Vegetable Polenta Casserole
Original recipe here
Ingredients:
3 cups vegetable broth
1 cup cornmeal
8 oz. frozen chopped spinach (I recommend squeezing water out)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 small onion
1 small zucchini
1 small yellow squash
1 (15 oz.) diced tomatoes
½ tsp basil
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp smoked paprika
freshly ground black pepper (10-15 cranks of a mill)
4 oz. (1 cup) shredded mozzarella
Directions:
Bring the vegetable broth to a rolling boil in a medium sauce pot. Stir together the cornmeal plus one cup of water to make a slurry, then stir it into the boiling water (this helps reduce clumps). Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 10-15, or until thickened. Once thickened, stir in the frozen spinach until heated through.
Meanwhile, mince the garlic and dice the onion, zucchini, and squash. Combine the onion, garlic, and olive oil in a large skillet and sauté over medium heat until the onions are softened. Add the zucchini and squash and sauté about five minutes more.
Once the zucchini and squash are soft, add the tomatoes, basil, oregano, paprika, and pepper. Stir to combine and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Begin to preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
When the cornmeal (polenta) is finished cooking, pour it into the bottom of an 8×8 inch casserole dish. After the vegetable mixture has finished simmering, spread it on top of the polenta in the casserole dish. Top with the shredded mozzarella.
Bake the casserole for about 20-25 minutes, or until it is heated through and the cheese is bubbly on top. Serve hot.
Spicy Shrimp & Tomato Pasta
Original recipe here
Ingredients
8 oz. fettuccine
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
4 cloves garlic
½ lb. peeled & deveined shrimp (41/50 size)
1 (15. oz.) can diced tomatoes
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
¼ tsp salt
Freshly cracked pepper to taste
Handful fresh parsley
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the pasta, and continue to boil for 7-10 minutes, or until tender. Drain the pasta in a colander.
While the pasta is cooking, add the olive oil and butter to a large skillet and place over medium heat. Mince the garlic while waiting for the butter to melt.
Rinse the shrimp with cool water and allow the excess water to drain away. Add the shrimp and minced garlic to the skillet. Saute the shrimp and garlic for 3-5 minutes, or just until the shrimp turns opaque and slightly pink (no longer grey and translucent). Remove the shrimp from the skillet and set it aside until later.
Add the can of tomatoes with juices to the skillet, along with the crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper. Stir to combine and let the sauce simmer over medium heat for about five minutes.
When the sauce has thickened slightly, add the cooked and drained pasta. Toss to coat in the sauce. Add the cooked shrimp back to the skillet and toss to combine with the pasta. Taste and adjust the salt if needed.
Roughly chop a handful of parsley leaves and sprinkle over top before serving.
Honey Balsamic Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
2 medium (1.5 lbs) chicken breasts
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil (divided)
to taste salt & pepper
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp honey
Directions
Slice the chicken breasts on a diagonal into six strips each. Place the strips in a quart sized zip top bag along with ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar, one clove of garlic (minced), 1 Tbsp of olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix the ingredients in the bag and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
When you’re ready to cook, heat the second tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, cook the strips until browned on both sides (about 2-3 minutes each side). You may have to do two batches. Place the cooked chicken on a clean plate.
Turn the heat down on the skillet to medium-low and add the butter and last 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar to the skillet. Use a spoon to stir the mixture and dissolve the sticky bits off of the bottom of the skillet. Once the mixture has dissolved together, add the honey, increase the heat, and allow the sauce to simmer until thickened (about five minutes).
Once the sauce has thickened, season to taste with salt and pepper (I just used a pinch of each). Add the chicken back to the skillet and toss to coat in the warm balsamic sauce. Serve immediately.
Slow Cooker Taco Chicken Bowls
Original recipe here
Ingredients
1½ lbs. chicken breasts
1 (16 oz.) jar salsa
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained
½ lb. (8 oz.) frozen corn
1 Tbsp chili powder
½ Tbsp cumin
½ Tbsp minced garlic
½ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp salt
to taste cracked pepper
2 cups dry rice
8 oz. shredded cheddar
½ bunch cilantro (optional)
Directions
Add
everything except the rice, cheese, and cilantro to the slow cooker along with
¼ cup of water (for good measure). Give everything a good stir and make sure
the chicken is covered in the mixture.
Secure
the lid on your slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hrs.
Near
the end of the cooking time, cook the two cups of rice according to the package
directions (Bring the rice and 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot with a
lid in place, as soon as it reaches a boil, reduced the heat to low and let
simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving).
After
8 hours of cooking, carefully remove the lid of the slow cooker. Stir with a
fork to shred the chicken (it should be super tender and will shred easily).
Build the taco bowls by placing rice on the bottom, then the taco chicken mix,
shredded cheese and fresh cilantro.
