White Wine and Lemon Scallops

Scallops were on sale at the grocery store this week, so I picked some up (yay sales!) and decided to make them in a white wine lemon sauce.  I was going to make a specific recipe, but then decided to make up my own recipe instead... it turned out delicious!  

White Wine and Lemon Scallops

White Wine and Lemon Scallops

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. butter
1 lb. bay scallops
1 1/2 cups white wine
1 lemon, squeezed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 lb. pasta (I used angel hair, but use what you like)

Preparation:
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
Cook pasta to package directions.  Set aside.
Add butter to pan over medium high heat.
When melted, add garlic and red pepper flakes.  Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add wine, lemon, and parsley.
Add scallops and sprinkle with salt. Cook until scallops are slightly firm to touch, but still have give.  (They will cook fast!  They're little!)
Remove scallops and add bring wine to a boil.
Cook until reduced by about a half cup.
Add scallops to warm.
Serve over pasta.
Enjoy!

Coconut Curry Halibut

Today I decided to make fish because Alyssa wasn't going to be home until after dinner.  I was looking through an issue of Cooking Light and landed on Coconut Curry Halibut.  It sounded good, and I had all the ingredients, so I decided to give it a try.  

It ended up being awesome!  Matt loved it, and had thirds!  He also told me that the sauce was so good that I should make it without the fish as a dipping sauce for everything.  Success!

Coconut Curry Halibut

Coconut Curry Halibut

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. Thai red curry paste

1 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp. rice vinegar

1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk

1 Tbsp. lime juice

1 /2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

4 halibut filets

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. salt

Preparation:

Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium saucepan over high heat, whisking until smooth.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until reduced to 3/4 cup (about 25 minutes).  Remove from heat. Stir in lime juice and cilantro; let stand 5 minutes.  Strain to remove solids. 

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add oil; swirl to coat the pan. 

Sprinkle fish evenly with salt and pepper. 

Add fish to pan; cook 4 minutes  on each side, or until done.  

Serve fish with sauce.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

Chicken and Vegetable Casserole

This dinner totally came about because I had dibs and dabs of vegetables left and I had to use them up before they went bad. After looking online to get basic cook times of a chicken casserole, I came up with this variation, and I must say that it was pretty delicious!  This recipe can also be a jumping off point based on what veggies you have to use up in your house.

Chicken and Vegetable Casserole

Chicken and Vegetable Casserole

Ingredients:
1 tsp. olive oil
2 chicken breasts, cubed
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup corn kernels
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (10 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350.
Heat olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat.  Add chicken when hot.  Season with salt and pepper.
Cook until not pink anymore.  (Don't worry if it's not completely done, you're going to cook it longer.)
Combine chicken, celery, carrots, garlic, cream of chicken soup, Greek yogurt, cheese, and parsley in a greased casserole dish.
In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and butter.  Spread over the top of the casserole.
Cook for 30-35 minutes, or until breadcrumbs are golden brown.
Enjoy!

Roasted Salmon with Shallot Cream

Alyssa wasn't home tonight, so I decided to make salmon for Matt and I.  My favorite part of this recipe (besides the fact that it was delicious!) was that it was the perfect weeknight recipe.  It took about 20 minutes in total, which was perfect!  It actually would have been faster, but my salmon was still a bit frozen, so I obviously had to cook it longer.

Roasted Salmon with Shallot Cream

I served mine with green beans, which I steamed and combined with the other half of the shallot, minced, garlic, and butter.  Super yummy!


Roasted Salmon with Shallot Cream

Ingredients:
1/4 cup sour cream (or creme fraiche if you're really fancy!)
2 Tbsp. finely minced shallots (about half a shallot)
1 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. dried dill
1/4 tsp. dried chives
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
2 (4 oz.) salmon filets
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 450.
Combine sour cream, shallots, milk, dill, lemon juice, chives, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl.  Whisk until combined.
Place fish, skin-side down on a greased, lined, baking sheet.  Rub fish with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake for 12 minutes. If not done, cook in 2 minute increments until done.
Serve with cream spooned on top.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

Southwest Stuffed Peppers

This week, I was really feeling the need for some avocado in my life, so I decided my excuse would be these peppers!  (Really, I should just buy an extra avocado and eat it.  Yum!)  I also feel like red, yellow, or orange peppers would be better than green in this recipe, but green were on sale, so alas, I used green.
These also could be easily vegetarian, use soy crumbles instead of ground beef.  If you don't want to use ground beef, add rice or just more veggies!
The amount of filling is enough for probably 8 peppers, but it's good left over as is.

Southwest Stuffed Pepper

Yum!  Look at the avocado!

Southwest Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. taco seasoning
4 red bell peppers
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 (10 oz.) can tomatoes and green chiles (drained)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 avocado, sliced (optional)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350.
Cut the tops off the peppers, remove the seeds and ribs.  Place in a lightly greased baking dish.
In a large saute pan, over medium heat, saute to the onion and garlic in olive oil until soft.
Add ground beef, cook until no longer pink.  Stir in taco seasoning.
Add tomatoes, corn, and beans.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.
Fill peppers with mixture, top with cheese, and the top of the pepper.
Bake 40 minutes, or until peppers are tender.
Top with sliced avocado and additional cilantro (if desired).
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Let's Dish Recipes

Pumpkin Curry Soup

It has gotten quite cold here in Philly and I had a can of pumpkin just waiting to be made into soup.  Then came the decision of what kind.  Plain pumpkin soup?  Though yummy, a little boring... so I decided to spice things up with some curry.  Delicious!

