A slow-cooker meal is a relief to come home to and realize dinner is one step away from being on the table, especially when you realize your child has just created a wonderful attempt at a Picasso on your couch. But what bothers me about slow cooker recipes is that they are almost always made with a “a can of this” and a “can of that.” Have you ever read the ingredient list in a can of mushroom soup? It should be mushrooms, broth, flour, cream, salt and pepper. Instead it’s a long list of chemicals and preservatives that I’m sure is the same ingredient list used to make my husband’s running shoes.

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Who doesn’t love Chicken Parmesan? Crispy chicken slathered with tangy marinara sauce and covered with a gooey blanket of cheese. This retro dish has always been one of my favorites and a “go to” meal when it comes to needing a meal I know everyone young and old will eat. Simple, delicious, and certainly cheesy, this recipe will be on your family’s favorite list for a long time.

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I’m not going to give you a story that normally accompanies a post today because I want to get to this recipe as fast as possible. We’ll talk about the fact later that my daughter just walked in covered head-to-toe with rhinestones and asked where the hot glue gun is.

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The taco salad: what you order at a Tex-Mex restaurant when you’re trying to find the skinniest meal on the menu… or so you think.

In my experience a taco salad is nothing but greasy taco meat piled high on nutritionally void iceberg lettuce and a pound of cheese for garnish — oh and you can’t forget the truck load of fried tortilla chips that come with it as well. All-in-all your left with a tasty bowl of empty calories and fat. Now back in my college days this would be a good cure for the previous nights excursions—if you know what I mean—but back then I also ate one meal a day and lived off coffee. Although sometimes I like to pretend I’m in my 20′s again I just can’t do that to my body these days or I’d end up on the couch for the entire day kicking myself.

Since I’m a Texan and I love me a good tex-mex taco salad, I’m sharing my version with you today. Packing your salad with lots of nutrient rich vegetables and dark green lettuce, choosing lean meat, and opting for one tortilla instead of fried chips are just a few ways to get all of the good for you vitamins with lots of flavor! By the way, this is a great kid-friendly meal that they can put together themselves as well as a good entertaining meal served buffet style. Cheers!

Taco Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette serves 4 

for the taco meat

• 1 teaspoon grapeseed or canola oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup water

for the salad

• mixed green lettuce
• 3 tomatoes
• 2 small zucchini
• 2 avacados
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 cup shredded monteray jack cheese
• lime slices
• cilantro lime salad dressing

for the salad dressing

• 1/4 cup grapeseed or canola oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• pinch of salt and pepper

Notes: Can be made in advance and assembled before serving.

For the Taco Meat: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Saute until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.

Turn heat up to medium-high and add ground meat. Sautee, stirring occasionaly, until the meat is browned. About 5 minutes.

In a bowl combine chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, and salt, stir.

Add the spice mix, beans, and water to the browned beef and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the water has evaporated, about 5 minutes.

While the meat is simmering, dice all of your vegetables in bite-sized portions.

At this time the Mia chased the dog who was chasing the cat into the kitchen and I completely forgot to take a shot of the salad dressing. Forgive me ;)

For the salad dressing: Combine all ingredients into a food processor or a blender and pulse until well blended and thick, about 30 seconds. This can also be done by hand in a bowl with a whisk.

To prepare the salad: Fill serving bowls or plates with lettuce. Drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons per serving of the lime cilantro dressing over the lettuce. Next add 1/2 cup of the taco meat to the lettuce and follow with the vegetables. Serve with a slice of lime and a warm tortilla, optional.

Cheers!

I live in Texas and just like 99.9% of Texans, I love it here. Our music is just as good as our food and when spring hits the first thing we do is fire up the grills and guitars. That’s exactly what the family and I did this weekend. There’s just something about friends, music, food, and good weather that make a weekend.

Here’s a recipe to try on your grill. Bright and tangy this dipping sauce combined with sweet grilled shrimp is an explosive pairing and I promise it will be everyone’s favorite!

Grilled Shrimp with Lemon Parmesan Aioli serves 4

for the aioli (dipping sauce)

• 1 garlic clove
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
• pinch salt
• pinch pepper
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese, good quality
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

for the shrimp

• 2 pounds wild caught jumbo shrimp, deveined
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil, plus additional to grease skewers
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• wooden kabob skewers soaked in water for at least 10 minutes

optional: vegetables for grilling (asparagus, bell pepper, zucchini, yellow squash)

notes: The aioli can be made a day in advance and stored in an air-tight container until serving. Prepare the shrimp on the skewers ahead of time for an easy cookout.

disclaimer: I’m sure you’ve heard this before, “The consumption of raw eggs is not advised for people and children with weak immune systems.” Yes, it’s true but I have to say we are healthy and eat raw egg yolks in salad dressings or under cooked yolks all of the time and I haven’t died yet! If you are worried about the raw eggs in this recipe, look for what are called “Safe Eggs” in your grocery store. These eggs are pasteurized and can be eaten raw. They are labeled, “Safe Eggs” or “Pasteurized Eggs.”

