healthy

Lemon Butter Scallops

/ Jodi / 39 Comments
Sizzling Lemon Butter Scallops in Skillet

Sizzling Lemon Butter Scallops in Skillet

Lemon Butter Scallops.

If you are looking for a super quick and easy and even more super delicious scallop recipe, I’ve got a winner for you!

I picked up a 12oz bag of “Specially Selected Premium Jumbo Scallops” at Aldi the other day to make something a little different for dinner for hubby and me.

As a quick side note – I am such a super fan of Aldi.  I am a bit late to the game and was really not sure about it at first, but now…. every time I go, I love it more!  I swear it costs half of what I pay at our other local supermarkets. I am always astonished when I walk out with a cart full of food for $100 or so.  And not only is it so greatly priced, but the quality is amazing.  The produce is fresh, the selection is nice, and I feel like I am being environmentally conscientious when I pack my own bags instead of coming home with 20 more plastic bags.

These scallops were absolutely delicious, and if I recall correctly, they were less than $10.  I didn’t realize what a great source of protein they are.  A 4-ounce serving has 19 grams of protein, 100 calories and 1 gram of fat (0 saturated fat).

So here is the way I made them.  (Enough rambling – right??!!) Simple yet delectable.  We had them with some butternut squash risotto (which I also picked up at Aldi) and a fresh green salad.  (And no I am not being paid by Aldi – though I should inquire! wink!)

Lemon Butter Scallops

Ingredients:

  • 12 oz. Jumbo Scallops
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • Salt & pepper
  • 3 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 Tbsp. freshly minced rosemary

Directions:

Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a 12-inch skillet, add garlic and cook 1 minute.  Add scallops in a single layer to hot oil in skillet.  Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.  Brown 1-2 minutes and then turn.  Sprinkle with additional salt and pepper.  Add butter and allow to melt.  Add lemon juice, and flip scallops again to coat with lemon, butter, and garlic.  Sprinkle with freshly minced rosemary, and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Honey Sriracha Lime Salmon

/ Jodi / 25 Comments

Honey Sriracha Lime Salmon

Honey Sriracha Lime Salmon.

My sweet friend, Janet, visited this past week after coming to town for the wedding, and she made this amazing salmon recipe for us one night.

Hubby is not a salmon fan, but I ADORE it!  Add Sriracha, honey, lime, soy sauce, garlic, and cilantro, and I am in heaven!  So one evening when he had a late meeting, Janet and I feasted on this with some roasted veggies and brown rice.  It was awesome!

You can adjust the amount of heat or sweet to your liking.  We did from the original recipe at Creme de la Crumb.

Here is how we made it!  Let me know if you try and enjoy as much as we did.

Honey Sriracha Lime Salmon

Ingredients:

  • 1 large salmon or 4-6 individual (4-6 oz.) fillets
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/3 cup Sriracha Sauce
  • 3 Tbsp low sodium Soy Sauce (I always use low sodium soy sauce – and I am a salt lover!)
  • 2 limes (one juiced and zested, the other sliced thinly)
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 Tbsp freshly chopped cilantro

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with foil.  Grease lightly, and lay salmon on top.  Season with salt and pepper.  Place sliced limes under the edges of the salmon.

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter, stir in honey, Sriracha, soy sauce, lime juice, and garlic.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Pour 2/3 of the sauce over the salmon – covering completely to avoid dry spots.  Fold the edges of the foil up around the salmon so the sauce doesn’t spill out.

Bake for 15 minutes, then switch to broil and cook another 4-5 minutes.  Do not overcook.

Top salmon with reserved sauce, lime zest and chopped cilantro.

Enjoy!

Also, if you are not a salmon lover, this sauce and method would work great with chicken or pork also!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

PS  Miss you already Jan!  xo

My Favorite Roasted Brussels Sprouts

/ Jodi / 37 Comments

My Favorite Roasted Brussels Sprouts.

After all the cookie recipe posts of late, I thought I would share an amazing vegetable recipe I recently tried and LOVED!

I recalled seeing one of those hyperlapse videos someone shared on Facebook that looked so yummy, so I wrangled these up last Sunday for Hubby and me.  We loved them.

Throw all the ingredients in a Ziploc bag to toss together early in the day or right before serving.  Spread them on a baking stone or sheet and roast to yummy goodness!

If you are a brussels sprouts lover, I think you are really going to enjoy this simple, delicious recipe.

