Shrimp Scampi with Zoodles

I have been into the idea of vegetable noodles  zoodles for a while now. And I finally brought a zoodle maker from bed bath and beyond. First of all, the link above is for the Veggetti Spiral Vegetable Cutter and tonight was the first time using it and I have nothing but good things to say about it. It was easy to use, made perfect noodles out of zucchini and was easy to clean. I honestly have nothing bad to say about this product. 

This recipe wasn't too bad either, it was a take on shrimp scampi. I love everything about scampi sauce, wine, lemon and garlic. 

What You'll Need: 
3 zucchini made into noodles
1/2 lb of cleaned shrimp 
2 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons of evoo
3 large cloves of garlic grated 
1/2 cup of wine 
1 lemon (juiced)
1 tablespoon grated parmigiano cheese 
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes










What To Do: 

Season shrimp with salt and pepper. In a skillet heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of evoo. Cook the shrimp until they are no longer pink.

Place the shrimp on a plate then add the other tablespoon of butter and evoo into the skillet and melt. Add in grated garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes then add 1/2 cup of wine and add the zoodles to the pan. Cook the zoodles for 3-4 minutes then take off the heat, add in the juice of one lemon, parmigiano cheese, pepper flakes and add shrimp back into the skillet. 

Cinnamon Rolls

This sunday it was extremely bad weather and I was stuck in the house all morning so I decided to make the best of it by making homemade cinnamon rolls. This recipe was easy required no yeast, I recommend you try it on your next snow day! 

What You'll Need: 

Dough 
2 cups of flour
2 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder 
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter (cubed softened) 
1 cup milk

Filling
4 tablespoons butter (cubed softened) 
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Glaze 
1/2 cup powdered sugar 
1/4 cup milk

What To Do: 

For the filling, in a small bowl combine softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. 

In a large bowl mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in softened butter then stir in milk until it forms a soft dough. 

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. 

Spread the remaining filling on the rolled out dough then roll it up. Use a sharp knife to slice into rolls and place in a 8 by 8 pan (rolls close together) 

Bake the rolls for 20 minutes of 400. 

For the glaze, combine powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl until smooth. Coat the rolls with the glaze when they come out of the oven. 

Cheeseburger Quesadilla

"Cheeseburger Quesadilla", "Quesadilla Cheeseburger" I may not be sure what to call this burger but regardless it's a winner! I thought of this one when I was trying to find other alternatives to bread for a cheeseburger and lettuce just wouldn't cut it. One of my favorite parts of this burger was the sauce (see below for all the details) you can add it as a topping to almost any burger or sandwich for a kicked up flavor. 

This recipe will make 4 burgers. 

What You'll Need: 
Burgers: 
1 lb ground beef (I used 95% lean) 
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon pepper 
1 glove of garlic minced 
1 tablespoon worcestershire
2/3 cup of shredded mild cheddar cheese 
8 small tortillas

Sauce: 
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 chipotle (minced) 

What To Do: 

In a large bowl add the ground beef, salt, pepper, garlic and worcestershire sauce. Mix together and form into 4 patties and cook on the grill 5-7 minutes each side. 

While the burgers cook, make the sauce. In a small bowl add sour cream. ketchup and chipotle. Mix together until combined. 

In a large skillet heat a small amount of butter then place 1 small tortilla down and top with handful of shredded cheese until melty. Then place 1 burger on top then top the burger with sauce and second tortilla. Flip over and cook on the other side for 2 minutes. 

Let the quesadilla rest for 1 minute until slicing in half.

Greek Chicken with Tzatziki Sauce

I don't have much experience with greek food and honestly when I think of greek food I think of some weird meat covered in yogurt sauce. But that is totally not the case, recently at work it has been a fan favorite & I really enjoyed it. So I branched out and made grilled greek chicken with tzatziki sauce. To keep this dish diet conscience I would call it a deconstructed chicken gyro. I served the grilled chicken with a fresh salad and Naan bread! This was really a quick weeknight dish but is always something totally difference to enjoy! 



