Lunch

Veggie Shrimp Pasta

Lunch, Recipes

I should call this the clear out the fridge pasta because that’s really what it was. At the end of the week I find myself having a variety of veggies that I either need to cook or toss. I don’t like to waste food so I normally will turn it into a quick stir-fry but, per usual, I was in a pasta mood. You can take practically any veggies you have and add them to this dish. It had at least 4 cups of raw veggies and was absolutely delicious! Broccolini, zucchini, shallots, red bell pepper and garlic…so much garlic.

INGREDIENTS  

  • 1 Red Baby Bell Pepper
  • 5-6 Stocks Broccolini
  • 1 Shallot or small white onion
  • 1 Zucchini
  • 2 Cup Shrimp Prawns, Shelled and tail off
  • 8 oz Alessi Premium Italian Pasta Organic Penne
  • 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
  • 5 tbsp Butter
  • ½ cup Heavy Cream
  • ¼ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • ½ tsp Corn Starch, mixed with 1 tsp water
  • Salt & Pepper to Taste

Instructions

  1. Pasta: In a large pot, start water for pasta. Cook pasta until al dente. ~11-12 minutes. If you use a different type of pasta I would follow the instructions on the box. Sometimes 11-12 minutes is too long for small pasta shapes.
  2. Prep Veggies: Mince your garlic, thinly slice bell pepper and shallot, cut zucchini in 1/4 inch squares, and chop broccolini into 1 inch pieces. For the shallot, I actually like to keep the round shape so I just cut them into slices but don’t halve them. If you substitute with an onion you will want to cut the onion first.
  3. Prep Shrimp: rinse and pat dry shrimp, season with pepper.
  4. Turn up the heat: But not really… In a large frying pan or skillet, heat butter on low and add garlic. Do not burn the butter. Once fragrant, about 1 minute, add all veggies, increase heat to medium and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  5. Cooking the Shrimp: Move all veggies over to one side of the pan and then place shrimp on the empty side, cook for about 1 minute each side and then mix together with the veggies. Don’t worry, they will continue to cook in the next step.
  6. It all comes together: Add cream, parmesan cheese and cornstarch mixture to pan and stir, turn heat to medium high until sauce begins to thicken and then add pasta, season with salt and pepper, stir and enjoy!

Veggie Shrimp Pasta

Veggies, shrimp, garlic and pasta!

  • 1 Red Baby Bell Pepper
  • 5-6 Stocks Broccolini
  • 1 Shallot or small white onion
  • 1 Zucchini
  • 2 Cup Shrimp Prawns, Shelled and tail off
  • 8 oz Alessi Premium Italian Pasta Organic Penne
  • 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
  • 5 tbsp Butter
  • ½ cup Heavy Cream
  • ¼ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • ½ tsp Corn Starch, mixed with 1 tsp water
  • Salt & Pepper to Taste

  1. In a large pot, start water for pasta. Cook pasta until al dente. ~12 minutes

  2. Prep Veggies: Mince garlic, thinly slice bell pepper and shallot, cut zucchini in 1/4 inch squares, and chop broccolini into 1 inch pieces.

  3. Prep Shrimp: rinse and pat dry shrimp, season with pepper.

  4. In a large frying pan or skillet, heat butter on low and add garlic. Do not burn the butter. Once fragrant, about 1 minute, add all veggies and cook for 2-3 minutes.

  5. Move all veggies over to one side of the pan and then place shrimp on the empty side, cook for about 1 minute each side and then mix together with the veggies. Don't worry, they will continue to cook in the next step.

  6. Add cream, parmesan cheese and cornstarch to pan and stir, turn heat to medium high until sauce begins to thicken and then add pasta. Stir and enjoy!

