{recipe of the week} shrimp and pesto pasta

I have been in the mood for pasta tossed in pesto lately.  I'm not entirely sure why but I've been craving it (and no I'm not pregnant again).  So for "meatless mondays" I decided to get creative with a few ingredients I had on hand.  This recipe is easy, fast, and delicious.  Even Anna loved it!

Shrimp and Pesto Pasta

{the goods}
whole wheat pasta (I would use this but I can't get my husband to eat it!)
assorted peppers (I used red, yellow, and orange)
pesto sauce (in the jar/premade or homemade. I used the jar kind because sometimes you just don't have enough time)

{skinnytaste homemade pesto}
1 cup basil
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup grated parmesan
salt & pepper to taste
2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
 In a food processor pulse basil, garlic, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil while pulsing. Store in a sealed container and refrigerate until ready to use or you can freeze this in ziplocks bags to use at a later date. Makes 5 tablespoons.

 

^ first boil your pasta ^ 

^ the key to great pasta is a the salt - add the salt just as the water comes to boil ^

 ^ grill your shrimp on a grill pan over medium heat ^

  ^ drizzle a bit of olive oil over your shrimp ^

^ cut up your veggies - I only used peppers but feel free to get creative here ^

 ^ toss in the veggies ^

^ I added a little bit of lemon juice and chia seeds ^

 ^ grill until the shrimp is curled and pink - if the veggies aren't done yet set the heat on simmer ^

 ^ when everything is cooked toss everything together in a large bowl with the pesto ^

*I also added alittle parmesean to the top right before serving.

{all photos by sixteen sunbuckles}

recipe of the week {salmon with roasted vegetables}

This is delicious, fast, and easy.  A no-brainer dinner after an exhausting Monday.

Salmon with Roasted Vegetables

{the goods}
2-4 salmon fillets (wild is always better than farmed)
Peppers *I used orange, green, and red
1/2 a red onion
*I also threw in one sweet potato (I cooked it for 5 minutes in the microwave first so it was already soft)
olive oil
salt and pepper

{cooking}
Preheat the oven to 425 deg.  Slice peppers, onion (and sweet potato).  Spread vegetables out on a rimmed baking sheet.  Pour 2 Tbl of olive oil over top.  Make room for the fillets.  Sprinkle salt and pepper over everything.  Bake 8-10 minutes or until salmon is flaky.

: Real Simple Magazine February 2013 :

recipe of the week {halibut with spicy lemon-thyme vinaigrette}

One of my New Year's Resolutions was to implement meatless mondays.  Of course an entire meatless monday would never fly with my husband (and let's face it, i'm  not that creative) so I usually do some sort of seafood on Mondays.  This has been a challenge still because frankly cooking fish scares me.  I'm always afraid it'll not be done enough or too done.  And there is a fine line with fish.  It doesn't take long for it to cook and if its overly done its too dry.

Thank you to my real simple magazine kindle fire subscription I have new recipes every month to try.

halibut with spicy lemon-thyme vinaigrette
hands on time: 25 minutes
total time: 25 minutes
serves: 4 

{the goods}
1 1/2 pounds red new potatoes (about 15), halved or quartered if large *I used sweet potatoes
2 Tbl fresh lemon juice
1 Tbl fresh thyme leaves (i used dried)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
4 Tbl olive oil *I always eyeball this
salt & pepper to taste
4 6oz pieces skinless halibut, striped bass or cod fillets *I only used 2 since I don't like reheated fish
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 bunch kale, thick stems discarded and leaves torn into bite-size pieces (about 12 cups)

{cooking}
one . steam the potatoes in a large pot until very tender, 15-18 minutes
two . meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, thyme, crushed red pepper, 2 Tbl oil, and 1/4 tsp salt.
three . heat 1 Tbl of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Season the halibut with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.  cook until opaque throughout, 3-5 minutes per side. *watch the fish carefully that it doesn't stick!
four . heat the remaining oil in a separate large skillet over medium-ghih heat.  add the shallot and cook, tossing occassionally, until tender, 2-4 minutes.  to the skillt, add as much kale as will fit and 1/4 cup water and cook, tossing frequently and adding more kale when there is room, until tender, 6-8 minutes.  season with 1/4 tsp each salt and black pepper.
five . serve the halibut with the potatoes and kale.  drizzle with the lemon-thyme vinaigrette.

try this light, flavorful dressing on scallops, shrimp or steamed vegetables too.

{kid taste corner}
Anna loved the fish!


:: recipe from Real Simple Magazine, January 2013 Weeknight Meals