My Favorite Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. fresh brussels sprouts
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp garlic salt
  • 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup Panko crumbs
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut tough bottoms off brussels sprouts, and then slice in half.  Throw in a gallon Ziploc bag.  Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle in garlic salt and pepper.  Add Panko crumbs and Parmesan cheese.  Shake and massage bag to full incorporate and coat all brussels sprouts.

(If doing ahead of time, place in refrigerator until ready to roast.)

Pour contents of bag onto baking stone or shallow baking sheet.  Roast approximately 20 minutes until browned and tender, stirring once or twice during roasting.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Un Stuffed Pepper Casserole

/ Jodi / 31 Comments

Un-Stuffed Pepper Casserole.  It’s what’s for dinner…

I love stuffed peppers, but for some reason, I don’t make them very often.  Not sure why.  But on a recent visit to our local John’s Bar, the dinner special was stuffed pepper casserole.  I nabbed the last one – much to some of our friends at the bar’s dismay.

I really enjoyed it and thought it must be simple to make.  And it occurred to me that we usually end up chopping up our stuffed peppers on our plate to eat, so why not deconstruct them in a casserole?!

I did a bit of googling, and I took some ideas from some recipes I found, combined them with my stuffed pepper recipe and thoughts of what I would like, and I came up with this yummy quick and easy skillet supper.

It was windy and rainy off and  on yesterday, so it was a perfect evening for a comfort-type dish.  I served ours over mashed potatoes (mainly because that’s how we like to eat our stuffed peppers too), but it is totally not necessary.  You can sprinkle some shredded cheese on top – or not – again – up to you.  You can tweak it up even healthier if you like by using ground turkey instead of ground beef and brown rice or even quinoa or your favorite grain instead of the rice.

If you’ve been hanging around here for any amount of time, you know I’m the queen of improvising on recipes.  I rarely measure, and I love experimenting.  If it calls for “this,” why not try “that.”  And cooking is really not brain surgery or rocket science, so if you add a smidge instead of a dash – who cares!  The palm of my hand is my measuring spoon.  Sometimes it works good – sometimes it’s just so-so, but as long as I am having fun creating – whether it’s food or photography or art – it’s all good.

Yep – that’s what it’s about here – being creative “in between” the times when we have to do the routine.

Hope you’ll give this yummy dish a try.  Do it my way – or do it your way.  Just have fun creating it!.

Un-Stuffed Pepper Casserole

Ingredients:

  • I Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 large sweet onion, chopped
  • 3 bell peppers, chopped (I used one red, one orange, and one yellow)
  • 1 1/2 – 2 lbs. ground beef (my package had 1 3/4 lb. in it)
  • 2 tsp. smoked paprika (oh how I adore the SMOKED paprika!)
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • Salt and Black Pepper to taste ( I used about 1 tsp of each)
  • 1 cup cooked rice (I used Jasmine – I love Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice – it’s NO FAIL and so easily ready in 90 seconds)
  • 1  10 3/4 oz. can condensed tomato soup & 1 can water
  • 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, optional
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions for garnish, optional

Directions:

In a large skillet over high heat, heat the olive oil.  Add chopped onions and peppers and salt to taste.  Once limp and onions are translucent after a few minutes, add ground beef and brown until no longer pink.  Add smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Stir in cooked rice, soup, water, and diced tomatoes.  Cook for additional 10-15 minutes.

Sprinkle with cheese (if desired) and garnish with chopped green onions.  

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Broccoli Slaw with Vinaigrette Dressing

/ Jodi / 32 Comments

broccoli-slaw-with-viniagrette-dressing-1

Broccoli Slaw with Vinaigrette Dressing.

YUM!  Another wonderful way to enjoy one of my favorite vegetables!

Hubby said we are going to turn into broccoli this week!  We’ve had broccoli sprouts, steamed broccoli and broccoli slaw over the past few days.  I think I could eat it every day.

broccoli-slaw-with-viniagrette-dressing-2

This recipe is so easy – especially if you buy the pre-packaged broccoli slaw mix Green Giant makes.

Have you tried it yet?  What do you like to mix into your slaw?

