Shrimp and kale tacos with sriracha

Have you had Sriracha? Or are you already a Sriracha lover? After hearing the MANY health benefits of Sriracha, I decide to come up with a simple, healthy recipe. And Sriracha was the perfect key ingredient. 

Sriracha is a type of Asian hot sauce. It's used in soup, sandwiches, seafood, burgers, use your imagination! Now for the health benefits! 

Studies have shown it to make you happier, healthier, and skinnier! But how?? The main ingredient is hot chili peppers which boost endorphins, promote a sense of well being, and it can also boost your mood and memory! 

The capsaicin component in the peppers can speed up metabolism and help to burn calories faster. It's a great appetite suppressor too! 

Sriracha is good for your heart too! It can help dissolve blood clots, improve circulation and lower blood pressure! 

If you feel a cold coming on....add Sriracha to your diet. It's been shown to ease cold and flu symptoms and clear nasal passages. 

So are you intrigued yet?? Try these shrimp tacos. They are healthy, gluten free, and loaded with antioxidants! 

Shrimp, Kale, Pineapple and Sriracha Tacos

Serves 6 tacos, recipe can easily be doubled for more servings

You will need:

• 1/2 pound of fresh jumbo shrimp

(Shells and tails removed and deveined)

• 3 cloves of garlic, diced

• 3 cups of kale, rinsed 

• 1 cup of diced pineapple 

• 1 red pepper, diced

• 1/2 teaspoon of seasoned salt

• 1/2 teaspoon of pepper 

• extra virgin olive oil

• Sriracha

• corn tortillas (most are gluten free) 

• pinch of sea salt

After the shrimp are cleaned, put in a bowl. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of seasoned salt and pepper, and the garlic. Let sit and marinade while you prep the rest of the meal. 

Heat a pan on medium heat and begin to sauté the kale with about 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and cook for about 4 minutes until crispy. Remove and set aside. 

Now sauté the pepper until softened for about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside. 

Last, add the pineapple and sauté for 1-2 minutes, until just warm. Set aside. 

In the same pan, add the shrimp WITH the marinade and cook for 3-4 minutes until pink. (Shrimp cook very quickly, keep an eye on it!) 

When the shrimp are finished, it's time to build the tacos! 

(Optional: you may want to heat the tortillas in the oven for a few minutes) 

Start with the kale, peppers, shrimp, pineapple and add SRIRACHA!!! 

Enjoy!!!

Cornish hens with mushroom sausage stuffing

My husband and I are big fans of roasted cornish hens. They are easy to make and come out so juicy. It makes a great presentation for a dinner party or even a meal for 2. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed! 

You will need:

• 1 cornish hen PER PERSON. In this recipe I had 2. 

• 1 stick of salted butter (softened)

• seasoned salt

• pepper

• meat thermometer 

• 2 cups chicken stock

For the stuffing:

• 2 cups of white, long grain rice

• 1 onion, diced

• 5 cloves of garlic, minced

• 2 tablespoons of butter

• 3 links of sweet italian sausage, remove the meat from the casing

• 1 package of chopped baby Bella mushrooms

• 1 package of chopped cremini mushrooms

• 1/2 cup white wine

• 3 cups chicken stock

• 1/4 tablespoon turmeric 

• salt and pepper

• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley

Start by preheating the oven to 450. 

Begin the stuffing by heating the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. 

Add the onion and sausage. 

Cook for 5 minutes and then add the garlic 

Add the mushrooms and sauté for about 6-7 minutes

Then add the rice 

Stir the rice in and then add the wine and chicken stock 

Let all the liquid reduce. This should take about 10 minutes. Then add the turmeric, salt and pepper

Add the parsley, mix and set aside to cool 

Now lets get those chicks ready! 

Unwrap, take out the package from the cavity and rinse with cool water. Pat dry with paper towels. 

Once dry, use a half of stick of butter (softened) on each bird and rub every inch with butter. Season the whole bird with seasoned salt and pepper. Even the inside!!!  

Then stuff with the stuffing. 

If the stuffing is falling out, you can close the skin with toothpicks. 

Place on a roasting rack and stick the meat thermometer into the breast of the bird. Fill the bottom of the pan with 2 cups chicken stock. 

Once in the oven, IMMEDIATELY decrease the temperate to 350 and roast for approximately 1 hour OR until the thermometer reaches 180 degrees. Remember to baste the birds about every 15-20 minutes. 

Remove from oven, let sit for 10 minutes and serve! Enjoy! 

