Grilled Romaine with Shrimp

In the middle of Whole 30, we were hosting friends that we host often.  Normally for appetizers, we have a cheese course.  Cheese and wine, sometimes with bread.  On Whole 30, that was not an option.  

I wanted to still be able to enjoy our appetizer portion of the evening so this is what I came up with. 

- Romaine hearts

- olive oil

- salt and pepper

Heat a grill to medium.  Brush romaine leaves with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  

Grill for 2-3 minutes, just until wilted.

- shrimp

- olive oil

- juice of half lemon

- seasonings like salt, pepper, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, lemon pepper seasoning

Place peeled and deveined shrimp in a single layer on an oven safe dish.  Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.  Sprinkle with seasonings.  

Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 8-10 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!!

Simple.  Lots of flavor.  Light and delicious!

Cilantro Jalapeno Hummus

I love hummus, but I am also picky.  After falling in love with Trader Joe's and Sassool's cilantro hummus, I decided to try making some at home.  Easy and delicious!  When I make it, I try to make it on Monday or Tuesday and then I eat it all week long.  I slice some veggies to go with it and it's a quick, easy go-to!

- 1 jalapeno, stem and seeds removed
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- juice of one lime
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 can (16oz) chickpeas in their liquid (I like to drain about half the liquid)
- 1/4 cup tahini
- the juice of one lemon

Add the jalapeno, garlic, cilantro leaves, oil, lime, and salt to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade or the carafe of a blender.  Put the lid in place and pulse 10-15 times, or until the jalapeno and garlic are chopped into small pieces and the cilnantro is broken down very small.  Scrape the sides of the bowl or carafe, add the chickpeas and their liquid, tahini, and lemon juice.  Replace the lid and let process for 4 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides down from time to time.  When finished, the hummus should be silky and a light shade of green with darker flecks of cilantro.  (Keeps in fridge for up to a week.)

Yummy, colorful, healthy, love!

Tempura

Shrimp and Green Bean Tempura

So many recipes to share, so little time!  Here is a quick one that is wonderful!  We had a "take-out Friday night" with the kids.  I served the tempura shrimp and green beans family style.  The kids were so excited!  They loved it!  Definitely fun to shake up the norm with something like this.

Tempura Base:

- 1 cup flour

- seasonings

- 1 cup club soda, cold

Heat a couple inches of oil to 350 degrees.   Dry what you are tempura-frying.  Mix seasonings into flour.  Mix club soda into flour.  Batter will be lumpy.  Coat items in batter.  Drop in oil.  Takes about 3-4 minutes to brown.  

For green beans:

Cook green beans in cold water for 3 minutes.  Rinse in cold water to stop cooking.  Dry off.  Then follow above instructions.

For Asian tempura:

Season flour with salt, pepper, ground ginger, garlic powder (1 tbsp of sesame oil, optional).  Just soy sauce for a dipping sauce or favorite spicy Asian dipping sauce for serving!

For pickles:  

Dry well.  Season flour with salt, pepper, garlic powder, pinch of cayenne pepper and a tablespoon of the pickling liquid.  Ranch dressing for serving

For all:  

After frying, place on paper towels to get rid of any excess oil.  Fry in batches.  Then, keep in a low degree (like 175-200 degrees) oven to keep warm while finishing the batches. 

Fried Pickles

BBQ Jalapeno Poppers

I was given Pioneer Woman's cookbook for Christmas, a much requested item! I read it through like a novel! We all love her pictures and her humorous way to write a recipe. I decided that I wanted to make something from her book for New Year's Eve. This was the winner! They did not let us down; they are so yummy! Warning, though, it took me about 1hr, 15 min to get these ready for the oven. Hopefully I will get quicker, because I am definitely going to make these again!
- 18 jalapenos
- (8oz) package of cream cheese I don't love cream cheese, so I cut this to about 2/3 of the package and just added more cheddar cheese.
- 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1 green onion, sliced I used white because it was what I had on hand.
- 18 slices thin bacon, cut into halves
- favorite barbecue sauce
- toothpicks
- rubber gloves for working with jalapenos (I don't use them)

1. Preheat the oven to 275

2. Begin by cutting jalapenos in half lengthwise. Try to keep the stems intact. They look prettier that way.

3. With a spoon, scrape out the seeds and light colored membrane. (that's where the heat comes from; leave in some if you can handle it!)

4. Now, in a bowl, comine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and onion. Mix the ingredients together. Because I can't leave recipes along, I also added a little garlic powder and cumin.

5. Next, stuff each hollowed jalapeno half with the cheese mixture.

6. Wrap bacon slices around each half, covering as much of the surface as you can. Be careful not to stretch the bacon too tightly around the jalapeno, as the bacon will contract as it cooks.

7. Brush the surface of the bacon with your favorite barbecue sauce.

8. Secure the jalapenos with toothpicks and pop in the oven for 1 hours, or until the bacon is sizzling.

9. Serve hot or at room temperature. (Poppers can be assembled u pto a day ahead of time and kept in the fridge before cooking. Or, they can be fully cooked and frozen in plastic bags until you need them. Just thaw and warm up in the oven before serving.)

My pictures are included just so you see that a recipe of hers can turn out like her pictures! Truly so yummy and worth the bit of effort! Click here to go to her site for all the wonderful step-by-step pictures.