Sausage and Brussel Sprouts Pasta

Quick, easy and healthy!

What You Need
Makes 4 servings

4 servings of Pasta (whichever kind you prefer)
3 chicken sausage
1/2 lb Brussels Sprouts
1/4 cup Pesto

What To Do

Step 1: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add pasta. Cook until al dente.

Step 2: Cut up sausage into 1/4-1/2 inch slices. Cut Brussels sprouts in half.

Step 3: Cook sausage and Brussels sprouts until golden brown.

Step 4: Mix pasta, sausage, Brussels spouts and pesto together. Enjoy!

Easter Sugar Cookies

What You Need
Yields 3 dozen cookies

Ethel's Sugar Cookies 
2 1/2 cups Flour
1 cup Sugar
3/4 cup Margarine
2 eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Baking Powder

Royal Icing
4 cups Powdered Sugar
3 tbsp Meringue Powder
6-8 tbsp water


What To Do

Step 1: For the cookies: mix sugar, egg and margarine together until well blended. Add vanilla and baking powder. Add flour in at 1/2 cup increments until all the flour has been added. Store in the fridge for at least an hour (I prefer overnight).

Step 4: Preheat over to 400°. Roll out dough on to well floured surface (I use a pasty or baking mat). Use the cookie cutters of your choice and place cut cookies onto a nonstick cookie sheet. Give at least an inch between each cookie.

Step 5: Bake for 6-8 mins. Let cool on a cooling rack before icing.

Step 6: To make the icing: mix meringue powder and powdered sugar on low until mixed well. Add water, one tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. You don't want it to be too watery or too thick. The frosting starts to dry/harden fairly quickly. You can add more water later to thin it out.

Step 7: Frost your cookies. You can use a knife to frost large areas. For designs and detail use a frosting/pastry bag and piping tip. When complete Enjoy!

Crazy Thai Goodness

I decided to try making this at home after having it at a Thai restaurant. It is really easy and quick to make.

What You Need
Makes 4 servings

4 Chicken Breasts
8 oz Fresh Spinach
2 cups rice

Peanut Sauce
1/4 cup Peanut Butter
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Rice Vinegar
1 tbsp Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
2 tbsp Water

What To Do

Step 1: Cook rice in rice cooker or on the stove top according to the instructions.

Step 2: Cook chicken on medium heat until fully cooked. Cut chicken into bite size pieces.

Step 3: Cook spinach on low heat with the lid on. Once the spinach has wilted but still looks fresh and green remove from the stove. Strain the spinach to get as much liquid out as possible.

Step 4: In a small bowl add the peanut butter, rice vinegar, Thai sweet chili sauce and water. Mix with a fork or whisk for about 5 minutes. It will start to look stringy (see below) but after a few minutes it should become smooth and creamy. If it appears too liquidy, even after several minutes of mixing, add a little more peanut butter. If it is too thick add water, a little at a time, until it reaches a good consistency. Stir until creamy and uniform.

Before

After

Step 5: Mix the chicken, spinach and peanut sauce together in a pan. Make sure to break up the spinach so it is evenly distributed. Serve over rice and Enjoy!

Best Thai Salad Ever

This is the best salad ever! It is so tasty, healthy and delicious. It takes a while to get all the veggies ready but it is a very simple recipe.  Try changing out the chicken for shrimp, pork or beef!

What You Need
Makes 4 servings

Salad
2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts or 4 Chicken Tenderloins
1 tsp Chinese Five Spice
3 Small Lettuce Heads , Chopped
1/2 Head of Cabbage, Chopped
2 Carrots, Peeled and Shredded
2 Green Onions, Chopped
1 cup Bean Sprouts
1/2 Cucumber, Peeled and Chopped
1/2 Bunch of Cilantro, Chopped
1/2 cup Peanuts, Chopped
3 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Sesame Seeds
1 Serving Ramen Noodles, Dry

Salad Dressing
1/4 cup Rice Vinegar
1/4 cup Thai Sweet Red Chili Sauce
1/2 tsp Sugar

Peanut Sauce
1/4 cup Peanut Butter
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Rice Vinegar
1 tbsp Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
2 tbsp Water

What To Do

Step 1: Prepare all of your vegetables (wash, peel, chop, etc). Place in a large bowl.

