Baked Coconut Shrimp
Summer is coming up!!! What says summer better than tropical fruits?? This recipe, I adapted from what I found in my ‘Women’s Health’ magazine yesterday. I love coconut and I love shrimp so I had to try it, and you should too! It’s again, an easy recipe to follow and it’s so versatile. You can throw it on some greens and make a salad or maybe in a tropical style quesadilla or just as an appetizer by itself.
Ingredients:
25-30 medium shrimps
1/3 cup of unsweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp chili powder
2TBSP of flour
1 egg white, beaten
+ your favorite chili sauce
*** you can mix your chili sauce with some pineapple preserves and serve it nice and warm***
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 °F
In a large ziplock bag mix the coconut, bread crumbs and spices and set aside. Rinse your shrimp and pat them dry. Then dip them a couple at a time in the flour and then into the beaten egg white and drop them in the coconut mixture and shake them around gently. Place them onto the cookie sheet and bake for 10 min.
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Margarita Chicken Salad with a Honey Lime Vinaigrette
This recipe is going to rock your world! It’s so good!!! I love love love margaritas and I love chicken and fruit how can this go wrong?! IT WONT! I PROMISE! My BF said it was the best thing I’ve ever made.. and for a man to say that about a salad.. means that it has to be good right? Also I’ll have you know, that when you make this salad, you have to make the vinaigrette yourself. I really think it’s the best part!
For the chicken, your going to need:
- 1 Bottle of Margarita Mix, I used Jose Cuervo’s classic lime, zero calorie, light margarita mix. (1.75 liter bottle)
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
- paprika, for color
- black pepper and salt, to taste
- 4 Skinless, boneless, chicken breasts
Directions:
I would prefer this cooked over the grill but since I don’t have one yet…
Place your chicken in a freezer bag and fill with margarita mix and garlic and let your chicken marinade between 2-8 hours. After your done marinading your chicken, place the breasts into a baking dish and sprinkle with seasonings. Now place the chicken in a oven preheated to 350 for about 40 minutes until chicken is cooked through to where there is no pink and juices run clear. Ta-Da! Margarita chicken!
For the salad, your going to need:
- An 8-10 oz mix of Roman lettuce and spinach
- 1 cup of diced strawberries
- 2 tangerines peeled and pulled into pieces
- 1 cup of pineapple chunks (we all know that the fresh ones are the best but they were out at the commissary)
- A small hand full of sunflower seeds
Directions:
This one is easy, just place all the ingredients,except the chicken, into a large bowl and toss it around a bit.
For the vinaigrette , your going to need:
- 1 tsp ground mustard
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1/4 cup of red onion diced
- 1/2 cup of honey
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- zest of one lime, and the juice of two or aprox. 1/4 cup of lime
- 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup of olive oil or canola oil
Directions:
Place all ingredients except for the oil into a blender or food processor, blend until smooth and slowly incorporate the oil.
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Lemon Dill Salmon
Okay first I want to say sorry for taking so long! It’s been super busy I’ve been on deployment and my command has been working my butt off! So here is what has been going on since February. My ship left for deployment and I got to visit a couple of countries. Hong Kong and The Philippines. Hong Kong is definitely one of my favorite ports. It’s very westernized, it’s full of culture and there is so much to do. We went to the Avenue of Stars, which is like the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Asia. The food was fantastic!! Also!!! There was an Andy Warhol exhibit going on while we were there! Lucky us!
I hope you guys enjoyed the pictures! Now on with the recipe. This Salmon is really easy and super delish! It was the first dinner I made for my boyfriend Anthony and my roommate, Brett, when we moved into our apartment. I don’t mean to brag…but it’s kind of a big deal. haha No, but it’s really good! The Salmon in japan is sooooooooo fresh too! Which makes it even better. If you guys and gals can find fresh Salmon it’s highly encouraged.
What you’re gonna need:
- 4 Salmon Fillets
- 2 lemons
- 2 Tbsp of fresh dill
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp course freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
What you’re gonna do:
Preheat the oven at 400º F.
Your going to need a medium large sized bowl. Cut up about 4-5 thin pieces of the lemon. Now grab your zester and take of all of the lemon peel of your second untouched lemon. Don’t discard them just yet! We still need to get all of the juice out of them! After you juiced your lemons add in the oil, garlic, pepper, and dill. Evenly, place your fillets into the marinade, skin side up. Let your salmon soak in the fridge for about 30 mins to an hour. Place in a lightly greased baking dish, skin side down, and bake for about 16-20 minutes or until cooked through, it should be nice and flakey.
ENJOY!