What You'll Need: 
1 lb boneless 
1 lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper 
1 large garlic clove (chopped finely) 
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
2 cups of chopped lettuce 
1 large piece of naan bread (cut into pieces or you can use pita bread) 

For the Sauce
1/2 cup plain low fat greek yogurt
1/2 lemon juiced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 gloves of garlic (grated)
1 tablespoon dill 

What To Do: 

Preheat a grill pan over medium heat. In a large bowl place chicken, olive oil, garlic, juice of 1/2 the lemon and the spices. mix together then grill 6 minutes on each side. 

Let the chicken rest and make the tzatziki sauce: place all the ingredients in bowl and some salt and pepper and stir together. 

Place lettuce in bowl and season with salt and pepper and 1/2 lemon juice. 

Slice the chicken and serve over naan bread & lettuce with tzatziki sauce on the side.

Zucchini Boats

I am always looking for new healthy dinner options so tonight we had zucchini boats with veggie pasta! They were SO good and super easy to make and this is a perfect weeknight meal. You could always switch out the ground beef I used with ground turkey or chicken as well.

Another key to this recipe is to buy large zucchini so they break when you try to hallow them out! 

What You'll Need: 

2 large zucchini 

1 lb ground beef (95% lean) 

1/2 cup of your favorite tomato sauce

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes 

2 garlic cloves (crushed) 

2 tablespoons grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

1 tablespoon parsley for a garnish 

What To Do: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees 

2. Cut the zucchini in half and hallow it out (I used a melon baller and it worked pretty well). 

3. Brown up the ground beef in a large pan. Once browned add in the tomato sauce, red pepper flakes garlic, and season with salt & pepper. Let the ground beef simmer for a few minutes then fill between the 4 boats. 

4. Top each boat with some cheese and place in the oven for 15 minutes. 

5. Once they come out of the oven add some parsley and enjoy! 

Pudding with Banana Whip Cream

This dessert is so cute for any dinner party or date night and you won't believe how easy it is! No one can tell me they can't make this desert. The star is instant pudding filling and can be ready within minutes. I served these in big martini glasses but mini shot glasses would be cute for a party. 

What You'll Need 
1 box instant pudding filling 
1 3/4 cup of cold milk 
1 banana 
2 tablespoons sugar 
1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream 

What To Do: 
In a mixer add 1 the box of instant pudding filling and cold milk. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Then place into your serving cups and set in the fridge. 

While the pudding is setting start making the whip cream. Mash the banana until it is no longer chunky. Then add in sugar and heavy cream and beat until light and airy (about 4-5 minutes). Using a piping bag add a small amount of whipped cream to the pudding. Garnish with some semi sweet chocolate chips. 

Hope you Enjoy! 

Triple Chocolate Cake

My mother-in-law is a huge chocolate fan so I made this cake for her birthday! I found a few recipes online for double chocolate cake but I like this cake because added a layer of chocolate chips in the middle of the filling to add some texture to the cake! This is a delightful dessert that is a sure chocolate lover pleaser! It is an easy way to dress up any chocolate cake! 

What You'll Need: 

For the Ganache/Filling

12 oz semisweet chocolate

1 pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups heavy cream 

12 cup semi sweet chocolate chips 

Cake: 

Bake 1 basic chocolate cake cooled (2 nine inch cake rounds works best). You can use your favorite recipe for chocolate cake. I honestly used a boxed cake (made with pudding base)

What To Do: 

To make the ganache, put the 12 oz of chocolate and salt  in a large heatproof bowl. Then place the heavy cream in a large sauce pan and bring to simmer, then pour over the chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes before whisking. 

Pour 3/4 cup of the ganache into a liquid measuring cup and set aside at room temperature. 

Refrigerate the remaining ganache in the bowl until thick (about one hour). Once an hour is up beat with a mixer on medium speed until just fluffy (just about 1 minute). 

To assemble the cake put 1 cake layer on a platter, and spread on a little frosting then evenly spread out the 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Top with the second cake layer and frost the entire cake. Pour the room-temperature ganache on top, letting it flow over the sides. I like to garnish with chocolate shavings or mini chocolate chips! Let this cake set for 30 minutes before cutting into.