Here’s how I made it:

Broccoli Slaw with Vinaigrette Dressing

Ingredients:broccoli-slaw-with-viniagrette-dressing-1

  • 1 12-oz bag Broccoli Slaw Mix or 6 cups shredded broccoli stems, shredded carrots, and shredded red cabbage
  • Dressing
    • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
    • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
    • 2 Tbsp sugar
    • 1 tsp seasoned salt
    • 1/2 tsp dill weed
    • 1/2 tsp celery seed
  • Optional Add-ins
    • 1/4 cup chopped green onions
    • Sunflower seeds
    • Soy nuts
    • Craisins (dried cranberries) or golden raisins
    • Broccoli sprouts

Directions:

Whisk dressing ingredients in a small bowl.

Empty broccoli slaw mix into large bowl.  Drizzle dressing over top and mix thoroughly to combine.  Add any optional add-ins you like.  Refrigerate at least one hour before serving to allow flavors to meld.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

A Shout Out for Sprouts!

/ Jodi / 37 Comments
broccoli-sprouts-mound

Freshly Sprouted Broccoli Sprouts

A Shout Out for Sprouts!

Are you a sprout lover?  I’ve always enjoyed them, but they are not always readily available in my local grocery stores.

I was reminded of them when I recently read Deep Run Roots: Stories & Recipes from My Corner of the South by Vivian Howard and blogged about how to make The Perfect Hard Boiled Egg.   Vivian recommends serving hard boiled eggs for breakfast on a bed of fresh sprouts (broccoli for her).  I didn’t have any fresh sprouts the day I made my “perfect” hard boiled eggs, so I put mine on canned bean sprouts (which was NOT a good choice by the way).

green-pea-sprouts-mound

Freshly Sprouted Green Pea Sprouts

So wasn’t I surprised when a new blog follower here at The Creative Life In Between, RCollab, commented on one of my posts, which made me curious about their blog, and the first post I saw from them was called DIY:  Sprouting Sprouts!  It was as if the blogging gods sent me a gift of inspiration.  Check out their blog for the complete, easy instructions.

RCollab is an abbreviation for Our Collab or Our Collaboration where Colleen and Raphy, a sweet young couple, share their passion and adventures.

sprouts-day-1

Sprouting Seeds Day 1: 1 Quart Mason Jars and Cheese Cloth

Did you know there are many health benefits of eating sprouts?  The impressive list includes the ability to improve digestion, boost metabolism, increase enzymatic activity throughout the body, prevent anemia, help with weight loss, lower cholesterol, reduce blood pressure, prevent neural tube defects in infants, protect against cancer, boost skin health, improve vision, support the immune system, and increase usable energy reserves.*  That’s quite a list – eh?

Additionally, sprouts contain a significant amount of protein and dietary fiber, as well as vitamin K, folate, pantothenic acid, niacin, thiamin, vitamin C, vitamin A, and riboflavin. In terms of minerals, sprouts contain manganese, copper, zinc, magnesium, iron, and calcium.*

broccoli-sprouts-in-jar

Broccoli Sprouts Day 6

So I was excited to find a sampler pack of certified organic non-GMO sprouting seeds from The Sprout House. It contains a dozen 2-ounce packages consisting of Alfalfa, French Lentil, Kamut, Mung, Daikon Radish, Clover, Green Pea, Garbanzo, Adzuki, Broccoli, Hard Wheat, Black Sunflower, and Green Lentil sprouting seeds.

My first try was the broccoli and green pea, and I love them both.  It was so easy to do, and the price is so right!  I am currently soaking the alfalfa and lentil seeds and can’t wait to try them.

chicken-breast-sandwich-on-jewish-rye-with-broccoli-sprouts

Chicken Breast on Rye with Broccoli Sprouts

When our youngest son came over on Saturday to help my husband with a project he is working on – an art/photography studio for ME in our home (woohoo!) – I made us some yummy grilled chicken breast sandwiches with muenster cheese, fresh broccoli sprouts, romaine lettuce, tomato slices, and a smidge of Dijon Mustard on rye bread!  They were delish!

Sprouts are not only great to add crunch and flavor and nutrients to sandwiches, they are delicious in salads, in wraps, with hard boiled eggs and to just eat plain!

sprout-house-sprouts

Sprout House Assorted Organic Sprouting Seed Sampler

If you want to give them a try, here is a link to where I ordered them:  Sprout House Assorted Organic Sprouting Seed Sampler.   There are simple directions right on the bag similar to RCollab’s instructions.

How do you like to eat sprouts?  Which ones are your favorites?  Can’t wait to hear!