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Mediterranean Feta Stuffed Pita Burgers with a Kickin’ Chili Sauce
Is everybody here ready for a Mediterranean twist on the classic American bacon cheese burger??? Here is a refreshing new take! Try a warm wheat pita pocket wrapped around a feta filled burger topped with bacon and a rear kickin’ chili sauce! What are you doing still reading this?! LOL Go make this right now! You wont regret it, I promise! 
- 8-12 kalamata olives
- 2 tsp garlic
- 1/2 red onion
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 egg
- lb ground meat (I used beef here, but you can use lamb or turkey if you want)
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp sriracha
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 6-8 slices of bacon, crumbled
- lettuce (shredded)
- tomato (diced/sliced)
- wheat pitas
Directions:
First, wrap your pita pockets in tin foil and keep in a warm oven of about 200 °F. In a small bowl whisk together chili sauce, cumin, and greek yogurt and set aside. Then, in a food processor, blend red onion, olives, and garlic. Add minced onion/olive/garlic mixture, lemon juice and zest, egg, oregano, salt, pepper, and bread crumbs to 1lb of ground meat and mix well with hands. Take a small hand full of minced meat and create a bowl in the palm of your hand, and fill with crumbled feta cheese. Roll the sides of the meat “bowl” over the feta and use extra pinches of meat to ensure the cheese is sealed inside.
On the grill or stove cook burgers, I prefer mine to be medium just a little pink in the middle, so 3 to 4 min each side over about 160 °F. After your burgers have been heated keep them in a warm place (maybe the oven you used in the beginning to keep your pitas warm. Then in a medium skillet cook bacon strips until crispy and drain over paper towels to reduce greasiness. When the bacon is cool enough to handle crumble in to little pieces.
Now your ready to fill your pitas w/ the burger, tomato, lettuce and top w/ bacon and spicy chili sauce and more feta if desired.
I recommend to serve pita burgers with sweet potato fries.
Enjoy!
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Creamy Thyme & Sage Tomato Soup
Okay, I regret to admit this, but I just went through a phase for the past decade where I didn’t really care for tomatoes … Fortunately for me a few months ago I had some diced tomatoes in an omelet and OMG I snapped back into reality and noticed I LOVE TOMATOES! I seriously cannot get enough of them! I have been putting them in everything; sandwiches, pasta, salsa, casseroles, you name it! And they are so healthy for you too! Last night I had a desire for tomato soup, so I thought I would give it a go at making it at home. It was surprisingly simple and now I wish I had more! 
lol This take on the classic tomato soup is going to leave you and your family asking for seconds … and thirds … for breakfast! Ha! 
Ingredients:
- 2 -14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 8-10 sage leaves
- 10 sprigs of thyme
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 450 °F. Open the two cans of diced tomatoes. Squeeze out and separate the excess tomato juice and set aside. Line a baking dish with the diced tomatoes, minced garlic, thyme, and drizzle w/ olive oil and sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper. Bake in the over for about 15-20 min. While your tomatoes bake, bring out your 3 quarte sauce pan and lightly toss your chopped onion, celery, carrots and sage leaves in a couple TBSPs of olive oil over medium heat until tender, about 10 min.
By now, all your veggies should be ready done cooking. Puree tomatoes, onions, carrots, celery, sage, and the tomato juice (that was set aside in the beginning of the recipe). Return the pureed mixture to the sauce pan. Add cream and broth and bring to a simmer.
Serve hot and enjoy!
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Monster Cookie Dough Dip
Here is a wonderful recipe for children sleep overs, girls night in, or whenever you’re just craving some cookie dough goodness. In fact, I’m snacking on some of this dip right now… I originally tried this recipe out for a potluck I went to this past weekend. It definitely curbed the sweet tooth of everyone at the kiddie table… including myself ha! This recipe is so fast and so easy it only contains two steps! I don’t know why I never thought to try it before!
*Just a warning though, it does contain peanut butter, as it is a common allergy be sure to let people know when serving. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 1 – 8oz block of cream cheese
- 1 cup of creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup of butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp of brown sugar
- 1tsp vanilla
- 1 cup of oats
- 1 cup of mini chocolate chips
- 1 cup of M&Ms (or your favorite chocolate candy)
Directions:
Step 1 – In a medium size mixing bowl blend together cream cheese, peanut butter, butter, brown and powdered sugars, and vanilla until creamy.
Step 2 – Fold in oats, chocolate chips, and M&Ms.
I loved this dip with pretzels and apples. Enjoy!
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Savory Spinach and Artichoke Cheese Ball
Hey guys and gals! Sorry I haven’t been posting much lately. I’ve been a little pre-occupied with the holidays and all. I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season and a happy New Year!! I certainly did!
