15-Minute Shrimp Mei Fun

We've been pretty busy lately, so I've been making a lot of my quick and easy dinners.  Of all of my 15-minute meals, this one is my family's favorite.  It's better than anything you can get from Chinese take-out (or so my husband proclaims), and it is incredibly easy to make.  Mei fun simply means thin rice noodles, which you can find in the foreign section of your grocery store labeled rice vermicelli.  This mei fun is light and healthy, and has a beautiful, mild sauce.  I used frozen peas this time, but you can really use any vegetable combination you prefer... celery, broccoli, snow peas, asparagus, etc.  I'll never forget my little sous chef's reaction the first time I made this dish - she couldn't get enough of it!  Oh, reminisce with me little.  Four years ago... *sigh*  They grow up too quickly.  She looks pretty comfortable with those chopsticks, though!

Red Snapper Tacos with Strawberry & Peach Salsa

My husband was out golfing and wasn't going to make it home in time for dinner, and my  little sous chef had some leftovers that she was looking forward to eating.  It was a very peculiar situation that I found myself in... but I wasn't about to complain!  I had the entire kitchen to myself.  No catering to everyone's individual tastes (not that I'm complaining - I love to oblige them).  Just me and my kitchen.  I have literally been craving fish tacos for weeks now, but I've been unsuccessful in convincing my family to indulge in them as frequently as I would like.  With a skip and a hop, I turned up some music, poured a glass of wine, and got to cooking.  I pan fried some delicious red snapper, spooned some beautiful Strawberry & Peach Salsa on top, and cradled all that goodness in a whole wheat tortilla.  Life is good.

Asian Salmon Burgers with Orange-Ginger Slaw

School is out and we've been busy enjoying the beautiful weather, so blogging has kind of taken a little backseat these past two weeks.  These salmon burgers are a great summer meal because they're easy, delicious and ready in 15 minutes!  You don't have to spend copious amounts of time prepping and cooking, so you can spend more time with family and friends.  Happy Saturday!

Corned Beef Hash

I don't know about you, but I always find myself with leftover corned beef after Saint Patrick's Day.  I had originally planned on making Reuben sandwiches with the leftovers, but I'm in a breakfast for dinner kind of mood.  Try using your leftover corned beef in this delicious hash with some parsley, thyme, rosemary, and a splash (or two) of Jameson and topping it with a sunny-side up egg.  Yum!

Coconut & Walnut Crusted Cod

I love this coconut and walnut crusted cod.  The toasted walnut pairs well with the sweet coconut, and it doesn't overpower the fish.  Easy to make, healthy, and ready in 15 minutes!  

Succulent Southwestern Pork Chops ~ Ready in 15 Minutes!

I am constantly finding myself in the mood to make something a little different for dinner.  We have an overabundance of tomatoes from the garden, so I decided to use them to make a Southwestern topping to go along with our pork chops.  If you're looking for something a little different that's also tasty, quick, and healthy, you'll want to try this Southwestern spin on your pork chops.  They're succulent, bursting with flavor, packed with protein, and can be ready in 15 minutes!  

Grilled White Wine & Garlic Butter Shrimp Kabobs

We were blessed with beautiful weather this weekend and most of it was spent outdoors doing fun things including enjoying a community fair, grilling out, taking two long bike rides on the trail, and having a cookout with family.  I didn't realize how much time we actually spent in the sun until I found myself sporting a pretty unattractive sunburn.  One of the things we grilled were these amazing shrimp kabobs in white wine and garlic butter.  So simple, yet so delicious!  I served this with sauteed veggies and corn on the cob.   
  

Lemon-Dijon Shrimp Tacos with Black Beans

After a busy day of work and school, we decided to have a fun and peaceful evening on the trail.  On nights like these, I need to have a quick and easy meal to prepare for my family before we head out.  These shrimp tacos are perfect.  Fast and delicious... and not to mention healthy and low in calories!  What's one of your favorite quick and easy meals for days when you're on the go?

Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini & Penne Rigate

Need a meal that's just as delicious and satisfying as it is fast and easy to prepare?  Well, this recipe is for you!  It is one of my family's favorites meals and can be made in 15 minutes!  Serve with crusty bread and a glass of wine.  

Turkey Wrap with Bacon, Apples & Pepper Jack

This healthy wrap is perfect for those busy days of fall.  The pepper jack cheese brings a delicious spiciness and the crisp apples add a burst of sweetness.  Oh, yeah - and there's bacon. 

