 21 - 25 per pound, peeled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (15-ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup feta, crumbled
10 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a small saucepan over medium heat add butter and olive oil.  When butter begins to just bubble, remove the pan from the heat and add the garlic.  Let sit for 3 - 5 minutes.  Add the panko and stir to combine.  Set aside.

Brush a 9-inch baking dish with a little olive oil.  Add the shrimp and sprinkle with the salt and pepper.  Top with the tomatoes, then the garlic panko and sprinkle the feta.  Bake for 12 minutes or until the shrimp are just cooked through.  Remove from oven and top with the basil.

I sincerely wish I could take ANY credit at all for this recipe, but it's yet another from my favorite blog.

Peanut Butter Hummus

Before hummus became an "in" snack, we had already been eating it for years! My dad likes more interesting foods and we grew up with delicious, but not yet "in" things like homemade hummus, fresh gazpacho (I still need to get his recipe for this) and liverwurst. (I think I liked that until I knew what it was.)

I had a container of plain yogurt in the fridge from the Oriental Chicken Salad I made last week and always have cans of chick peas and fresh lemons on hand, so I thought I'd try hummus. When I made this "lightened up" dish, it tasted exactly like the one we had growing up. The peanut butter is a really great substitue for tahini (sesame paste). I'd take this over the Sabra brand anyday.

Ingredients:

1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
2 tsp. creamy peanut butter
2 tsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp Kosher salt
Juice of one lemon
1/8 tsp allspice

Directions:

Put everything into a food processor or Magic Bullet and blend until creamy and thick. Adjust spices accordingly.

Oriental Chicken Salad

I was looking for a fresh and healthy lunch that would keep me full for hours. I dug out one of my mom's old Weight Watchers cookbooks (disclaimer: Mom has never been on Weight Watchers! She loved the fresh salsa recipe and my brother gave her the cookbook for Christmas years ago.) and started tagging pages left and right.There are so many fast, healthy and different recipes in this cookbook!(Be prepared for multiple Weight Watchers recipe postings!)

I found an Oriental Chicken salad with red bell peppers and a peanut butter "dressing" that I thought would be good, and I was right. I served this over romaine lettuce, but next time I think I'd try this over a Napa cabbage instead.

It was colorful, refreshing, different, but still felt sort of like a guilty pleasure. This is a good summer picnic food if you can keep it cold long enough. See what you think!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 T creamy peanut butter (use full fat for the most flavor)
1 T rice wine vinegar
1 t Asian sesame oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded
6 scallions
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 8 oz. can water chestnuts (don't skip this- it really added texture)
handful of Chinese noodles
Salt and pepper to taste
Lettuce (or cabbage)

Directions:

Combine the yogurt, peanut butter, oil, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, salt and pepper with a food processor or Magic Bullet.

In a separate bowl, combine the red bell pepper, chicken, lettuce (or cabbage- whatever you are using), water chestnuts. When the "dressing" is blended, pour over the veggie mixture and separate into portions.

Dress each portion with scallion and Chinese noodles.

Roasted Chick Peas

I've been on a quest in the past years to find "better for you" sources of protein to cook with. I don't love red meat, and chicken can only be so exciting. I'm a vegetarian by no means, just choose to eat a lot of fish, beans and soy instead. I think there are more flavor combinations with those sources anyway!

I've been hearing so many things about chick peas lately and had seen a few variations on roasted chick pea recipes, so I decided to give it a try last night.

These a good, crunchy, smoky and an healthy treat. They're super easy and travel well. I'll make these again!

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (or PAM)
• Kosher salt
• Pepper to taste
• Paprika to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F
2. Dry chickpeas as much as possible with a paper towel . In a bowl, toss chickpeas with olive oil and seasonings.
3. Spread on a baking sheet, and bake for about 40 minutes, until browned and crunchy. (I shook the pan around every few minutes to ensure all sides were browned and crunchy.)
4. Adjust seasonings once cool and enjoy!

