Green Beans with Red Pepper Vinaigrette

Want a delicious dressing to go on almost any veggie?? Try this Red Pepper Vinaigrette. I love it especially on green beans or asparagus. Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

1 T minced garlic

1/3 olive oil

1/2 white vinegar

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

1/2 jar of roasted red peppers

Blend together to make the dressing.
Boil green beans in boiling salt water for 5 minutes and then place in ice bath
Pour dressing over green beans.
Serve hot or cold!!!

Red Thai Chicken with Peanut Sauce

Thai food is my favorite! I love curry, spiciness, coconuts, stir fry's, ALL of it! However I am not a huge fan of peanut sauce. I used 1/2 the amount of peanut butter than the original recipe I found. If you love it though, go ahead and double it. 

Ingredients:

Chicken tenderloins

2 T minced ginger

1 T minced garlic

1/4 cup smooth peanut butter

1/4 white vinegar

2 T soy sauce

3 T chicken broth

1 splenda packet

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

4 T diced cilantro

Blend together ginger, garlic, peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, splenda and broth.
In a skillet drizzle with a little olive oil and cook chicken. Sprinkled with salt & pepper.
Set chicken aside once cooked.
Add coconut milk to skillet and peanut sauce. Stir together
Place chicken back in sauce and let sit for a few minutes.
Serve chicken with sauce poured over and sprinkled with cilantro.

Baked Veggies

Vegetables are so important and should be a part of EVERY meal. My mom never made us a dinner that didn't have a side of green something with it. She taught me at a young age that if I wanted to be excused from the dinner table I had to at least finish my vegetables. I wish she had this recipe because I think I would have liked my vegetables a lot more. And this is as simple as it gets too.

Ingredients:

baby carrots

zucchini

red onion

garlic cloves

red baby potatoes

olive oil

butter

lemon pepper

Preheat oven to 350
Smear a small amount of butter onto a cookie sheet
Spread veggies evenly on cookie sheet
Drizzle a small amount of olive oil
Sprinkle with lemon pepper
Cook for 45 minutes

I suggest you make a large batch. It's yummy stuff and great for left overs. 

CornBread

Cornbread is awesome!!! It can be made so many different ways. You can make it spicy and add bell peppers. You can add corn kernels. You can make it sweet or not. There so many ways to make cornbread that in Columbia SC there is a "cornbread festival". People are obsessed!! This recipe here is just as basic as it gets. Which is how I like it. It's perfect with some butter spread on top and drizzled with a little honey. It will go great with any meal. Don't forget that the best tip you can get with baking is ALWAYS use EXACT measurements. And keep your eye on how its cooking in the oven.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup butter

2/3 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 2/3 cups milk or almond milk

2 1/3 cups flour

1 cup corn meal

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400
Cream together butter and sugar
In a measuring cup whisk together eggs and milk
In a separate bowl mix all dry ingredients.
Add the liquid and dry ingredients slowly into the butter mixture. Alternating a little of each at a time. 
Butter a 9x13 inch pan (I used a 9x9 inch pan)
Sprinkle flour on pan and get rid of access flour
Pour mixture into pan and cook 40-45 min. (I cooked mine for 45 since my pan was deeper)

Goat Cheese Quinoa Risotto

We all know by now that Quinoa is a "smart carb", gluten free and high in protein. But, sometimes its a little bland. I've been cooking it a lot this year and this recipe is BY FAR the most flavorful. Its delicious!!!  It's a little spicy and you can even add veggies to it to mix it up. 

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil

1/2 - 1 T red pepper flakes

1 T minced garlic

1 Cup dry uncooked quinoa

1 Cup dry white wine

3 cups chicken broth

4 oz groat cheese crumbles

dash of salt

1 Lemon juiced

Saute garlic and red pepper flakes in pot for about 2 minutes. Your house will smell amazing!
Add quinoa and mix with garlic and red pepper
Add wine and bring to a boil for about 5 minutes, it just reduce by more than half
Add broth and boil for 15 minutes. If not most of the liquid is absorbed keep cooking it.
Add lemon juice, salt and cheese. 
Mix together and let sit till slightly cooled.
It should be a thick, pour-age consistency

Serves 4 and is the perfect side dish for any chicken or salmon. I hope you like it as much as I did.

Basil Lime Chicken

Want to know what I can't get enough of? Basil and Lime savory dishes. I cook and eat a lot of chicken. So, i'm always trying new marinades and chicken dishes. This particular dish is awesome!! Even though it isn't a Mexican dish, it will go perfect with a margarita or cold Corona. I recommend you make a lot because you will want the left overs. 

Marinade Ingredients:

3 juiced limes

1/4 cup olive oil

1 T minced garlic

3 T Dijon mustard

3 T soy sauce

3 T Worcestershire sauce 

3 diced green onions

chicken tenderloins, breast or breast cutlets

Mix together and pour into large zip lock bag with your chicken breasts and marinade in the fridge for at least one hour.
Grill for 15-20 minutes depending on which chicken size you choose. 
I made chicken breast cutlets which are thinner and take less time to cook.

Sauce Topping Ingredients:

1 juiced lime

3 T olive oil

1/2 T minced garlic

3 dices green onions

2 T diced fresh basil

Mix together and place on top of cooked chicken.

You can serve this with a side salad, maybe a pico de gallo black bean salad or no mayo potato salad. I choose to make my side be my goat cheese quinoa risotto. 

No Mayo Potato Salad with Feta

You all know by now that I am obsessed with colorful dishes and this side dish is probably as colorful as it gets!! Its made with little red, white and blue potatoes so its perfect for a memorial day weekend, 4th of July or Labor day! Regardless, it's the PERFECT side dish to any barBQ. Today I'm going to my friends pool side barBQ and our main dish will be chicken kabobs. Not only is it colorful, it is made without mayo like most potato salads. Here is my delicious salad for you all!

Ingredients:

a bag of little red,white and blue potatoes

1 red bell pepper diced

4 celery stalks diced

4oz feta cheese

2 tablespoon fresh rosemary

dash of salt

1 tablespoon dried minced basil

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1/3 olive oil

1/4 white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon mustard

Boil potatoes in a pot with the salt, rosemary, thyme, and basil
Once potatoes become soft enough to poke with a fork, drain in a strainer. (you will loose some of the herbs by doing this, that's ok)
Cut potatoes into halves and quarters
In a large bowl toss together potatoes, celery, red bell pepper, and feta.
whisk together olive oil, vinegar and mustard.
Pour over potato salad and let marinate several hours in the fridge before serving. 

You're Welcome!

Coconut Key-lime Cheesecake with Coconut Whipped Cream

I love key lime pie and I love cheesecake, so why not make a key lime cheesecake AND with coconut? It doesn't get any better than that!! 

Crust Ingredients:

 1 1/2 graham cracker crumbles 

1/3 cup sugar

6 tablespoons melted butter

Mix together and press onto bottom of 8x8 non-stick pan

Cheesecake Ingredients:

16 oz cream cheese

15oz cream of coconut

3 tablespoons key lime juice

2 eggs

1 teaspoon of coconut extract

Preheat oven to 350
Whip cream cheese alone till really soft and slowly add cream of coconut. 
Add key lime juice, coconut extract.
Lastly add each egg one at a time. 
Pour over crust and bake 40-45 minutes
Let cool for 45 minutes than place in fridge for an hour till it becomes cold.

Whipped Cream Ingredients:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

Whip heavy cream in a chilled bowl
Add sugar and coconut extract
Beat on high till thickens and looks like whipped cream.

Add a dollop to your cheese cake and sprinkle with coconut shavings. ENJOY!!