Southwestern Blackened Chicken Salad

This recipe originated from my attempts at recreating one of our favorite salads from a local Mexican restaurant.  It is delicious, easy to make and ready in 15 minutes -- a perfect summer salad!  There are so many wonderful elements to this salad.  It is cold and crunchy, salty, sweet, spicy, and cheesy all at the same time.  The chicken is juicy and tender with just the right amount of spice.  I used freshly picked corn and tomatoes from the garden.  If you're not a fan of pepper jack cheese, substitute with cheddar and/or Monterey jack.  

Homemade Fish Sticks

My family loves these crispy fish sticks.  They are very easy to make and are ready within 15 minutes!  I have included instructions below on how to bake them in the oven or fry them in a pan.  Either way, they are super delicious and much better for you than the processed stuff from a box!  I served these with a side of steamed broccoli hand picked yesterday from the garden.

Caprese Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Basil Pesto

Here is another great summer dish, a delicious Italian spin on the classic grilled cheese sandwich!  I came across the recipe on Closet Cooking and it has quickly become one of my favorite sandwiches.

Chicken Piccata

Chicken piccata was one of the first recipes that I ever blogged about (see below for the original photo and description).  I have made several changes to the recipe over the years, so I wanted to highlight this yummy dish today and also update the photo.  

This recipe yields an incredibly moist and tender chicken with a rich butter, lemon and garlic flavor.

Spicy Buffalo Chicken Sandwich

If you love buffalo wings, then this spicy and hearty sandwich topped with creamy blue cheese and cool, crunchy celery is for you!  It is perfect for the upcoming picnicking season.  Serve it with a side of carrot and celery sticks with blue cheese dressing for dipping.  

Reuben Wraps

Do you have corned beef and cabbage leftover from Saint Patrick's Day?  Last year, I utilized the leftovers to make rosemary corned beef and carrot pasta but this year, I decided to make Reuben wraps.  It's hard to resist the combination of creamy thousand island dressing and tangy, crunchy sauerkraut with savory corned beef and Swiss cheese.  

Southwestern Blackened Chicken Spinach Wraps

I knew that my entire week was going to be really crazy, so I planned for quick meals each night.  This is one of my go-to recipes for a busy week night.  It can be made in 15 minutes, is tasty and the entire family will love it.  This would also be a nice addition to your Super Bowl Sunday parties.

Busy Weeknight Pan-Fried Cube Steak & Brown Gravy

In case you were unaware, I am a proud (and somewhat obsessed) couponer.  I'm talking coupon binder in tow at the grocery store, stock piled pantry at home, etc.  After clipping Sunday newspaper coupons, organizing them in my binder, scoping out sales at each grocery store, and making my meal plan for the week, I normally go grocery shopping on Monday mornings.  Thankfully, I happened to check my work email before grocery shopping and found out that I was about to be bombarded with work.  What did I do?  I planned to make one of my go-to meals for a crazy weeknight, pan-fried cube steak and brown gravy.  I almost did not post this recipe because of how simple it is but, after convincing on my husband's part, I decided to post it after all.  You see, he absolutely loves this dish, it can be made in under 15 minutes, it is delicious, it is easy to make, and it is affordable.

When picking out cube steak at the store, try find one with little-to-no visible fat.  As far as cost goes, depending on the store and sales, you can get it anywhere from $3.00 to $5.00 per pound.  Cube steak is round roast that has been extra-tenderized with a mallet.  If you want to save even more money per pound, buy a round roast and tenderize it yourself to 1/8 inch thick pieces.  You can certainly make your own brown gravy but, on really crazy weeknights, I use two $1.00 McCormick brown gravy mix packets to save time.  

Turkey, Apple and Swiss Quesadila with Honey-Dijon Sauce

If you haven't noticed yet from my recent posts, I have had school lunch ideas on my mind.  I will be switching gears for a while to fall and football recipes but I wanted to share one more school lunch idea with you first.

My little girl is in 1st grade already and I miss her so much from the minute she gets on the bus.  While I have no part in what she does at school (unless I'm helping out in the classroom that day), I feel a certain satisfaction knowing that I can at least control what she eats.  Quesadillas are a really fast, fun and flexible lunch that you can make.  Your child doesn't like Swiss cheese and apples?  Try American cheese and ham instead.  The options are endless!

Quick & Easy Chicken Parmigiana

One Year Ago:  Cajun Chicken Stuffed with Pepper Jack and Spinach

School is right around the corner, which means that my schedule is about to get a bit more crazy.  Between making sure all homework is completed and running around to various after-school activities, it is hard to find time to have a decent family dinner.  This is one of my go-to meals that is easy, inexpensive and only takes 15 minutes to make start to finish.  Serve over brown rice or pasta with a side of steamed vegetables.