Now, what I have here is a good party starter! A easy to make, easy to spread appetizer to pair with your favorite wines and dinner party conversations. I don’t know about you guys, but I love cheese, and so does my family. It was in just about every meal growing up. In fact I think my dad is looking forward to this post. I want to suggest serving this at your next party or game night.
Ingredients:
- 14 oz can of artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained, and chopped
- 1 lb fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 8oz cream cheese at room temperature
- 8oz goat cheese
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- toasted pecans pieces
- chopped green chives
Directions:
In a large pot over medium heat, saute spinach, garlic, and artichoke hearts until spinach is wilted and tender. Drain the spinach mixture and let it cool. (I put mine in the ‘frige for a good 20-30 min.)
Next, blend together cream, goat, and parmesan cheeses and the cooled spinach mixture form a ball and let the cheese cool in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hr. once cheese has hardened roll it around in the pecan pieces and chopped green chives until it’s entire surface is coated. I served mine with bell pepper chips, Triscuits, and sliced cucumbers. Enjoy!
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Hawaiian Style Cheese Ball
Ingredients:
- 8oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 12 bacon stripes, crumbled
- 1-8oz can of crushed pineapple, well drained
- 1/2 cup diced Canadian bacon
- toasted pecan pieces
- chopped green chives
Directions:
Blend together cream, cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, the 1/2 of the cooled bacon crumbles, drained crushed pineapple, and diced Canadian bacon. Form a ball and let the cheese cool in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hr. Once cheese has hardened roll it around in the pecan pieces, the rest of the bacon crumbles, and chopped green chives until it’s entire surface is coated. I served mine with bell pepper chips and Wheat Thins. Enjoy!
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Asian Sesame Chicken and Mushroom Rice
Over the past couple of weeks I have been trying my hand at catching the oriental flavor and putting it into my week night meals. Thank you, Asia, for showing Courtney how delicious you can be! I really just don’t have a story for this. ENJOY!
Ingredients:
-4 Chicken breasts
-1 tsp sesame seeds
For the Asian Marinade:
-1/4 cup soy sauce
-1 tbsp sesame oil
-1/2 tsp ground coriander
-1 clove of garlic
-1 tsp minced ginger
-1/2-1 tsp sriracha chili sauce
-salt and pepper
For the rice:
-1 1/2 cup of short grain white rice
-4 button mushrooms, chopped
-2 cups of water
Directions:
Pre-head your oven at 350°. In a medium bowl mix together the asian marinade. Place the Chicken in a Baking dish. Pour the Asian marinade on top and sprinkle the chicken with sesame seeds. Bake the chicken in the pre-heated oven for 30-45 min. About 25 minutes before the chicken is done, add the rice, chopped mushrooms, and water into a 3 quarte sauce pan and bring to a boil, and then simmer for roughly 20 min, stirring occasionally.
Serve sliced chicken breast over a bed of mushroom rice and a side of sir-fried veggies! YUM! Eat this stuff up!!!
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Quick and Easy Italian Chicken
As a service member, I can easily say that there is not nearly enough time in a day. I created this recipe when our ship was under construction. These were long and hard days! I’m not kidding from 6 in the morning until 8 in the evening sometimes. It was so lame! The only store on base closes at 9, it was just not happening for us. Just for the sake of sharing, you can see here we are underneath the USS Blue Ridge after her underbelly was freshly painted.
This is probably the fastest recipe I have and it tastes great! Not one complant, not ever, not even from those whom blasphemize fetta cheese! This dish is amazing and people are always asking for seconds. If you love cheesey, easy, zesty, not messy, full of flavor baked chicken breast, then this recipe is for you! I hope you enjoy this, especially on days the world is absorbing too much of your down time.
Ingredients:
- 4 Chicken Breasts
- 4 Button Mushrooms, Sliced
- Fresh Basil 4 large leaves, chiffonaded
- 1 Large fresh tomato, diced (You can also use canned)
- 1 cup – Your Favorite Italian Dressing (I use Ken’s Northern Italian)
- 1/3 cup – Crumbled Feta Cheese
- Black pepper, to taste
First, pre-heat your oven to 350 °F. In a baking dish, smother your chicken breast with Italian dressing and top with sliced mushrooms, diced tomatos, and black pepper. Now, pop that baby in the oven for about 45 minutes and sprinkle on the feta cheese and fresh basil. Place the baking dish back in the oven for 5 more minutes, & POOF! Your wonderful quick and easy chicken dish is complete! I usually serve this with steamed veggies. Enjoy and eat this stuff up!!!
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D5 Creation
