Tostadas

Here is one of our go to meals and one of Corey's absolute favorites.  You can mix up your toppings however you want, but our go to is refried beans, brown rice, homemade salsa, shredded cheese, lettuce & sour cream.  This one I sauteed peppers, onions, zucchini, and corn for some added veggies.  Mix them up however fit your tastes!  They are messy to eat but that makes them all the more fun! 

Tostadas

Corn tortillas
refried beans
brown rice
shredded cheese
shredded lettuce
homemade salsa
sour cream
optional: sauteed peppers, onions, zucchini & corn

You can either fry or bake your tortillas so they are crisp and can hold all the toppings.  To fry them you will need to heat vegetable oil in a saute pan and cook tortillas for a minute or so on each side, watching carefully so they don't burn, until they are crisp.  Drain them on paper towels.  To bake them I place a cooling rack for cookies on top of a baking sheet, then spray both sides with cooking spray.  Bake them for 3 minutes per side or longer if needed until crisp. 

Top with toppings as desired and eat!  Don't be afraid to get messy!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Ok, russels Sprouts are by far my new favorite vegetable.  I mean these are so so good.  And this way of cooking them, with the bacon!  And roasting them in the oven so the edges get crispy and so delicious.  I mean I couldn't stop eating them!  And after making these, I goggled and pinned about 500 other brussels sprouts recipes.  Oh so delicious. please please make these, you will not be sorry!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
via a Paleo cookbook we borrowed from Corey's co-worker, sorry I don't know the name!


1 pound Brussels Sprouts
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 strips bacon
1 teaspoon thyme
salt & pepper

Cook bacon and dice.  Chop off stems and quarter sprouts.  Mix all ingredients along with a drizzle of bacon grease (you can use olive oil if you prefer).  Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes.  Dig in!!

Marinara Sauteed Zucchini Ribbons

This is our new favorite way to eat zucchini!  I'll be honest, its a little annoying to do the ribbons, at least with my vegetable peeler.  But its really fun to eat them that way, and they cook so fast!  If you prefer you could just chop it as you normally would!  I would never have thought to saute it in marinara, but its delicious!  And incredibly easy, I mean two steps how easy can you get!?

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Marinara Sauteed Zucchini Ribbons 

via Rachael Ray, May issue

2 large zucchini

marinara sauce (I probably used about 1/2 to 1 cup)

parmesan for topping

Slice zucchini with vegetable peeler.  Add zucchini ribbons & marinara to a large saute pan.  Heat over medium heat for a few minutes until tender.  Serve in bowls and top with parmesan!

Kale & Wild Rice Casserole

Here is a delicious & healthy, easy weeknight meal.  We of course loved the caramelized onions on top & I loved the mushrooms mixed in.  I used half spinach because we aren't huge kale fans.  I served this with our new favorite zucchini dish (sharing soon!) & salads.

Kale & Wild Rice Casserole
via Half Baked Harvest

2 large bunches of Kale, leaves torn (I did about 8 or 10 cups total fresh kale + spin mix)

1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced (I halved this, since they aren't Corey's fav)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 cloves garlic, minced or grated

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

1 cup chicken broth (or veggie broth)

1/4 cup heavy cream or canned coconut milk

4 cups cooked wild rice

1 1/2 cup gruyere cheese, shredded (I used white cheddar)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large sweet onions, sliced into thin rings

salt and pepper

Instructions

Grease a 2-3 quart casserole dish. Set aside.

Heat a very large skillet (the largest you have!) over medium-high heat. Add all of the torn kale to the skillet and add 1 cup of water. Cover the skillet and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the kale is wilted. Once the kale is wilted and all of the water has been absorbed, remove the kale from the skillet and set aside.

Return the skillet to medium heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the skillet is hot, sprinkle in the mushrooms in a single layer. Don't stir them! Let them sizzle until they have caramelized on the bottom, about 2 minutes. When the bottoms are caramelized, toss them once and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Continue to cook without stirring for about 5 minutes. Now add the butter to the skillet and cook until the butter begins to brown. Once the butter is browned reduce the heat and add the garlic, thyme and nutmeg and cook for about 10 seconds. Now add the kale back to the skillet with the mushrooms, garlic and spices and toss well.

Sprinkle the flour over the kale and mushrooms and cook for 1 minute. Add the milk and chicken broth, bring to a boil and cook 2-3 minutes or until there is a thick sauce. Add the cream and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and stir in the cooked wild rice. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Now wipe the skillet and add the olive oil, cook over medium-high heat. Add the onions and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes.Continue to cook until the onions are golden brown, about 20 minutes. 

Sprinkle half the cheese over the casserole and then add the onions and the remaining cheese. Bake the casserole for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the onions are crispy. Serve!

Shrimp & Spinach Enchiladas

Here is one incredibly easy dish to whip up and pretty darn healthy & tasty too!  We had this two weeks in a row haha! I served it with pinto beans and a bunch of roasted veggies (red pepper, zucchini, red onion, & mushrooms).

Shrimp & Spinach Enchiladas
adapted from Rachael Ray magazine!

1/2 pound peeled & deveined shrimp
10 oz spinach
1 can Rotel tomatoes
6-8 corn tortillas
sprinkling of shredded cheese (optional!)

Heat a tiny bit of olive oil in a saute pan.  Sprinkle shrimp with garlic powder and cook 2 minutes per side until pink.  Chop shrimp and set aside.  If using fresh spinach add to pan & cover.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted.  If using frozen, de-thaw and squeeze out excess water.  Combine spinach, shrimp, and half can of Rotel.  Spray 9x13 pan with non-stick spray.  Spoon shrimp mixture into tortillas and place in casserole dish.  Top with remaining Rotel & sprinkle with cheese if desired.  Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes until cheese is melted and tortillas are crispy on edges.

Asparagus Quiche with Polenta Crust

This was de-li-cious!  The crust was a fun new replacement for pie crust and much healthier and nutritious.  The polenta was creamy, but with crunchy edges.  And the filling was so creamy and pillowy!  Not like any other quiche I've made.  It was really easy too!  Boil the polenta, roast the asparagus, mix the filling and bake!

Asparagus Quiche with Polenta Crust
via Take A Megabite

polenta crust -

• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 t kosher salt
• 1 cup polenta (or yellow corn grits)
• 1 T unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• salt and pepper
• 1 large egg

filling -

• 6 oz. asparagus
• 1 T olive oil
• salt and pepper
• scant 1/4 cup grated parmesan, plus more for sprinkling
• 3 oz. crumbled feta
• 1 cup Greek Yogurt
• 2 large egg
• 1 cup milk
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400F. Snap asparagus spears into bite size pieces, discarding the ends. Toss asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast for 15-20 minutes, or until crispy. Turn oven temperature down to 375F.
2. Meanwhile make the crust. Grease a 9 (or 10) inch springform pan. Set aside.
3. Bring water to a boil with salt. Add the polenta in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring constantly, until the polenta is very thick, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, 1/2 cup parmesan, salt, pepper, and the egg. Transfer to the greased pan, and spread with a spatula to cool a bit. When cool enough to handle, use damp fingers to form a 1/2 inch thick lip around the edge. Bake until dry and pale golden, 20-30 minutes.
4. Sprinkle crust with parmesan, feta, and roasted asparagus. Whisk together the Greek yogurt, egg, whole milk, salt, and pepper. Pour over the asparagus. Sprinkle with some more parmesan, salt and pepper. Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until the custard is set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes. Serve!