To make the aioli: Place garlic in a food processor or a high powered blender and process until garlic is chopped. Add egg yolks, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Process for 30 seconds until the texture is smooth.

With the food processor or blender running, slowly add the olive oil and blend until thick and creamy. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and parsley. Refrigerate until needed.

For the shrimp: In a bowl, combine shrimp with oil, salt, and pepper and toss to coat. Lightly coat skewers with oil and thread shrimp on the skewers leaving space in between, about 5 shrimp a skewer.  Cover and place in the refrigerator until needed.

When ready, prepare your grill. When the grill is ready and hot, place shrimp on the grill and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 2 minutes or until the shrimp turn bright pink/orange.

Why waste a hot grill?! Skewer some veggies, brush a little oil, salt and pepper on them and go to town!

When the shrimp are ready, plate and serve with the aioli in individual bowls for dipping. Wickedly delicious! Cheers!

One of my favorite side dishes is polenta. Incredibly simple, inexpensive, versatile, and amazingly delicious, there are never any leftovers. The best thing about this cheesy side is that it can be served along with meat, chicken, shrimp, steamed or grilled vegetables and in just 15 minutes you have the perfect meal!

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This recipe was written for Disney’s Spoonful.com. See all of my recipes here.

Are you ready for the easiest way to make bland baked chicken taste absolutely, amazingly, over-the-top, fantastic? All you need is a few ingredients and an oven. Here’s how…

Prosciutto Wrapped Dijon Chicken serves 4

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup dijon mustard (1 tablespoon per breast)
• salt and pepper
• 4 basil leaves
• 4 thinly sliced prosciutto slices (about 1/4 pound)

Preheat oven to 425°F. Spread each chicken breast evenly with 1 tablespoon of mustard.

Place a basil leaf on top of each chicken breast and lightly season each breast with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Wrap each chicken breast with a slice of prosciutto and place on a baking sheet. I like to line mine with parchment paper to make clean up easy! Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the juices run clear.

Serve and enjoy! It’s takes a sad dry baked chicken breast to new heights with few added calories! Seriously, seriously good! I bake mine with asparagus because it takes the same amount of time as the chicken to cook. Cheers!

Meatloaf. I can still taste my grandmother’s recipe with the sweet brown sugar ketchup on top. It’s just one of those homey meals that says comfort food. Unfortunately, the words comfort food don’t really relay lean, do they?

Trying to keep things leaner, I’ve made meatloaves with ground turkey and to be honest they were so hard you could use it as a home defense weapon when it came out of the oven.

Side Story: When I was first married, my mother-in-law (for some reason) gave me a frozen roast. This wasn’t just any roast but a massive piece of meat that took up my entire freezer with the expiration date 1994. To put things in perspective we were married in 2005. So instead of cooking it I kept it and determined if anyone were to break in the house I would at least have the home defense roast to protect myself. It’s now long gone because it wouldn’t fit in a moving van.

Through the years I’ve learned a little trick to avoid eating a brick for dinner — Ricotta. Along with making this meatloaf moist, ricotta brings a nice mild flavor that pairs excellently with marinara and cheese, of course!

Cheesey and tangy from the marinara, this delicious Spinach and Ricotta Turkey Meatloaf is comfort food on the lighter side. Enjoy!

Spinach and Ricotta Turkey Meatloaf serves 6 

• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry*
• 1 cup ricotta cheese, part skim
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs, preferably wheat
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh black pepper
• heavy pinch fresh grated nutmeg
• 1 cup marinara
• 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese

Every Valentine’s Day I stay home and cook. Don’t feel sorry for me because I love it. It’s actually a gift. I get cook whatever I choose to and The Husband watches Mia while I belt out some Memphis Minnie or James McMurtry, drink wine, and cook up a storm. This year The Husband will most likely be out of town on the special day so while Mia was taking an extra long nap I took it as a sign from above that this was my Valentine’s Day present and cooked myself up a meal fitting for Cupid himself.

It was three in the afternoon. There was wine. There was scallops. There was silence… and there was one happy mama in sock monkey slippers.

Seared Sea Scallops with Golden Raisin Puree and Bacon Braised Brussels Sprouts is a decedent savory sweet combination with layers of elegant  flavors. The sweet and slightly tart golden California Raisins are a perfect contrast to the salty bacon and scallops and make each bite …seriously good.