Step 2: Season chicken with Chinese Five Spice. Cook on medium heat until fully cooked. Chop up chicken. Set aside.

Step 3: Heat up the olive oil in a pan on medium-low heat. Once hot add the ramen and sesame seeds. Stir continuously until golden brown (about 5-10 mins).

Before

After

Step 4: Make the salad dressing. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup add the rice vinegar, Thai sweet red chili sauce and sugar. Mix well with a fork.

Step 5: Make the peanut sauce. In a small bowl add the peanut butter, rice vinegar, Thai sweet chili sauce and water. Mix with a fork or whisk for about 5 minutes. It will start to look stringy (see below) but after a few minutes it should become smooth and creamy. If it appears too liquidy, even after several minutes of mixing, add a little more peanut butter. Stir until creamy and uniform.

Before

After

Step 6: Toss the salad, chicken and salad dressing together.

Step 7: Plate out each serving. Drizzle peanut sauce, chopped peanuts, ramen and sesame seeds over each serving. Enjoy!

Alternative Use Holiday Center Piece

This is a great alternative use for a cake stand. Pile some ball ornaments onto the cake stand and you have a great holiday center piece!

Quick and Tasty Homemade Green Salsa

I generally don't like salsa but I love this one!  It's a twist on a recipe a friend taught me. I make it mild but you can always add more jalapenos or a habanero to spice it up! 

What You Need

5 Tomatillos

3 Garlic Cloves

2 Serrano Peppers

2 Jalapeno Peppers

1/2 of a bunch of Cilantro

1 tbsp Lime Juice

Pinch of Salt

What To Do

Step 1: Cut the tomatillos and peppers in half. Remove the seeds and veins from the peppers. Place face down on a baking sheet with the garlic cloves. 

Step 2:  Place in oven on Broil for 5-10 minutes or until brown and softened (see picture below).

Step 3: Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until liquefied. Add extra salt and cilantro to taste. Enjoy!

Spinach Dip Pizza

I saw a recipe on Pinterest for spinach mascarpone dip. It looked delicious but I was feeling like pizza. So, I decided to combine the two. I added sausage, mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes as the toppings.  It was delicious, very filling and made me feel healthier with all of the spinach :)

What You Need
Makes 2-3 servings

1 Pre-Made Pizza Dough (I get mine from Trader Joe's)
2 Chicken Sausages
1/4 cup Sun Dried Tomato
4 oz Sliced Mushrooms

6 oz Mozzarella Cheese

Spinach Dip
2 cups Shredded Spinach (you can use frozen or fresh)

4 oz Mascarpone

1/3 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tbsp Crushed Garlic

1 tbsp Olive Oil
Pinch of Nutmeg

What To Do

Step 1: Follow the directions for your pre-made pizza dough to prepare the dough.

Step 2: While the dough is cooking, heat the olive oil and garlic in a large pan. Add shredded spinach, cook until wilted. Remove as much access liquid from the spinach using a cheese cloth or dish rag. Place spinach back in pan. Turn heat to low and stir in mascarpone until fully melted. Add a pinch of nutmeg. Then add Parmesan cheese, stir until melted. Take off heat and set aside.
*If you are using frozen spinach, remove access liquid from the spinach prior to cooking.

Step 3: Cut sausage into 1/4 inch slices. Cook the sausage until golden brown.

Step 4: Top pre-baked pizza dough with spinach dip, mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, sausage and cheese.

Step 5: Cook at 350° until the cheese has melted and starts to bubble (about 20 minutes). Enjoy!