Main Course
American, Italian, Mediterranean
pasta, shrimp, veggies
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Mediterranean Shrimp Cauliflower Bowl

Dinner, Lunch, Recipes

Recommendations:

  • Seasoning: My go-to seasoning is from The Spice Lab. Their Spicy Seafood seasoning is amazing and award winning (literally). A good alternative is the Blackened Seasoning as well. If you don’t like heat, you can go with a simple salt and pepper as well.
  • Feta: I don’t think you can go wrong with Feta in most cases. However, the best Feta I have had is the Garlic and Herb Feta from Athenos. The additional flavor it has from the seasoning adds to this dish perfectly. Sometimes I will add a little to the cauliflower while it is cooking to have a more creamy texture.
  • Riced Cauliflower: I like to take the easy route here and buy this premade from Green Giant, I find it easier to cook when I am in a rush and the taste is consistent. However, if you want to make it homemade, the Minimalist Baker has a quick and easy recipe here.

INGREDIENTS  

  • 1 Cup Riced Cauliflower
  • 5 Cherry Tomatoes, Halved
  • 1 Cup Spinach
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • ½ tsp Garlic Powder
  • ½ tsp Onion Powder
  • ½ tsp Mediterranean Seasoning Italian seasoning works as well
  • ⅛-¼ Cup Feta
  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  • ½ tbsp Spicy Seafood Seasoning or Blacked Seasoning
  • 8-10 Shrimp
  • 8 oz Chickpeas
  • Paprika and Cayenne Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS 

  • Heat oven to 400°F.
  • Drain chickpeas and rinse, pat dry with paper towel and place on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with paprika and cayenne pepper (optional). Once oven is heated, place in oven for 15 minutes, shaking half way through.
  • Heat medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil. Add riced cauliflower, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, Mediterranean seasoning and cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring consistently.
  • Add spinach and cherry tomatoes and cook until spinach is wilted.
  • Heat 1tbs olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Season deshelled shrimp with spicy seafood seasoning or blackened seasoning and sauté in pan for 2-3 minutes per side, until shrimp are cooked through.
  • In a bowl, pour riced cauliflower on the bottom, top with roasted chickpeas, feta and shrimp.
  • Enjoy!

Mediterranean Shrimp Cauliflower Bowl

Nutrient packed bowl with Cauliflower Rice, Cherry Tomatoes, Spinach, Feta, Chickpeas and Shrimp.

  • 1 Cup Riced Cauliflower
  • 5 Cherry Tomatoes, Halved
  • 1 Cup Spinach
  • Salt and Pepper (to taste)
  • ½ tsp Garlic Powder
  • ½ tsp Onion Powder
  • ½ tsp Mediterranean Seasoning (Italian seasoning works as well)
  • ⅛-¼ Cup Feta
  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  • ½ tbsp Spicy Seafood Seasoning or Blacked Seasoning
  • 8-10 Shrimp
  • 8 oz Chickpeas
  • Paprika and Cayenne Pepper (to taste)

  1. Heat oven to 400°F.

  2. Drain chickpeas and rinse, pat dry with paper towel and place on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with paprika and cayenne pepper (optional). Once oven is heated, place in oven for 15 minutes, shaking half way through.

  3. Heat medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil. Add riced cauliflower, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, Mediterranean seasoning and cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring consistently.

  4. Add spinach and cherry tomatoes and cook until spinach is wilted.

  5. Heat 1tbs olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Season deshelled shrimp with spicy seafood seasoning or blackened seasoning and sauté in pan for 2-3 minutes per side, until shrimp are cooked through.

  6. In a bowl, pour riced cauliflower on the bottom, top with roasted chickpeas, feta and shrimp.

  7. Enjoy!

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Crispy Honey Garlic Tofu

Dinner, Lunch, Recipes

I have been trying to change up my foods recently and start incorporating new foods or a more vegetarian style diet such as Tofu. It has taken me a lot of trial and error to get to a point where I enjoy tofu but this is one of my favorite recipes. This dish is perfect for a snack, lunch or even dinner. The sauce is pretty spicy but you can reduce the heat by omitting the siracha or just putting less of it in. Let’s talk about the tofu! The key to crispy tofu is to try to get as much water out of the tofu before cooking. To do this you will want to lay down a few paper towels, drain the tofu and then lay the tofu on the paper towels. Then, you will want to cover the tofu with a few more paper towels and let sit for about 5 minutes. Remove paper towel and then repeat one last time.

