Stuck in a "Shrimp Rut"

I'm always looking for a different shrimp recipe to try. I typically make Shrimp Alfredo, but I was craving something lighter and fresher. This recipe was perfect to get me out of my "shrimp rut". It's sweet, salty, and just downright yummy! Plus, the toasted coconut sprinkled on top adds a little something extra. I served this over brown rice for a nice weeknight dinner. If you buy shrimp that's already been peeled and deveined, it really cuts back on prep time. 

Spicy Mango Shrimp (adapted from Myrecipes.com)


Ingredients:


3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp red chili pepper flakes
1/2 tsp dried basil
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
Juice from 1/2 fresh lime, about 1 Tbsp
1 lb. fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 semi-ripe mangos, cubed
1/4 cup shredded coconut, toasted


Directions:


1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place shredded coconut on a baking sheet in a thin layer and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown (watch closely as it tends to burn quickly). 
Remove from oven and set aside. 

2. Heat oil in large pan over medium heat. Saute onion until tender. Add garlic, chili flakes, basil, soy sauce, lime juice, and shrimp. Cook shrimp until pink, about 3-5 minutes. Add mango and cook until heated through.

3. Sprinkle with toasted coconut and serve alone or over rice. 

Move Over, Quaker

There's a new granola bar in town! According to one of my new favorite websites, Foodfacts.com, Quaker Chewy Chocolate Chip granola bars contain quite an interesting array of ingredients! Who knew?! First of all, and most alarming, they contain TBHQ. TBHQ is composed of butane, the main component of lighter fluid. YUM! When I typed "TBHQ" into the ingredient search toolbar on Foodfacts.com, over 1300 products were found including different types of potato chips, microwave popcorn, soups, and plenty of other things. I also discovered that the FDA only allows a 0.02% maximum of TBHQ in food because 1 gram can cause nausea, vomiting, tinnitus (ringing in ears), delirium, etc. 5 grams can cause death. Remind me to write a letter to the FDA thanking them for keeping such toxic ingredients out of our food! (Yeah right!) As if the TBHQ isn't enough to scare you off, the Quaker granola bars also contain artificial ingredients and BHT, another wonderful preservative. This is why I will continue to be one of those people in the aisle of the grocery store obsessively scanning the ingredient lists on packages. I refuse to be naive and ignorant to what the fabulous FDA is allowing companies to put in our food. Okay, I feel better know. 


So these are The Pink Kitchen version of Chewy Chocolate Chip granola bars. Minus ingredients that you can't pronounce or cause death. Not to mention, this recipe is going down in history up until now as the most delicious-smelling thing I have EVER made. I'm serious! Take a whiff once you add the vanilla to the butter/sugar/honey mixture. It's divine! It only gets better once you stir it into the oats! 

Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars


Ingredients:


1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
4 Tbsp butter 
2 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup crispy rice cereal
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips


Directions:


1. Lightly grease an 8x8 inch baking dish (I used a little dab of butter). Set aside.
2. Stir oats and rice cereal together in a large bowl. 

3. In a small saucepan, melt butter, brown sugar, and honey together over medium heat until bubbling. Reduce heat to low and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.

4. Pour melted ingredients over oat mixture and stir very well to coat. Pour oat mixture into prepared baking dish and press down. Use a square piece of parchment or wax paper the size of the dish and your hand to ensure the ingredients are tightly compacted. Sprinkle the top evenly with mini chocolate chips and press lightly with the parchment paper until chips adhere. 

5. Cool at room temperature for 2 hours, or until chocolate chips are set. Cut into bars and wrap in plastic wrap. Store at room temperature for up to 5 days. (Believe me, they won't last that long!)

Chester and I did not let a single drop of the sticky, honey mixture go to waste! Chester licked this bowl for about 20 minutes, and I scraped the saucepan out with a spatula! We are total oinkers, but we just couldn't help ourselves! 

Simply Sweet

These sugar cookies are more like a hybrid between a butter cookie and shortbread. They are not overly sweet, which is what I love about them. Not to mention they have a crisp, crumbly texture that melts in your mouth. Just be careful, though. You'll be eating them constantly. I ate them for breakfast the next day! This recipe is from my Mom and it's one of my favorites. I make them often throughout the year. They can also be sprinkled with colored sugar sprinkles for special occasions or holidays. They are perfect with a hot cup of tea!

Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies


Ingredients:


1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cream of tartar


Directions:


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Cream oil, butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients separately, then gradually add to wet ingredients and blend well. Chill until firm.

3. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased baking sheets.

4. Press down on dough with cookie press dipped in sugar. Don't be afraid to really press hard. You want it to be really flat so the cookie gets nice and crisp. The cookies puff up slightly while baking, so don't worry. You won't be stuck with flat pancakes! :)

5. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 16 minutes, or until just starting to brown. Remove from baking sheets and cool on wire racks. 