Happy Sprouting!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

*Organic Facts.net

Quick & Easy Crispy Pork Stir Fry

/ Jodi / 41 Comments


quick-and-easy-crispy-pork-stir-fry-02

Stir frying any kind of protein with your favorite veggies makes a quick, easy, and healthy weeknight dinner.

quick-and-easy-crispy-pork-stir-fry-01

Yesterday, I pulled a small piece of pork tenderloin out of the freezer in the morning with no idea what I was going to do with it.

By 6 pm, I decided I better figure out something to do with it.  After all, the spaghetti and meatballs I made for Sunday’s dinner, that hubby also ate leftovers of on Monday while I was out of town, and that we made into meatball hoagies  onTuesday was losing it’s charm and appeal!

quick-and-easy-crispy-pork-stir-fry-03

A quick “google” resulted in a few ideas I combined to come up with this quick and easy, but more importantly AMAZING Crispy Pork Stir Fry!  Coating the thinly sliced pork with seasoned salt and cornstarch before stir frying resulted in a wonderfully crispy coating and texture, and the simple sauce really packs a flavor punch!  You can use whatever veggies you have on hand or love.  Some may love mushrooms, snow peas, sugar snap peas, green beans, and/or water chestnuts.  Stir frying is one of my favorite ways to create a healthy, colorful, delicious, fast, and easy weeknight dinner.

Hope you give this a try!

Quick & Easy Crispy Pork Stir Fry

Ingredients:quick-and-easy-crispy-pork-stir-fry-01

  • 1 lb. pork tenderloin or sirloin, sliced thinly
  • 1 tsp seasoned salt
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch
  • 2 Tbsp Vegetable or Canola Oil
  • 1/2 large sweet onion, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup sliced sweet red, yellow and/or orange peppers
  • 1 cup steamed broccoli
  • Sauce
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 3 Tbsp brown sugar
    • 3 Tbsp soy sauce
    • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Sprinkle thinly sliced pork with seasoned salt and cornstarch in a bowl with a lid or Ziploc bag.  Shake to coat.

Prepare sauce by combining garlic, pepper, brown sugar, and soy sauce in a small bowl.  Stir well, and set aside.

Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large stir fry skillet over medium-high heat.  Add sliced onions, peppers, and minced garlic.  Stir fry approximately 2-3 minutes.  Remove from skillet, and set aside.  Add the other 1 Tbsp. oil and heat for 1 minute.  Add coated pork, and stir fry approximately 5 minutes.  Add steamed broccoli and return onion, peppers and garlic to skillet with all.  Stir fry an additional minute.  Add sauce and cook an additional 2 minutes.

Serve over steamed jasmine (or your favorite) rice.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Chunky Homemade Granola

/ Jodi / 23 Comments

Chunky Homemade Granola 0

I was itching to get back in the kitchen and make something after almost a week away.

Chunky Homemade Granola 1

And after a week of indulging, I thought I’d make something a bit healthy, but yummy to have on hand for the coming week.

chunky homemade granola 3

Homemade granola it was, and oh how yummy too!  Made with healthy ingredients like oats and nuts and dried fruits and held together with raw local honey and coconut oil, this recipe is delish just as is, but also delicious as a cereal with some extra fresh fruit like blueberries,

chunky homemade granola 4

or on top of Greek yogurt with some fresh fruit like blackberries!

chunky homemade granola 5

It also makes a lovely hostess or nice “thinking of you” gift in a clear bag with a pretty bow.

chunky homemade granola 2

It’s as simple as mixing everything together, packing it into a baking sheet, and baking.

Hope you’ll give it a try.  Enjoy!

Chunky Homemade Granola

  • Servings: a large batch!
  • Print

Ingredients:Chunky Homemade Granola 0

  • 1/3 cup raw local honey
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 4 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 cup walnuts, chopped
  • 1 cup raw cashews or almonds, chopped (I used cashews)
  • 1 1/2 cups dried fruit of your choice
    • I used:
      • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
      • 1/2 cup dried blueberries
      • 1/2 cup dried tart cherries
    • You could also use:  raisins, dates, apricots, goji berries, coconut, or any other dried fruit you like

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Whisk honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, and oil in a large bowl.

Add the oats and nuts, and stir until well coated and incorporated.  Add dried fruit and combine well.