Pumpkin Curry Soup

Pumpkin Curry Soup

Ingredients:
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
*2 cups chicken broth
1 cup cream
2 Tbsp. curry
1 Tbsp. butter
2 limes
Topping: Cilantro, plain yogurt

Preparation:
Simmer pumpkin, broth, and cream, whisking.
Meanwhile, toast curry powder in a small pan in butter.  Add to the soup with the juice from the limes.
Simmer about 5 minutes.
Top with fresh cilantro and plain yogurt, if desired.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Food Network Magazine

*If you would like to make this vegetarian, just sub in vegetable broth!

Chicken and Biscuit Casserole

I had a can of biscuits about to expire in the fridge today and really needed to use them up.  Alyssa requested chicken and biscuits, so I set out to find a recipe.  The one I came across called for green chiles, which I found to be a little weird, so I replaced them with peas, carrots, and corn... more of a pot pie filling.

Ultimately, this ended up being a pot pie casserole with biscuits on top instead of pie crust... it was still delicious though!

Chicken and Biscuit Casserole

How creamy!

Chicken and Biscuit Casserole

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. butter
*4 chicken thighs, skinned, deboned, and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 (10 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
**1 cup frozen peas
**1 cup frozen corn
**1 cup carrots
1 small onion, diced
1 can of biscuits
1/2 Tbsp. paprika
1/2 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 bay leaves
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Preparation:
Heat oven to 350.
Boil chicken about 8 minutes in a medium pot with the bay leaves.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat and saute onions until soft.  Add garlic, paprika, and fresh vegetables.  Cook until vegetables are soft.
Add cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and frozen vegetables.  Cook together to warm for about 5 minutes.
Drain chicken and add to mixture.  Stir together.
Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
Pour mixture into the bottom of the pan.
Place in the oven and cook for about 15 minutes.
Take pan out of the oven and place biscuits on top.
Cook for an additional 20 minutes.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Life in the Dub Lane

*You can use chicken breasts instead of thighs, though the dark meat adds juiciness
**You can also use 3 cups frozen mixed vegetables

Sweet and Spicy Chicken

Are you ready for the easiest recipe of all time?  Four ingredients.  That's it.  Also, it's delicious.  Hooray!
This recipe is great for me because every year my grandma goes to Florida and brings back multiple jars of orange marmalade... gotta use them somehow!

Sweet and Spicy Chicken

Sweet and Spicy Chicken

Ingredients:
1/2 cup orange marmalade
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 chicken thighs, skinned

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400.  Line a baking sheet with tinfoil.  Spray with cooking spray.
Mix marmalade, chili powder, and salt in a large bowl.  Add chicken.  Mix with hands, making sure to cover chicken completely with mixture.
Remove chicken and place on baking sheet.  Spoon the rest of the mixture on top of the chicken.
Bake 30-40 minutes, until cooked through.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Woman'sDay Everyday Cookbook

Meatball Soup

Today I really wanted a comforting soup to ease the chilliness that has set upon Philly.  I found this recipe on Pinterest and found that I had most of the ingredients, except a few; with a few substitutions, I was ready to go!  I also totally cheated and used pre-made meatballs, but hey, I get home from work at 6:30 and did not feel like making meatballs.  Of course, this recipe would have been better with homemade meatballs, but the frozen ones worked just fine and the soup was done so fast!  

Meatball Soup

Yummy!

Meatball Soup

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

11 cups chicken broth

1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning

1 cup carrots, peeled and diced

1 cup corn

1 cup small pasta

1/2 Tbsp. red pepper flakes

1 lb. Italian-Style frozen meatballs

Preparation:

Heat oil in a large stockpot.  Saute the onion and garlic until translucent.  

Add broth, tomatoes, carrots, and seasonings.  Heat to boiling.  Add meatballs, corn, and pasta.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente.  

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Becoming Betty

Herbed Chicken Meatballs with Coconut Sauce

I found this recipe in my favorite casserole cookbook last week and knew I had to make them.  I love Thai flavors, and to use them in meatballs?  I was sold.  They came out a little bland, so I added some red curry paste for some added umph. (Plus, I need to use that up!  I feel like I have been using it for years.)
Serve these over some jasmine rice and use that extra sauce for the rice.

Herbed Chicken Meatballs with Coconut Sauce

Herbed Chicken Meatballs with Coconut Sauce

Ingredients:

Meatballs
1 lb. ground chicken
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup milk
1 small onion, peeled
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
Sauce
1 (14 oz.) can of coconut milk
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. chives
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. red curry paste
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Preparation: 
Preheat the oven to 400 and lightly grease the baking dish with cooking spray.  Combine the milk and bread crumbs in a large bowl.
Use a box grater to finely grate the onion and garlic.  Add the grated onion and garlic to the large bowl. Mix in chicken, olive oil, egg, cilantro, and lemon juice.  Mix thoroughly with your hands.
Form into about 16 meatballs in the prepared baking dish. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the meatballs are browned.
Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan and add the curry paste.  Cook for about one minute, then add coconut milk, cornstarch, chicken broth, salt, chives, and ginger.  Whisk and cook over low heat until the sauce has thickened slightly.  Stir in lemon juice.
Pour the sauce over the meatballs in their dish and turn down the oven to 325.  Bake for an additional 20 minutes.  Serve with extra cilantro.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Not Your Mother's Casseroles by Faith Durand