Stuffed Tomatoes

I have used this side dish for YEARS. It's the one dish my husband asks for again and again. So it must be good! Super easy and tastes so good!

You will need:

• 6 beefsteak tomatoes

• 1 bag of minute rice, cooked according to package directions

• 5 cloves of garlic, minced

• olive oil

• 3 tablespoons of fresh, diced basil

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• salt and pepper

• balsamic reduction or store made glaze

Preheat the oven to 350. 

Start by cutting the top off the tomatoes and hollowing out the inside. Reserve the  flesh and juices, discard the core. 

Salt the inside of the tomatoes, turn upside down to drain. 

Add the rice to the insides, salt, pepper, cheese, and basil. 

I'm a small pan, sauté the garlic with a few teaspoons of oil until almost brown. About 1 minute.  Then add to the filling mixture. 

Stuff the tomatoes, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake for 30 minutes on 350. 

Once removed from the oven, the tops will be cheesey and crunchy! Garnish with basil and drizzle with balsamic. Enjoy!!!

Shepherd's Pie

I've always liked the idea of Shepherds pie, but when I have had it at a few restaurants, it alway seems to be bland and tasteless. In this recipe, I added tons of flavor and it came out great! It's an easy meal to put together and great for cold winter nights :)

You will need:

For the filling:

• 1 1/2 lbs chop meat (I used 80/20)

• 1 cup frozen peas

• 1 cup frozen corn

• 1 cup frozen chopped carrots 

• 7-8 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

• 1 packet of dried gravy

• 1 cup water

• 1 tablespoon garlic powder

• 1 can tomato paste

• 4-5 cloves of minced garlic

• salt and pepper

• 1 medium onion, diced

For the topping:

• 10-12 medium white potatoes. 

( rinsed and diced)

• 8 cloves of garlic, whole

• 1 stick of salted butter

• 1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 cup grated white cheddar

• salt and pepper

Start by cooking the potatoes. You are making mashed potatoes for the topping, so use whatever technique you usually use. I start by putting the diced potatoes in a large pot, add the whole garlic and cover with water. Put on medium heat on the stove and cover. One boiled, turn heat down, and cook about 15 more minutes until fork tender. 

While the potatoes are boiling, start the filling. 

In a large non stick pan on medium heat, start cooking the beef, onion, and garlic. 

Add salt, pepper and garlic powder. 

Next add the gravy packet and 1 cup water. 

Add the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. 

Cook the frozen vegetables in the microwave for 3-4 minutes until just thawed. Then add to beef mixture. 

Taste and determine if you want more salt and pepper. 

Time to get the potatoes ready!

Drain the potatoes, (keep the garlic with them), add the pepper, salt, sour cream and cheeses. Mix with a stand or hand mixer until smooth. To get a more creamy consistency, slowly add milk while mixing. 

 

To a baking dish or pie dish, add the filling and top with the mashed potatoes. 

Bake on 350 for 30-35 minutes on a foiled baking sheet. Trust me, the majority of the time, the filling will bubble over and it's better to catch it on the foil! 

Once done, let stand and cool for 15-20 minutes. Serve and enjoy! 

Rotisserie chicken soup

Have you ever wondered what to do with those store rotisserie chickens? I decided to experiment with it and make a soup. It came out great! It will definitely make a great Fall and Winter soup! And it was so easy!!!! The chicken was so moist and delicious! 

You will need:

• 1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed 

• 2 carrots, peeled and diced

• 1/2 onion, diced

• 5 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 can diced tomatoes

• 2 1/2 containers of 32 oz chicken broth

   (About 10 cups)

• 1 head of escarole, rinsed WELL and chopped

• 4-5 tablespoons olive oil

• salt & pepper to taste

• Parmesan cheese, grated

• 1/2 cup of orzo

Start by prepping. When cleaning the escarole, make sure you rinse it really well because it usually has dirt and grit inside the leaves. Chop it up and discard the white ends. 

On a medium flame, add olive oil to the pot, and sauté the onion and carrot until softened. Add salt and pepper. 

Then add the garlic and cook for about 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. 

Add the whole can of diced tomatoes with juices. 

Cook for an additional 2 minutes, then add the chicken broth. 

Add the escarole. 

Start to take apart the chicken. Remove skin and dice the meat. 

Add the chicken to the soup. 

Optional : I added a dash of "all purpose seasoning" I had on hand. Which is salt, pepper, cumin, onion powder. But if you don't have something like this, just do salt and pepper to taste. Keep tasting as the soup cooks and check if you need more. 

Add 1/2 cup of orzo. 

Cook on low flame, covered, for 40 minutes and serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!