Pour and spread mixture evenly onto a jelly roll sized  baking stone or parchment-lined baking sheet and pack down to compress.

Bake for 30 minutes until lightly browned.  Cool at least one hour in pan.

Break into pieces of your desired size, and store in airtight container.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

*recipe adapted from Foolproofliving

Easy Homemade Chicken & Vegetable Lo Mein

/ Jodi / 25 Comments

chicken and vegetable lo mein 3

I love chicken and all the versatile ways you can prepare it.  I try a new chicken recipe almost every week.  I also love Asian-inspired dishes, so I really enjoyed trying a take on Chicken and Vegetable Lo-Mein.

chicken and vegetable lo mein 2

Like most recipes I make, almost everything can be substituted with any ingredients of your choice.  And though I provide measurements, I rarely measure anything exact myself.  In this recipe, you could use shrimp or pork or even beef if you prefer  instead of chicken.  You could also substitute any vegetables you prefer.  And if you don’t have lo mein noodles on hand, thin spaghetti will work too!

chicken and vegetable lo mein

I really believe the ingredient that seals the deal with this recipe is the addition of a lot of fresh spinach in the end that you cook only long enough to wilt.  It adds such great texture, color, taste, and nutritional value.  I also very highly recommend using low-sodium soy sauce.  I am a salt lover, and it has taken me a long time to realize this, but most soy sauce is way too salty.  The low-sodium version gives you just enough saltiness, but the full soy sauce flavor.  And the sesame oil is a must.  This cannot be substituted with corn or vegetable or canola or olive oil.  To get that great Asian lo mein flavor, the sesame oil is key.

Hope you will give this yet another winner winner of a chicken dinner a try.

Enjoy!

Easy Chicken & Vegetable Lo Mein

Ingredients:chicken and vegetable lo mein 3

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced thinly
  • 10 ounces lo mein egg noodles*
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup red, yellow, orange bell pepper, julienned
  • 1 large carrot, julienned or 1/2 cup matchstick carrots
  • 1 cup sliced celery stalks
  • ½ cup green onions, sliced
  • 2 cups baby spinach

Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce, or more, to taste
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha, or more, to taste

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, ginger and Sriracha; set aside.

In a large pot of boiling water, cook noodles according to package instructions; drain well.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add chicken, and cook thorough for several minutes.  Add garlic, bell pepper, celery, carrots, and onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in spinach until wilted, about 2-3 minutes.

Stir in noodles and soy sauce mixture, and gently toss to combine.

Serve immediately.

*If lo mein egg noodles cannot be found, spaghetti can be substituted.

 

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

*Recipe slightly adapted from DamnDelicious

Spinach Blueberry Salad & a Blueberry Botanical

/ Jodi / 52 Comments
blueberry watercolor 5x7 arches 140lb rough prussian blue panes gray green gold

Blueberry watercolor 5×7 arches 140lb rough prussian blue panes gray green gold

For today’s #WorldWatercolorMonth Painting, I present:   Blueberries in Prussian Blue.  This is a “botanical” painting of sorts and possibly one of my more “realistic” paintings.  A bit of a diversion for me.

And while we are on the subject of blueberries – the yummy, nutrient-packed fruit of the gods,  here is a recipe for a spinach salad I made last week with blueberries in it.  DIVINE!

Spinach blueberry salad

I tossed some fresh spinach with blueberries and blue cheese (but you could use feta or goat or any other cheese you like), toasted walnuts, and green onions, and then drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette for a really fresh, yummy salad.

Spinach blueberry salad 2

Some other favorite blueberry recipes I’ve shared in the past you might want to check out are my “almost famous” to-die-for Blueberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies and melt-in-your-mouth  Fresh Peach and Blueberry Streusel Muffins.  Maybe not quite as healthy, but very delish!

ENJOY!

Spinach & Blueberry Salad

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb Spinach
  • 1 pint blueberries
  • 4 green onions, sliced
  • 1 cup toasted and sugared walnuts*
  • 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
  • 1/3 cup Balsaimic Vinaigrette

Combine fresh, clean spinach, blueberries, green onions and walnuts and drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette.  Top with crumbled blue cheese and serve immediately.

*Melt 1 Tbsp butter in skillet over medium heat.  Add walnuts, and sprinkle with sugar.  Saute over medium heat for approximately five minutes until sugar has melted and walnuts have browned.  Cool completely.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi