Cherry Tomato Shrimp Scampi

I successfully ate shrimp for 7 meals last week. I’m not sure you can constitute that as successful, but regardless I did it. When I tested this shrimp scampi recipe earlier in the week I didn’t think about the fact that I’d be away for the weekend near water aka a surplus and desire to eat as much fish as possible. A spontaneous dinner date to a favorite seafood spot in town didn’t help either. After meal 7 I think I can confidently say I’ll be taking a siesta from shrimp for a bit, but you can bet when I’m ready again this recipe will be the one breaking my shrimp fast.

This recipe comes together so quickly. The white wine butter (I use ghee) sauce is kind of insane. Just hold the pasta, add crusty bread, you’ll be wanting to sop up every last bit. I also added tomatoes for a pop of color and flavor amongst the shrimp. Pair with an easy green salad, I just did butter lettuce, avocado slices, leftover parsley from the shrimp and a vinaigrette, and your meal is done.

Cherry Tomato Shrimp Scampi
yields 3 servings | recipe adapted from BevCooks

Ingredients:
1 lb. large frozen shrimp, thawed, peeled, and deveined
2 Tbsp. ghee (or butter)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ shallot, finely chopped
½ cup white wine (I used sauvignon blanc)
10 oz cherry tomatoes
3 tbsp. chopped parsley
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 lemon, zest and juice
Salt and pepper
Crusty bread and a green salad, for serving

Directions:
Over medium heat, melt the ghee and olive oil in a large pan. Add the garlic, shallot, and tomatoes, and sauté for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the wine and crushed red pepper to the pan, and give it all a stir. Turn the heat to medium-low, put the lid on your pan, and let the tomatoes, garlic, and shallot simmer for about 5 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to wilt.

Once the tomatoes are starting to soften, add the shrimp to the pan and season generously with salt and pepper. Squeeze half of the lemon into the pan and let the shrimp cook for about 1-2 minutes per side until pink. Stir in the lemon zest and parsley and give it a taste. Adjust seasoning as needed.

Serve in a low bowl with toasted crusty bread and a green salad!

Annie

This recipe was prepared in the Phantom Chef 11” Deep Fry Pan, a new favorite line of kitchenwares!

Wintergreen Salad

I got the inspiration to make this salad from an airport. Yes, an airport. It’s based on a salad from Modern Market I had in the Denver Airport a few months ago. I had never heard of Modern Market, but after an indulgent weekend in Vail for my friend Trinian’s bachelorette party, it was an airport restaurant with salads on the menu, and a salad was necessary.

The salad exceeded expectations, I knew I had to recreate it. With the name Wintergreen Salad, I’ve been waiting until the holidays to get this post together. It’s hearty with the roasted fingerlings, but light with the citrus basil vinegarette. It also includes one of my favorite salad ingredients - dates!

Make it for lunch, make it for dinner, make it as a side for your Christmas dinner, I love love love this salad!

Wintergreen Salad adapted from Modern Market
Yields 6-8 for a side salad, 3-4 as an entree

Ingredients:
5 oz pre-washed box of mixed greens
3/4 lb. fingerling potatoes
1/4 cup green onions, chopped on a bias (2 stems)
1/2 cup dates, pitted and chopped (about 8 large dates)
1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted
4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
2 medium Granny Smith apples, thinly sliced

Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
1 bunch of fresh basil
large pinch of salt and pepper

Directions:
Start by roasting your potatoes. Slice them in half lengthwise and widthwise. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until they tender.

While the potatoes are roasting, toast your walnuts in a saute pan over medium heat. Shake the nuts around in the pan to toast evenly, about 5 minutes. Don’t take your eye off of then, nuts can burn very quickly. Take off the heat and set aside.

Then, make the dressing. Combine all of the ingredients in a small food processor or blender until the basil is finely chopped. Add more salt and pepper to taste if needed.

To assemble, toss the greens with the goat cheese, walnuts, dates, apples, roasted potatoes and enough dressing to your liking. There will likely be leftover dressing! Top with chopped green onion and some fresh cracked black pepper.

*would be great with chicken or roasted salmon if serving as an entree

Annie

September Whole 30

Whole 30, something we’ve all heard of by now, something most of us have probably done (I’ve done it twice), and something I’ll be starting up next week! Whole 30 is a month long program devoted to resetting your body by nourishing it with whole foods. While it falls into a “diet” category it really is structured to be so much more. There are multiple success stories out there on how it has changed people’s lives, helped heal autoimmune diseases, and reintroduced people to a love of healthy eating etc.