Three Ingredient Pulled Pork

I love crock pot recipes, but am always skeptical of ones that only call for a handful of ingredients. I was in the mood for something different, filling, and comforting and came across this Cola Pulled Pork Recipe. I popped everything in the crock pot, let it cook on low for 10 hours and then viola- pulled pork sandwiches for a very grateful Mom and Dad.

I found the recipe a bit dry, but super flavorful. When I "pulled" the pork, I added some BBQ sauce, a few shakes of Liquid Smoke and a little Tobasco to give it some additional kick. I also served this with a heaping spoonful of Mom's coleslaw on top and a big bowl of fruit on the side. It was like a little picnic!

I saved some of the shredded pork for tacos or quesadillas for later in the week (just mix with peppers, onions, chilis and some salsa, cheese and sour cream and press in the panini maker) and froze some for when Guinea Pig visits and says I never have food in my fridge. (He is correct. When I cook, I cook for one usually, so most of my food is in the FREEZER, not the fridge!)

Ingredients

• 1 (3- to 4-lb.) boneless pork shoulder roast (I used a nearly 5 pound Boston butt), trimmed of fat and "silver stuff"
• 1 bottle barbecue sauce
• 1 20-oz. can cola soft drink (I've read differing things here about using diet pop or not. I didn't use diet, but would be anxious to see what it does differently.)

Directions 

• 1. Place roast in a lightly greased slow cooker; pour barbecue sauce and cola over roast. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or until meat shreds easily with a fork.
• 2. Transfer pork to a cutting board; shred with two forks, removing any large pieces of fat.
• 3. Season to taste.

The best part? Look how clean the bone is! Nothing wasted!

Adapted from: http://www.myrecipes.com/how-to/7-ways-with/7-ways-with-cola-00420000004555/page8.html

He cooks!

A quick post to prove that Guinea Pig COOKS! He made this cheeseburger this weekend while we were down the shore. I nearly fell backwards, but he informed me he has grilled burgers before. This was news to me and I promtly requested he learn to grill steaks and ribs. I will not hold my breath.

Sissy's Chicken Pomodoro

See, see? I did cook this week! :) It's been a busy week, but on Monday I wanted something gooey and delicious but still semi-healthy. My "sissy," as I call her, also known as my dear friend Andrea, recommended this Chicken Pomodoro recipe. She's served it at dinner parties and said every single time, someone has asked her for the recipe. I added lots of fresh veggies and some water to thin the sauce, but next time I think I'll forgo being healthy and make the recipe as is. The veggies really changed the flavor. Still, quick, easy, spicy and gooey! I liked the spice, but my dinner guest couldn't handle it. (OK, maybe I added more than 1 tsp of the red pepper.) ;)

Ingredients:

1 T olive oil

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts 

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp.  crushed red pepper

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 c. broccoli florets

1 green pepper, chopped into large pieces

1/2 c. frozen peas

4 oz.  (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed

1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

2 Tbsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese

2 Tbsp.  chopped fresh basil

Directions:

Cook the chicken. (I cooked the chicken by baking it in the toaster oven for 30 minutes to avoid the fat of the olive oil. I seasoned it first with Montreal Chicken Seasoning for some kick and used Pam Olive Oil Spray.)

While the chicken is cooking, prep the veggies and smash the garlic.

Add the olive oil to a nonstick pan, and sautee the garlic and crushed red pepper for 2 minutes. When the garlic is fragrant, add the veggies and cook until tender. (I added some water here to help steam them.) When the veggies are almost done, add the diced tomatoes.

Once the veggie/tomato mixture is heated through, add the cream cheese, Parmesan and basil. Mix. (The mixture will thin out as it cooks.)

Add the chicken and mozzarella to the pan and let cook until bubbly. Taste, and season as necessary.

Serve over your favorite pasta. I used whole wheat farfalle. Just remember that the pasta sucks up the sauce very easily, so avoid adding the pasta to the mixture in the pan!

Adapted from: http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/creamy-chicken-pomodoro-121461.aspx?pf=true