INGREDIENTS  

Sauce

  • ¼ cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
  • ⅛-¼ cup Honey
  • 4-5 Small Garlic Cloves
  • 2 tbsp Siracha
  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  • ¼ cup Water

Tofu

  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  • ½ block Extra Firm Tofu cubed

INSTRUCTIONS 

Sauce

  • Heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat and add minced or pressed garlic cloves. Stir until fragrant but do not burn garlic. 1-2 minutes.
  • In a small sauce pan, combine soy sauce, honey, siracha, water and hot garlic oil. Heat on medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Boil and stir consistently until sauce is bubbling and thickened. 5-8 minutes.
  • Once thickened, set aside.

Tofu

  • Cut tofu into cubes so that they are about about 1inch by 1inch.
  • In a medium non-stick frying pan or skillet, heat 2tbsp of olive oil over high heat. Once hot, add tofu.
  • Cook tofu for about 10 minutes turning the tofu every couple minutes until all sides are brown and crispy.
  • Once done, remove from heat and toss in sauce. Serve over a bed of snap peas or white rice, top with sesame seeds and enjoy!
  • Cook on high heat until all juices are soaked in the noodles or evaporated and then using tongs, continue to flip the noodles so that the noodles on the bottom do not burn. Do this for about 10 minutes and then divide into bowls, top with sesame seeds and enjoy!

Crispy Honey Garlic Tofu

Crispy tofu in a spicy honey garlic sauce served over a bed of snap peas.

Sauce

  • ¼ cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
  • ⅛-¼ cup Honey
  • 4-5 Small Garlic Cloves
  • 2 tbsp Siracha
  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  • ¼ cup Water

Tofu

  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  • ½ block Extra Firm Tofu (cubed)

Sauce

  1. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat and add minced or pressed garlic cloves. Stir until fragrant but do not burn garlic. 1-2 minutes.

  2. In a small sauce pan, combine soy sauce, honey, siracha, water and hot garlic oil. Heat on medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Boil and stir consistently until sauce is bubbling and thickened. 5-8 minutes.

  3. Once thickened, set aside.

Tofu

  1. Cut tofu into cubes so that they are about about 1inch by 1inch.

  2. In a medium non-stick frying pan or skillet, heat 2tbsp of olive oil over high heat. Once hot, add tofu.

  3. Cook tofu for about 10 minutes turning the tofu every couple minutes until all sides are brown and crispy.

  4. Once done, remove from heat and toss in sauce. Serve over a bed of snap peas or white rice, top with sesame seeds and enjoy!

  5. Cook on high heat until all juices are soaked in the noodles or evaporated and then using tongs, continue to flip the noodles so that the noodles on the bottom do not burn. Do this for about 10 minutes and then divide into bowls, top with sesame seeds and enjoy!

Main Course, Side Dish

BLTT Cucumber Rolls

Appetizers, Snacks & Sides, Lunch, Recipes

Looking for a cute, simple snack to serve at your pool party or to have later today? These BLTT Cucumber Rolls are simple, easy, refreshing and KETO! Save the carbs with this bacon, lettuce, tomato and turkey roll up. A snack wrapped in a cucumber shell to add that extra flavor and crunch that we all love.

Tips & Tricks

  • Cucumber – You want to ensure that the cucumber slices are thin enough so that they don’t snap when rolling. You should either use a thick peeler or a sharp knife and cut the strips so that they are about 1/8th inch thick. You won’t be able to use the 2-3 in the very center due to the seeds falling out but you can throw those pieces in a salad for dinner so you don’t waste anything.
  • Bacon – To make this as easy as possible, buy fully cooked bacon such as Boars Head Fully Cooked Bacon.
  • Tooth Pick – When placing the tooth pick in the roll to keep them from falling apart, you want to make sure you have a little extra cucumber at the end so that it doesn’t rip under tension.

