Sweet Sriracha Chopped Salmon Bowl

I know, I know, I cook a lot of salmon and orzo, sorry! Orzo is just so great because not only is it super easy, but you can add a variety of different things to it to make it different. This meal is great to make for dinner and save half for lunchtime next day, it re-heats nicely.

What you need:
– 2 salmon fillets
– 3 tablespoons maple syrup
– 2-3 teaspoons of Sriracha
– orzo pasta
– 1 tablespoon EVOO
– 70 grams baby spinach
– 1 oz goat cheese
– 6 white mushrooms

Then:
– Mix syrup and Sriracha together, set aside
– Cook orzo according to directions on the back
– In a medium to large pan sauté the baby spinach and mushrooms (chop them up if not already) with the EVOO
– Meanwhile brush one side of salmon with the syrup/Sriracha mix and place that side down over medium to high heat. Cooking at a higher heat will help give the salmon a nice glaze. Cook for about 2-3 minutes and then brush the top with the sauce and flip the salmon over. Continue this until salmon is cooked through.
– When orzo is done, drain and mix in with the spinach/mushrooms mixture.
– Stir in goat cheese and leave on low heat so that it melts and mixes in well.
– Next, stir the salmon into the orzo mixture using your utensil to break it into small pieces (the salmon should fall apart easily).
– ENJOY!

The important stuff (per serving):

Makes 4 servings

Calories – 617 (308.5 for half)
Fat – 31 g (15.5 for half)
Carbs – 40 g (20 for half)
Sodium – 472.8 mg (236.4 for half)
Protein – 46.8 g (23.4 for half)

Creamy Chicken Bacon Carbonara

I’ve decided I really like bacon. Not that it was something that was actually in question, but I mean really like it, and not just for breakfast, but on tacos, salads, wrapped around chicken, wrapped around pork and my new favorite…in pasta!

This chicken, bacon carbonara recipe might just be one of my favorites and I love how easy it comes together. On the plus side, out of all the different kinds of pastas I make this recipe ranks best in the nutrition category. A lot of pastas, especially with a homemade cream sauce, can have anywhere from 400-700 calories per serving and this comes in on the low end at 421 calories a serving (a serving of this recipe is a very decent size, you wont be sitting there thinking “Yeah one serving is 421 calories, but it was only 3 bites!”)

The following information is for 4 servings.

What you need:

• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• ⅓ cup Parmesan
• ¼ tsp. Salt
• ½ tsp Red Pepper flakes
• 4 slices of bacon
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast
• ½ lb pasta (spaghetti or linguine)

Then:

• I start by cutting up the bacon into bite-sized pieces and frying until crispy.
• While the bacon is cooking I chop up the onion and cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces as well.
• With 1 -2 Tbsp. of the bacon grease, sauté the onion and the chicken until the onions are translucent and chicken is fully cooked.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the box, drain, and reserve a little of the pasta water in case your sauce is too thick.
• Using a whisk beat the eggs, cream, Parmesan, salt and the red pepper together in a bowl.
• While the pasta is still warm, add to the onion and chicken mixture, stirring well.
• Pour cream mixture into the pasta, and stir over low heat for one to two minutes.  Do this on high heat, and you will make scrambled eggs!!
• Lastly stir in the bacon and serve with additional parmesan if desired.

Roasted Eggplant and Veggie Orzo with Homemade Bruschetta

Back in May I posted a recipe for “Grilled Salmon over Vegetable Orzo with a Lemon Garlic Dressing.” The orzo that I made in that recipe is almost exactly the same recipe as I used in this one, with only a few minor changes….and then of course the addition of the delicious homemade bruschetta, a recipe I got from my pasta loving college roomie, Jenna!

What you need (for the orzo):

– Orzo pasta
– 1-2 lemons
– feta cheese
– olive oil
– salt
– pepper
– red bell pepper
– green bell pepper
– asparagus
– mushrooms
– eggplant

Then:

– chop up your veggies and place in a bowl, mix with olive oil, salt and pepper

– spread veggies out evenly on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, or until veggies are soft

– meanwhile, cook the orzo pasta according to directions, drain and place in a bigger pot

– stir in the cooked veggies, feta cheese and juice from one lemon with the cooked orzo

What you need (for the bruschetta):

– baguette bread
– mayonnaise
– shredded parmesan cheese
– olive oil
– minced garlic
– parsley

Then:

– chop up your tomato and place in a bowl, mix with olive oil, garlic and parsley

– in a separate bowl mix together mayonnaise and parmesan, using more parmesan than mayonnaise, creating almost a paste

– cut your bread into slices, spread the mayonnaise/cheese mixture evenly on top of each slice, then place tomato mixture on top

– place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 10 minutes

Brown Sugar Salmon with Asparagus Orzo Salad

Big surprise…more seafood, and salmon at that! I found the recipe for the salmon at Publix on one of their recipe cards that they have in their stores, and I found the recipe for the asparagus orzo salad in my head!

What you need:
Brown Sugar Salmon…

– 2 salmon fillets, skin removed (or however many people you are cooking for, adjust accordingly)
– 1/3 cup brown sugar
– 2 tablespoons lemon zest
– 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Then:

– Preheat broiler.
– Place salmon on foil-lined baking sheet.
– Combine sugar, zest, and salt; spread evenly over salmon. Let sit for 10-30 minutes.
– Broil salmon 7-8 minutes or until fish separates easily.
– Let salmon sit for 2-3 minutes before serving.

