Weekly Favorite Eats

Hi everyone! Who else loves to try new recipes and enjoys food??!! I do, I do.

Trent and I cook a lot, and we both really look forward to it. I’m not sure if it’s the act itself or the finished product. Maybe I should say, we love to eat. Hehehe!

A lot of my friends have been asking for some of my yummiest “eats”. I am going to start sharing my favorites on a weekly basis. Please share any recipes you have that are must try’s.

Here are a few from this week. Bon Appétit!

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Figs

OH MY GOODNESS, if you like brussels sprouts and even if you don’t, this recipe is going to change the veggie game. We made these with a filet, Trent’s specialty and sweet potatoes. They go great with everything though. I admittedly could eat them all on their own too. The bacon and figs are the perfect combination of sweet and savory. Let me know what you think.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 to 8 ounces bacon, chopped (I say go for the 8 ounces, the more the better)
• 1 pound Brussels sprouts, stems trimmed
• 1 cup dried figs, stemmed and quartered (I used half a cup, as one cup tends to be overbearing)
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, or more to taste

Preparation:

1. Put a large skillet over medium heat and add oil, then bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to crisp, 5 to 8 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, put sprouts through feed tube of a food processor equipped with a slicing attachment and shred. (You can also do this with a mandolin or a knife. I went ahead and just cut mine into quarters. I did this ahead of time.)
3. Add sprouts, figs and 1/4 cup water to pan; sprinkle with salt and pepper, turn heat to medium, and cook, undisturbed, until sprouts and figs are nearly tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Turn heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until any remaining water evaporates, another 5 to 10 minutes. Add vinegar, taste, adjust seasoning and serve.

Taco Tuesday

Aye, Aye, Aye, Aye! FIESTA! Trent and I LOVE Taco Tuesday. To be healthier, we generally make taco bowls. We use all fresh, organic ingredients and make our taco seasoning homemade. This is a much healthier option, and it’s super easy. Here is what we usually include in our Taco Tuesday menu. 

Ground Turkey or Chicken
Fresh avocado
Fresh cilantro
Mexican Cheese- I like Horizon Organic Blended Mexican Cheese
Plain Greek yogurt (this is lieu of sour cream)
Tomatoes
Shredded spinach, mixed greens or hearts of romaine (depends on what’s in the fridge)
Sautéed onions (little olive oil and a white or yellow onion)
Black beans
Tortilla Chips (my husband crushes them up and puts them on the bottom of his bowl)

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp oregano

Preparation:

1.Mix all of the seasonings together in a bowl.
2.Add this seasoning to one pound of beef, chicken, turkey, shrimp, fish, etc. for great taco flavor.

Just cook your meat in a skillet on medium heat and add the seasoning once cooked. Then you’re ready to make your taco bowls. YUM!

Pair this with some skinny margaritas and some festive music. It will feel just like you are on a Mexican vacation.

Easy Foil Baked Salmon with Asparagus

Healthy. Easy. Delicious. This is perfect for “one of those days” dinner. You know, the kind where you have a million and one things to do and have no clue how you are going to get it all done? The last thing you want to do when you get home is to make dinner, right?  Yet, you are trying to eat healthy so ordering out is not an option nor is cracking open that box of mac and cheese?  Well, this is the perfect recipe for “one of those days”.

We blanketed the salmon on a bed of quinoa and it was perfect!

Baked Salmon

Ingredients:

• 4 Salmon Fillets (we get these at Whole Foods)
• 3 Lemons
• 2 tbsp. Cold Butter (cut into 8 pats of butter)
• 1.5 lb Asparagus (you will only use the tops)
• Sea Salt (to taste)
• Pepper (to taste)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Wash asparagus and cut the spears in half. Place asparagus tops in a large bowl. Save and store the bottom of the spears for other uses like stirfrys, soups, stews, etc., rather than throwing them away.
3. Sprinkle sea salt, pepper and juice from half of a lemon over asparagus tops and stir to evenly coat asparagus tops.
4. Cut a generously sized rectangular piece of aluminum foil and place asparagus side by side. Use enough to create a bed for your piece of salmon. I personally used six to seven pieces of asparagus per foil pouch.
5. Place salmon on top of asparagus. Sprinkle salt, pepper and lemon juice over top. Place 2 pats of butter over salmon. Top with 2 slices of lemon. Repeat until all foil pouches are created. Then fold foil pouches and close them (seam side up) and place in oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until asparagus is fork tender.

Look for some more favorites next week. Please let me know if there is anything you’d like to see.