INGREDIENTS  

  • 1 Cucumber Sliced length wise, ⅛ in thick
  • Oven Roasted Turkey Lunch Meat
  • Cheddar Cheese Slices cut into ⅓
  • Cherry Tomatoes, quartered length wise
  • Iceberg Lettuce
  • Bacon
  • Tooth Picks
  • Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS 

  • Using either a sharp knife or a peeler, thinly slice or peel the cucumber length wise so that you have strips of cucumber that are flexible and long.
  • Cut sliced cheese into three pieces, about the same width of the cucumber and lay one down on a piece of cumber, top with ½ piece of cooked bacon, a piece of lettuce that is similar sized, turkey and ¼ of the cherry tomato.
  • Start from one side and roll the cucumber and toppings into a circle and in together using a tooth pick.
  • Note: You will want to ensure that there is not too much filling or the cucumber will not wrap all the way around. You should be able to get 7-8 rolls per cucumber if sliced thin enough.

BLTT Cucumber Rolls

Save the carbs with this bacon, lettuce, tomato and turkey roll up. A snack wrapped in a cucumber shell to add that extra flavor and crunch that we all love.

  • 1 Cucumber (Sliced length wise, ⅛ in thick)
  • Oven Roasted Turkey Lunch Meat
  • Cheddar Cheese Slices (cut into ⅓)
  • Cherry Tomatoes, quartered length wise
  • Iceberg Lettuce
  • Bacon
  • Tooth Picks
  • Pepper (to taste)

  1. Using either a sharp knife or a peeler, thinly slice or peel the cucumber length wise so that you have strips of cucumber that are flexible and long.

  2. Cut sliced cheese into three pieces, about the same width of the cucumber and lay one down on a piece of cumber, top with ½ piece of cooked bacon, a piece of lettuce that is similar sized, turkey and ¼ of the cherry tomato.

  3. Start from one side and roll the cucumber and toppings into a circle and in together using a tooth pick.

  4. Note: You will want to ensure that there is not too much filling or the cucumber will not wrap all the way around. You should be able to get 7-8 rolls per cucumber if sliced thin enough.

Appetizer

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Blue Cheese Steak Salad

Dinner, Lunch, Recipes

The first time I had a salad with steak and blue cheese was in Jupiter, FL at U-Tiki. If you haven’t been, I highly recommend it. The vibe is great if you are looking for a tropical ambiance on the water. Normally I am not the one to order a salad when eating out, but I saw this lady next me order the Filet salad and oh my goodness! When I tell you this was the biggest salad I had ever seen, I mean it. It had 4-5 Filet medallions on it, a tower of spring mix lettuce, tomatoes, blue cheese and their crispy onion rings. It was so good that I craved this salad for weeks so naturally, I tried to mimic it last night.

I didn’t use Filet on mine in the photos below because the store was out. However, I have used Ribeye, New York Strip and Filet before and all taste great. I would recommend that if you want a good texture, you should avoid any really lean red meat because it can be a bit tough once it is cooked.

Cooking The Filet or Steak – Pan Seared

If you have access to a grill, I think grilled Filet and steak is the best option for additional flavor. However, the Pan-Seared Filet from Shawn Willams on Kitchen Swagger is fail proof. I have detailed out the instructions below with my recommendations.

  1. Preheat the oven to 415° F.
  2. Shawn recommends remove steak from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking, this is to bring the steak to room temperature and ensure your cooking times are more accurate. However, I have found that if you like your steak a little more pink in the center that only taking it out for 15 min or so will allow you a more crispy outside and a nice pink inside.
  3. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper or steak seasoning. In my recipe below, I use Montreal steak seasoning. However, you will notice that the herbs in the seasoning will burn. I typically like the flavor more so I will use Montreal seasoning and then just scrape any burned seasoning off at the end.
  4. Add the unsalted butter to an oven safe cast iron skillet and turn up high. Wait for the skillet to become very hot first. Place the Filets or thick cut steak face down and sear undisturbed for 2 minutes. Flip the and sear for an additional 2 minutes. This will give your Filets a nice seared edge. NOTE: If you are not using Filet, you will want to ensure your steak is at least an 2in thick. If it is not, it will cook too fast.
  5. Transfer your skillet directly to the oven using oven mitts. DO NOT GRAB SKILLET WITH BARE HAND.
  6. For rare, bake for 4 minutes. Medium rare, 5-6 minutes. Medium, 6-7 minutes. Medium well, 8-9 minutes. Remember, depending on the size of the steak, the more or less time it will take. Take the skillet out and place on pot holder to let cool. The steak will continue to cook while it is cooling. NOTE: If you do prefer your steak on the rare side, you can cut it before it is done cooling to ensure it doesn’t overcook to your liking. If it is too rare, you can always nuke it in the microwave or put it back in the oven for a few seconds. However, this can change the texture of the steak.

INGREDIENTS  

  • 1 5-8 oz Filet
  • 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
  • Salt, Pepper or Steak Seasoning to taste
  • 2 cup Spring Mix
  • ½ Avocado
  • ¼ cup Cherry Tomatoes
  • ⅛ cup Sliced Red Onions
  • ¼ cup Blue Cheese
  • 2 tbsp Blue Cheese Dressing
  • 2 tbsp Crispy Onions

INSTRUCTIONS 

  • Preheat the oven to 415° F.
  • Season steak with salt and pepper or montreal seasoning on both sides.
  • Add 2 tbsp. the unsalted butter to an oven safe cast iron skillet and turn up high.
  • Once skillet is scorching hot, put steak in and sear on both sides for 2 minutes. Only flip once.
  • Once seared, transfer skillet to the oven and bake for 4 min if you want it rare. Medium rare, 5-6 min. Medium, 6-7 min. Medium well, 8-9 min. Remove and let cool.
  • Halve tomatoes, halve avocado and remove pit, slice 1/2 avocado into 5-6 slices and thinly slice red onion.
  • In a salad bowl, mix spring mix and blue cheese dressing and transfer to plate or serving bowl. Top with sliced cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion, blue cheese, crispy onions and avocado.
  • Cut steak into 1/4th inch slices and add on top of salad. Serve when steak is still warm.

Blue Cheese Steak Salad

Steak Salad with Blue Cheese, Red Onion, Crispy Onion, Avocado and Cherry Tomato.

  • 1 5-8 oz Filet
  • 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
  • Salt, Pepper or Steak Seasoning (to taste)
  • 2 cup Spring Mix
  • ½ Avocado
  • ¼ cup Cherry Tomatoes
  • ⅛ cup Sliced Red Onions
  • ¼ cup Blue Cheese
  • 2 tbsp Blue Cheese Dressing
  • 2 tbsp Crispy Onions

  1. Preheat the oven to 415° F.

  2. Season steak with salt and pepper or montreal seasoning on both sides.

  3. Add 2 tbsp. the unsalted butter to an oven safe cast iron skillet and turn up high.

  4. Once skillet is scorching hot, put steak in and sear on both sides for 2 minutes. Only flip once.

  5. Once seared, transfer skillet to the oven and bake for 4 min if you want it rare. Medium rare, 5-6 min. Medium, 6-7 min. Medium well, 8-9 min. Remove and let cool.



  6. Halve tomatoes, halve avocado and remove pit, slice 1/2 avocado into 5-6 slices and thinly slice red onion.

  7. In a salad bowl, mix spring mix and blue cheese dressing and transfer to plate or serving bowl. Top with sliced cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion, blue cheese, crispy onions and avocado.

  8. Cut steak into 1/4th inch slices and add on top of salad. Serve when steak is still warm.

Main Course
blue cheese, salad, steak

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