Chicken sausage, sweet potato, bell pepper and spinach stir fry that will be seen during my Whole 30! Peep the ugly orange athletic socks.

For me, I love the way it makes me feel and truly love the fun challenge it puts around cooking (food nerd alert). I’ve been on a bit of a bender since moving to Dallas. Rightfully so I think. I’ve wanted to eat, drink and see all the things I can while exploring my new city. Zero regrets, buuuuut it’s time to reign it in. I was talking to a friend a couple weekends ago who is currently following a vegan diet. She lives in D.C. and like me, has eaten and drank all the things while enjoying the summer months. She mentioned how she’s an all or nothing girl. I’m the same. I struggle to just say “I’m going to eat healthy this month,” and actually follow through with it. While I stay pretty regimented during the week, weekends, parties and events come up and all bets are off. Give me every piece of cheese, tortilla chip and dessert in sight.

Crock-pot chicken loaded in a sweet potato with compliant salsa, guac, and red onions. Based off this recipe.

My experience with Whole 30 in the past has helped control this type of chaotic eating in the best way. The guidelines (aka rules) of Whole 30 give me the structure I need to actually say no in situations like this. I find that acquaintances are more understanding when you say no to a cheesy app or cocktail when you say you are following a program like Whole 30 or vegan or whatever it may be, opposed to just saying, “oh i’m just trying to be healthy.”

Kale & turkey taco salad with compliant salsa, tomatoes, green onion, avocado and crushed plantain chips.

Ramble on, let’s get to the quick bases of Whole30. For 30 straight days you say yes to whole foods, quality animal protein, and all the veggies. You say no to dairy, legumes, sugar and grains. With the way our cooking and healthy eating mindset has shifted in the past few years, this isn’t as daunting as it used to be. I completed my version of Whole 30 August 2016 and January 2017. I wrote a post going more into the program and links to some favorite recipes here.

Sliced banana drizzled with creamy almond butter, tahini and a sprinkle of cinnamon - my favorite non-egg Whole 30 breakfast.

Is anyone else doing September Whole 30? It kicks off Monday, September 2nd and runs until Tuesday, October 1st. I mentioned above that I have done Whole 30 twice, that being said it has been “my” version of Whole 30. I give myself grace and may slip a drink in here and there on the weekends, but I do try to keep in under control. Because the more alcohol I drink, the more grains, sugar and non-whole 30 items I crave. Whole 30 also tells you to restart to day 1 if you slip up. Let’s get real, a mistake here and there is okay. If I have a non-Whole 30 food, I move on and do better the next day.

I have a couple friends here in Dallas who are doing Whole 30 with me. I’m excited to branch out on my cooking and do a few special dinners with them. However, my biggest advice for Whole 30 is don’t overthink it. People often complain about the amount of money they spend on groceries and the meat heavy dishes. I try to keep things easy and not out of my wheelhouse, by including smoothies or eggs for breakfast, loaded salads or snack boards for lunch and some kind of easy chicken and veggie dish or soup/chili for dinner. No need to buy an instant pot or air fryer just to successfully complete Whole 30 ;) Below I’ve included some Take A Bite Whole 30 approved recipes and a round up of recipes I hope to try in this upcoming month.

Take A Bite Whole 30 recipes:
Lunch Board
Cauliflower Soup
Butternut Squash Soup (no granola, I like to top with crispy prosciutto when on W30)
Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
Turmeric Chicken Zoodle Soup
Crock-Pot Chicken Curry
Crock-Pot Carnitas (in a lettuce wrap, pictured above)
Thai Chicken and Broccoli Curry
Thai Chicken Lettuce Boats
Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Meat Sauce (no cheese)
2 Ingredient Shakshuka (using no sugar added marinara)
Baked Egg Sweet Potato
Mayo-Less Salmon Salad
Mayo-Less Tuna Salad
Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Figs
Pumpkin Green Smoothie
Strawberry, Almond Butter and Fig Smoothie

Whole 30 recipes I love already or hope to make:
Hibachi Style Chicken with Magic Mustard Sauce (my fave Defined Dish meal, pictured above)
Buffalo Chopped Chicken Salad
Ultimate Chicken Taco Salad
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Kale + Chicken Waldorf Salad
Everything Bagel Chicken Salad
Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Tom Kha Gai Soup
Spicy Potato Kale Bowls with Mustard Tahini Sauce

Give my Whole 30 Pinterest board a follow and I’ll be sure to update it through the month.