The important stuff:
Per serving (1 salmon fillet)

Cals – 350
Fat – 11g
Carbs – 16g
Sodium – 510mg
Protein – 43g

What you need:
Asparagus Orzo Salad…

– 1 cup orzo
– 2 garlic cloves, minced
– olive oil
– 8 pieces of asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces
– 1 lemon
– feta cheese

Then:

– Follow directions on package to cook the orzo, drain and set aside.
– In a medium pan, saute garlic in about 1 teaspoon of olive oil.
– Add the cut asparagus and sauté for 4-5 minutes on medium heat, until they become tender and bright green in color.
– Add the cooked orzo to the pan and stir.
– Squeeze half of the lemon over the orzo mixture (adding more or less deepening on how lemon-y you want it to be).
– Add about 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil and stir.
– Next, turn the heat to low and add in a handful of crumbled feta cheese (again adding more or less depending on how much you want.)
– Stir the mixture until the feta cheese has melted.
– Serve with the salmon!

The important stuff:
Per serving

Cals – 249
Fat – 4.04g
Carbs – 45.98g
Sodium – 265.25mg
Protein – 9.41g

Grilled Salmon Over Vegetable Orzo with a Lemon Garlic Dressing

I could live off seafood if I could afford it, but I especially like to eat more of it in the summer. Something about the man selling fresh caught shrimp down the street, cooking a massive low country boil after being outside all day and standing outside grilling fish with a cold beer in the hand just go with the warmer weather….plus I always feel better eating lighter meals in the summertime, but just because they are lighter doesn’t mean they cant be delicious.

What you need:

– Salmon filets
– Italian dressing
– Orzo pasta
-2-3 lemons
-feta cheese and/or parmesan cheese
-olive oil
-salt
-pepper
-garlic
– Fresh veggies of your choice

I used:
-green bell pepper
-red bell pepper
-asparagus

Other suggestions:
-red onion
-eggplant
-brocolli

Then:

-place the salmon in a dish and cover with Italian dressing, let marinade for about 30 minutes before placing on the grill (the salmon will only take about 5-6 minutes on each side to cook)

-meanwhile, cook the orzo pasta according to directions, drain and set aside

-chop up your veggies into small pieces and place in a pan with a little bit of olive oil, salt, pepper and some garlic

-cook the veggies until they are soft and translucent

-in a small bowl mix together your dressing….based on how many you are cooking for use half fresh squeezed lemon juice, half olive oil and a little garlic, mix together well

-once the veggies are done cooking stir in some cheese, I used just a sprinkle of feta cheese to make it creamy and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese for taste

-next add the cooked orzo, stirring all ingredients together

-slowly pour some of your dressing on top and mix together, I just wanted the orzo to be tossed in a light dressing so I reserved the rest of it for a later use.

My New BFF, The Cast Iron Skillet

What’s my new favorite kitchen gadget??? The cast iron skillet! Besides maybe my crockpot, this is the best, most versatile kitchen tool ever. When we first got one I thought it was just good for cooking bacon or maybe some chicken in, but since then I have found there is so much you can do with it, including entire meals. Now we have a regular sized one and a large one and I couldn’t imagine not having one in our kitchen.

So first up on the cast iron skillet recipe list is Italian dishes!

1. Easy Skillet Turkey Lasagna

What you need:

– 1 bottle of your favorite tomato sauce
– 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
– 1 medium Onion, diced
– 4 large Garlic Cloves, minced
– 1/2 teaspoon Salt
– 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
– 1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
– 3/4 pound Ground Turkey
– 8 whole Lasagna Noodles, broken into pieces
– 1/2 – 3/4 cup of Ricotta cheese
– Mozzarella cheese

Then:

– Heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.

– Once hot, add in the diced onion and cook until soft and translucent. Next add the minced garlic and cook for one minute. Add salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook for an additional 30 seconds.

– Add in 3/4 pound of ground turkey, stirring occasionally until browned and fully cooked.

– Break your lasagna noodles so they will fit in the skillet, evenly lay the lasagna noodles on top of the meat mixture.

– Pour the sauce over top. Bring to a simmer and then reduce to medium-low and let cook for about 20-25 minutes.

– Let the sauce bubble to cook the noodles, I pushed and poked at the noodles as they softened so the sauce can work its way down into the pan.

– Once the noodles are to your desired softness, give it a couple of good stirs.

– Drop spoonfuls of ricotta cheese onto the lasagna and give it a quick stir. You don’t want to stir so much that you completely lose and mix together the ricotta.

– Top with mozzarella cheese and cover with a lid to melt the cheese.

– Place skillet in oven under the broiler for About 3-55 minutes.

2. Deep Dish Pizza

What you need:

– 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
– Pizza dough, at room temperature
– Shredded mozzarella
– 1 cup of your favorite marinara sauce or pizza sauce
– 3 cloves garlic, minced
– 1 tablespoon dried oregano
– 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
– The toppings of your choice!…pepperoni’s, mushrooms, green pepper, artichokes, spinach, tomatoes, bacon, etc.

Then:

– Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

– Grease the inside of the cast-iron skillet with the butter. Place the pizza dough in the center and spread evenly towards the bottom edge and 1 1/2 inches up the sides.

– Layer your toppings! (The order of layers is important to achieving a crisp bottom crust.) Begin with any meat you may have and the a dd the veggies.

– Next top with mozzarella and then your sauce.

– Sprinkle the garlic and oregano on top.

– Finish with more mozzarella and some Parmesan cheese.

– Place the skillet pizza on the bottom rack of the oven and cook until the edge of the crust is golden brown and crusty, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.