Seared Sea Scallops with Golden Raisin Puree
and Bacon Braised Brussels Sprouts serves 2

Bacon Braised Brussels Sprouts

• 4 slices of bacon, chopped
• 1 pound brussles sprouts, halved
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chicken broth

Golden Raisin Puree

• 1 cup golden raisins
• water

 Crispy Vermicelli Garnish, optional

Seared Sea Scallops

• 6 sea scallops (3 per person)
• sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, paprika
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed or canola oil
• 1 Tablespoon butter

*It’s very important to have everything that will be plated, cooked, and prepared before cooking the scallops. The brussels sprouts and raisin puree can be made up to a day in advance and reheated before serving. If preparing the brussels sprouts in advance, reserve the bacon and add to the sprouts after reheating to maintain it’s crispness.

In a large saute pan over medium-heat, add bacon. Cook stirring occasionally until the fat is rendered out and the bacon is golden and crispy (about 5 minutes). Remove the bacon to a plate and set aside.

To the same saute pan add brussels sprouts, salt, and pepper. Stir to evenly coat and saute for 5 minutes until the sprouts are lightly browned. Add chicken broth, stir, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until the sprouts are tender, can easily be pierced with a fork, and the broth has evaporated. Add additional chicken broth if the pan becomes dry before the sprouts finish cooking.

Toss the cooked brussels sprouts with 3/4 of the cooked bacon, cover to keep warm, and set aside until ready to serve. The reserved bacon will be used as garnish.

While the sprouts are braising away… Place the raisins in a small sauce pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes until the raisins are plump.

Drain the raisins, reserving 1 tablespoon of the cooking liquid. Place the raisins and the cooking liquid in a food processor or high powered blender and puree for 1 minute until completely smooth. Remove the puree from the food processor and set aside.

Rice Vermicelli (sometimes labeled rice sticks) is an Asian rice noodle that can be found in the international aisle of major grocery stores or at specialty markets. Cook according to the package directions or place a handful of rice noodles in a bowl of hot water for 5 to 10 minutes until soft or al dente. Drain and pat completely dry with paper towels. It’s important that the noodles are very dry or else the retained water will cause the hot oil to spatter.

Heat oil in a large saute pan, dutch oven, or wok over medium-high heat. Once hot, add a small handful (2 large tablespoons) of vermicelli noodles for each garnish. I like to do more than 2 just in case one burns or to snack on while finishing. Once the noodles start to turn golden, carefully flip with a fork or tongs. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes until completely golden. Remove the crispy vermicelli noodle stacks to a plate covered with a paper towel to drain. Lightly sprinkle with salt and set aside.

Now that everything is prepped… If present, remove the small side muscle from the scallops (you can also ask your fishmonger to do this) and thoroughly pat dry. And I mean DRY! You’ll get a better sear this way. Sprinkle a good pinch of salt, pepper, and paprika on each scallop, top and bottom.

Heat oil (not olive oil it will burn) in a cast iron or stainless steel pan on high. Once the oil is hot and begins to lightly smoke, place the scallops in the pan. Cook for 2 minutes, flip the scallops, then cook for an additional 1.30 to 2 minutes until golden. Immediately, remove the scallops to a plate, turn off the heat, and deglaze the pan with butter.

Time to plate!

How you plate is up to you. You can get as creative as you wish. First, spoon a tablespoon or two of the golden raisin puree onto the plates.

Next, place the scallops (3 to a person) on the plate and drizzle with a spoonful of the melted butter.

To the plate, add the braised brussels sprouts, the reserved bacon, and garnish with crispy vermicelli.

A drop-dead fantastic meal, if I do say so myself. All-in-all this took me 45 to 1 hour to make  (I clean while I cook) and it was worth every second. Happy Valentine’s Day! Cheers!

There are days when you just need a cheesy, creamy, crunchy, fall on the floor fast comfort meal or a quick snack for game day. This is one of those days and this is one of those meals. It’s simply pure awesomeness on a piece of toast.

Chicken Artichoke and Spinach French Bread Pizza makes 4 servings

• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 Tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• pinch of fresh grated nutmeg
• pinch of fresh ground black pepper
• 1 loaf French bread
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• cooked chicken (grilled, broiled, baked, roasted…)
• fresh baby spinach, shredded
• artichoke hearts cut in half (canned or frozen/thawed)

Once the bread is toasted, spread the white cheese sauce on each slice of bread.

On top of the sauce, add cheese, chicken, spinach, and top with a pinch of cheese. Place the baking sheet in the oven and set the oven to broil. Broil until the cheese has melted and turned golden, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Serve and be happy.

Eat whole, or slice and serve with your favorite marinara for dipping.