Go to Whole 30 Meals/Snacks:
Cobb Salad
Taco Salad
Banana or Apple with almond butter
Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Loaded Salads
Chicken Sausage Stir Frys (just make sure your sausage is sugar free)
Smoothies
Breakfast for Dinner with scrambled eggs, bacon and roasted sweet potatoes
Spaghetti Squash
Plantain Chips with Guacamole or Salsa
RX Bars
Dates with Almond Butter

Helpful links:
Approved RX Bars
Approved Larabars
Trader Joe’s Whole 30 Staples
Aldi Whole 30 Staples
Whole 30 Approved Almond Milk

The best Whole 30 snack or dessert - medjool date and almond butter!

Now that you’ve read all of this and may be gearing up for a #SeptemberWhole30 yourself, I want to leave you with this article. While this article brings up a fantastic point and many many things I agree with,I still plan to complete Whole 30 next month. Having completed whole 30 twice and successfully not gone on a rapid binge day 31 I’m feeling confident about the 30 day and beyond challenge. But, read this article, be mindful of it and take it as you want.

Annie

Are you doing #SeptemberWhole30? Comment below if you are or if you have questions!

2 Ingredient Shakshuka: MY Go-To Clean Out The Fridge Meal

I pride myself on clean out the fridge meals. It’s honestly shocking what I can do with a near empty fridge. My mom can attest to this. Anytime I’m over she’ll say “oh we have nothing to eat!,” but a few minutes later and I have some kind of loaded salad situation or a plate of nachos. My past roommates could say the same.

Today’s meal is exhibit A of me having nothing but a few eggs in the fridge and no effort to go to the store. I first started making this meal a couple years ago when I lived with my roommate at the time, Kenzie. She had a half empty bottle of marinara, I had two eggs, and we had an abundance of basil growing in the backyard. Enter: shakshuka.

Shakshuka originates from North Africa, made often with tomato sauce seasoned with cumin, paprika, chilis, garlic, and nutmeg. My version lends itself more Italian thanks to a jar of pre-made marinara and some basil. I call it 2-ingredient because all you need are eggs and sauce, but if you have some basil and red pepper flakes your dish will have a little more pizzazz. Oh, and salt and pepper don’t count in the number of ingredients, don’t @ me.

2 Ingredient Shakshuka
yields 1 serving (can easily be doubled to serve 2, see not below)*

Ingredients:
1 cup marinara sauce
2 eggs
salt and pepper
optional: fresh basil and red pepper flakes

Directions:
In an 8-inch or omelet size pan, heat your marinara over medium heat for 1 minute. Using a small spatula, create 2 wells in the sauce that you can crack the eggs into. Crack and carefully lower egg into each well. Continue to cook over medium for 5 minutes. Then cover with a lid and cook for one minute to finish cooking the whites. Immediately remove from heat to avoid over cooking the yolks.

Sprinkle the top with a little salt and pepper, red pepper flakes and fresh basil if you have it. Grab a fork and a placemat or towel to set your hot pan on, and enjoy straight from the dish!

*If you are making for 2, I find a cast iron skillet to be the perfect size pan for twice the sauce and 4 eggs. Once cooked, scoop into shallow bowls and serve with crusty bread and a green salad for a complete meal.

**Disclosure, you do not need to reserve this meal for simply cleaning out the fridge. It’s perfectly acceptable to buy a new jar of marinara and a new carton of eggs just for this recipe!

Annie

Verde Chicken + Black Bean Cauliflower Rice Bowl

Healthy 👏easy 👏weeknight 👏meal! This dish has burrito bowl vibes, but cuts the cals with cauliflower rice. I add cumin, lime juice and fresh cilantro to the “rice” to amp it up a bit and the whole thing comes together great.

I keep it green with salsa verde, lots of cilantro, lime and avocado. I’m on a black bean kick, so those were a must and add an extra protein boost next to the chicken. Considering I bought the salsa instead of making my own and used a rotisserie chicken, this dish is e a s y.

Verde Chicken + Black Bean Cauliflower Rice Bowl
yields 4 servings

Ingredients:
3 cups frozen riced cauliflower
2 cups shredded chicken (rotisserie works great)
15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 avocado
salsa verde
salt and pepper

Directions:
In a non-stick pan over medium low heat, sauté your cauliflower rice for about 3-4 minutes. You do not need any oil in the pan. Stir in the cumin, freshly squeezed lime juice and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro. Divide the “rice” evenly amongst 4 bowls. Top each bowl with chicken, black beans and salsa verde. Add avocado slices, the rest of the chopped cilantro and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Annie