Shrimp and Broccoli Rolls with Peanut Sauce

With this fresh, light, and quick dinner, who needs take out? Fresh broccoli slaw, cilantro and seasoned cooked shrimp all wrapped up in one tasty package. Dip it in my homemade peanut sauce to elevate the flavor and give your taste buds a treat!

Ingredients:

- 1 1/2 cups packaged broccoli slaw

- 1/4 cup torn cilantro or basil leaves

- 2 Tbs green onions, sliced thin

- hot water

- 4, 8-inch round rice paper sheets

- 10 oz. cooked medium shrimp

Combine slaw, cilantro (or basil) and green onion. Fill a large, shallow dish with hot water an inch full.  Place a rice paper sheet in the bowl and let soak for 15 to 20 seconds. Lay out rice paper sheet and place about one-fourth of the shrimp on half of the sheet, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top shrimp with broccoli slaw mixture. Fold in sides of sheet toward center. Starting with the filled side, start rolling your rice paper tightly, pressing seam to seal. Place, seam side down, on a serving tray or plate and repeat with remaining rice paper sheets. Dip in the homemade peanut sauce recipe below.

Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

- 1/8 tsp. ground ginger

- 1 small garlic clove

- 2 Tbs reduced-sodium soy sauce

- 1 Tbs fresh lime juice

- 1 tsp. brown sugar

- 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

- 1/3 cup water

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until combined. Add a tablespoon of water at a time to thin the sauce if it is too thick for you. Serve at room temperature.

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"In these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die. Where you invest your love, you invest your life." - Mumford and Sons

Summer Squash Salad with Prosciutto and Feta

A great light salad for warm summer days! If your garden is providing you with an abundance of summer squash or zucchini, here's a fabulous recipe you will thoroughly enjoy! You didn't plant squash this summer? Head to your local farmer's market or grocery store so you can enjoy this wonderful recipe too!

Ingredients:

- 2 medium summer squash or zucchini

- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

- 1/2 cup cocktail tomatoes, halved

- 1/4 tsp. pepper

- 1 Tbs olive oil

- 3 oz. prosciutto

- 1/4 cup feta cheese

With a vegetable peeler, peel the squash into thin strips. Discard the center of the squash with seeds. Place in a large bowl and add basil, tomatoes, and pepper. Toss to coat. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add prosciutto and cook about a minute on each side, or until slightly crisp. Remove from heat, and chop into small pieces. Add prosciutto and feta cheese to the squash, combine, and enjoy! If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.

"Give me a place to stand and I shall move the earth." - Archimedes

Shrimp Fried Cauliflower Rice

This healthier version of shrimp fried rice will fool you into thinking the fried cauliflower is rice! Spectacular dish that's incredibly easy to make with very few ingredients. 

Ingredients:

- 3 Tbs sesame oil, divided

- 12 oz. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

- 4 large eggs, lightly beaten

- 1/2 cup green onions, chopped

- 12 oz. fresh or frozen (thawed if frozen) riced cauliflower (if you can't find riced cauliflower, make your own by pulsing cauliflower florets in a food processor until crumbled.)

- salt and pepper to taste

Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook 4 minutes. Remove to a plate. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil to the heated skillet and add eggs. Cook until eggs are almost set, stirring once. Fold cooked eggs in half, remove from pan and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the skillet, still over medium-high heat. Add onions and cauliflower. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring infrequently, until cauliflower is browned. Stir in shrimp, eggs, and a little salt and pepper to taste. Top with a few sliced green onion and enjoy! If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here!

"Don't let the shadow of your past eclipse the brightness 

of your future." - Anonymous

Spaghetti Squash Shrimp Scampi

The title itself is a mouthful to say but that's nothing compared to the mouthwatering taste you'll get from this shrimp scampi. Shrimp sautéed with garlic in butter, white wine, and tossed with red pepper flakes and parsley. You can just taste it already!

Ingredients:

- 2 lb spaghetti squash

- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

- 2 Tbs butter

- 3 cloves garlic, minced

- 1/8 to 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes, depending on your desired heat

- 1/3 cup dry white wine (you can also use chicken stock)

- 12 cherry tomatoes, halved

- 1 lb fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined

- 1/3 cup lemon juice

- 4 to 6 saffron threads (optional)

- 1/4 cup parsley, chopped, divided

Place squash on a microwaveable plate and place in the oven for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly. Cut the ends off of the squash and cut in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and place squash back on the place, skin side up. Add 2 tablespoons of water to the plate and return it to the microwave for another 5 minutes. Remove, let cool slightly and gently scrape and separate the spaghetti squash strings with a fork. Place squash in a bowl, add parmesan cheese and combine. Cover and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add butter. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, and sauté 1 minute. Add the wine and tomatoes. Once the wine starts bubbling, add the shrimp. Cook the shrimp about 2 minutes on each side. Add the lemon juice and saffron (optional) and 2 tablespoons of the parsley. Spoon shrimp mixture over spaghetti squash and garnish with remaining parsley. Enjoy! If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.

"Change nothing, and nothing changes." - Anonymous

Ham and Spinach Stuffed Manicotti

Who doesn't love a pasta noodle filled with cheese? I bet not a lot of you have your hands up. This manicotti, stuffed with mozzarella, ham, and spinach are for those special days you get to enjoy a few more calories. Easy to make with a fantastic taste. That's what my food blog is all about! :) 

Ingredients:

- 4 oz. manicotti noodles (half of an 8 oz. box)

- 1 Tbs olive oil

- 2 garlic cloves, minced

- 3 green onions, diced

- 5 oz. ham, chopped small

- 2 cup packed fresh spinach, chopped 

- 3 Tbs flour

- 2 cups 1% or 2% milk

- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

- 2 Tbs grated parmesan cheese

- salt and pepper to taste, optional

- 1/2 to 3/4 cup pizza sauce

- basil to garnish, optional

Cook manicotti noodles according to directions. Drain and set aside. 

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onions and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add ham and spinach. Cook until spinach starts to wilt. Add flour and coat ham mixture thoroughly with flour by stirring constantly. Pour in milk, 1 cup mozzarella, and parmesan. Stir until sauce begins to thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste if desired.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pipe ham and spinach mixture into each manicotti. Lay each filled manicotti in a baking dish, in a single layer. Top with pizza sauce and additional 1/2 cup mozzarella. Bake for 20 minutes and switch settings to broil. Broil for 5 minutes or until the cheese turns a beautiful golden brown. Remove from oven, garnish with basil, and enjoy! If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.

"One day or day one, you decide." - Anonymous

BBQ Chicken Wings

Another flavorful recipe that's as easy as 1, 2, 3 with my new Instant Pot! 

Ingredients:

- 2 lbs chicken wings
- 1 cup water
- favorite barbecue sauce

Add one cup of water to your Instant Pot. Place a steamer basket inside of the pot and add chicken wings. Select "Manual" and cook at high pressure for 5 minutes. When it's done, select cancel and use a natural release to allow steam to escape. Remove chicken wings and pat dry with a paper towel. 

Set oven temperature to 450 degrees. Cover wings in your favorite homemade or store-bought BBQ sauce. Line chicken wings in a single layer on baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove and enjoy these amazing finger-licking chicken wings! If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.

"We accept the love we think we deserve." - Anonymous