Very Veggie-ful

Is it Winter? I'm confused! It's been almost 60 degrees every day and my little flowers are popping up everywhere outside. What's going on? WHO STOLE WINTER??? I keep thinking it's Spring already. That's ok, since the sooner Spring gets here, the sooner I can wear my new white skinny jeans and all my cute sandals! YAY! :) So since Spring will be here before we know it, here is a nice colorful quiche to put you in the mood for all the bright and beautiful colors of Spring! You can basically use any type of vegetable in this recipe. What ever you have on hand will work. This recipe makes 2 so invite some friends over and share nicely! 

Fresh Vegetable Quiche


Ingredients:


8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 small head of broccoli, cut into small florets
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 small zucchinis, diced
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
2 pie crusts
12 large eggs
1/2 cup half-n-half
2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pie crusts in 2 pie plates and poke the bottoms with a fork. Bake for 15 minutes until just beginning to brown. Remove from oven and set aside.

2. Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until translucent and tender. Stir in garlic and zucchini and olive oil. Cook until zucchini begins to soften, but is not completely tender. 

3. Next, stir in broccoli and cook until it turns a bright green color. Add tomatoes and mushrooms and stir until mushrooms are just starting to soften. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (None of the veggies need to completely cook at this point. They will finish cooking as the quiche bakes in the oven.)

4. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and half-n-half. Add half the veggie mixture to each pie crust.

5. Pour half the egg mixture evenly over the veggies in each pie crust.

6. Top each quiche with 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes until set and cheese is melted. Let sit 10 minutes before slicing.

Faux Tso's

Chinese food isn't always my friend.....or my stomach's friend. Plus I'm so "anti-MSG" that I usually won't eat it unless the restaurant menu says "NO MSG" on the front. (Don't even get me started on MSG. Just Google it and find our for yourself why I hate it so much!) I never thought I'd be able to make General Tso's chicken at home and have it taste the same. This recipe gets pretty close and it's really tasty. It even looks like the real deal! So here's a good one for next time you're needing a Chinese take-out fix! Minus the take-out.

Faux Tso's Chicken


Ingredients:


2 large chicken breasts
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
Salt and pepper (sprinkle of each)
1/2 cup vegetable oil


For the Sauce:


3/4 cup sugar
4 Tbsp ketchup
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp garlic powder


Directions:


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 1/2 cup vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat.
2. Tenderize and cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Place cornstarch and egg on separate plates or breading trays. Mix salt and pepper into egg.
3. Place chicken pieces into cornstarch and toss to coat. Roll chicken in egg wash. (I know this seems backwards. I was skeptical at first too, but it works.)

4. Place chicken pieces into hot oil. Work in two batches so you don't overcrowd the pan, causing the temperature of the oil to drop. Cook until browned and crispy on all sides. 

5. Transfer chicken to 8x8 inch baking dish. 

6. To make the sauce, whisk together all ingredients. 

7. Pour sauce over chicken and toss to coat all pieces. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Sauce will gradually thicken as it bakes. Remove from oven and serve alone or over rice. 

Even Chester liked the sticky leftover sauce on my plate! 

Peanut Butter Pup

Usually when I am cooking or baking in "The Pink Kitchen", my little buddy, Chester, is right beside me begging for little morsels of whatever he can get. I guess it's because he likes peanut butter so much, but for some reason he was begging more than usual when I was baking these peanut butter cookies. I've made him homemade dog treats before, so maybe he was confused! I was throwing him little pieces of dough and he just could not get enough! Then, every time we opened the container of cookies, he'd come running. What a piggy! I think it's safe to say that this might be Chester's favorite Pink Kitchen recipe yet!

Peanut Butter Cookies (recipe courtesy Brown Eyed Baker)

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
3 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 egg
Granulated sugar, for rolling

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mat if using aluminum cookie sheets. (I used my trusty stoneware!)
2. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Combine peanut butter, shortening, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Add the egg and beat just until blended. Reduce speed to low and gradually add dry ingredients until combined.

4. Put granulated sugar in a small bowl. Scoop a tablespoon amount of dough and roll into a ball with your hands. Roll dough in sugar and place on baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Using a fork, make a crisscross pattern on the cookie, flattening them slightly.

5. Bake 8-10 minutes or until set and just beginning to brown. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet before removing to cooling rack. Store in airtight container for up to one week or freeze in freezer bags up to 3 months. Just thaw and eat!

My little peanut butter piggy!

My Go-To Salad

This is nothing fancy by any means, but this is my simple go-to salad that I make almost once a week. It's so easy and great for me to take to work. I stole the tuna salad recipe from Whole Foods. They sell it at their deli and it's my favorite!

Tuna Salad (adapted from Whole Foods)

Combine the following ingredients:

2 cans solid white albacore in water, drained well (I use StarKist)
2 Tbsp coarsely grated onion
1-2 coarsely grated baby carrots
Juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup mayonnaise (or more for desired consistency)
Pepper to taste

Serve over lettuce with croutons and a light dressing if desired. These are my absolute favorites:

Cardini's Garlic Croutons and Brianna's Blush Wine Vinaigrette (both all-natural, no preservatives or MSG)