Sookie Stackhouse's Salmon Croquettes

As most of you know from my Fb page i love true blood and tomorrow night is the premiere of season 4 on HBO! there will be a lot of premiere parties tomorrow night for sure. i thought this would be fun to make the night before Sookie buys salmon at the store for this there are so many recipes i can make from the books which is awesome! Tomorrow look out for another true blood recipe! i was really worried this wasn't going to come out how i wanted it to but it was prefect! i had a problem when getting the skin off of my salmon fillet i ended up tearing it off with a paring knife. be careful if you do that bc i could of easily cut myself which i was surprised i haven't done that yet since I'm really clumsy. 

oh you don't have a make the sauce that is in the recipe if you don't want. i just put sriracha on top of them it was amazing!

• 1/4 cup light or reduced fat mayonnaise , divided
• 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, divided
• 2 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, divided
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
• 2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 2 (6-ounce) packages skinless, boneless pink salmon
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup panko 
• 1 tablespoon canola oil or canola oil spray.
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped capers
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 1. Combine 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon juice, 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard, and next 7 ingredients (through egg), stirring well. Add panko; toss. Shape mixture into 8 (3-inch) patties.
• 2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add patties; cook 5 minutes on each side or until browned.
• 3. Combine remaining mayonnaise, juice, and mustard with parsley, capers, garlic, and salt, stirring well.

Bang Bang Shrimp

I'm sure pretty much everyone has heard of bonefish grill. i havent eaten there in a while but i've had this there i loved it! i've been having this insane craving for hot sauce i have about 5 different bottles of hot sauce in our fridge i love it! 

• 5 tbsp mayonnaise (i use reduced fat olive oil mayo)
• 3 tbsp Sweet Chili Sauce
• 1 tsp Sriracha (to taste)

Shrimp:

• 1 lb large shrimp, shelled and deveined 
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp canola oil
• 3 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
• 4 tbsp scallions, chopped

In a medium bowl, 

combine

 mayonnaise, Thai sweet chili sauce and Sriracha. 

Set aside

.

Coat shrimp with cornstarch, mixing well with spoon.

Heat

 a large skillet on high heat, when hot 

add

 oil. When oil is hot 

add

 the shrimp to hot pan and 

cook

 tossing a few times until cooked through, about 3 minutes. 

Remove

 from pan and 

combine

 with the sauce coating well.

Place

 shrimp on lettuce and

 top

 with scallions.

Skywalker Smoothie

as promised the Skywalker smoothie! i tried it out the other night and loved it! i got the recipe from the star wars cookbook. of course this is just a regular smoothie nothing special also easy to remember. i also cut my bananas up and froze them this time so they wouldn't get all mushy and gross which i hate! check out my other Star Wars recipes here!

• 1 cup organic fresh or frozen strawberries
• 1 banana
• 1/2 cup pineapple or orange juice (I used pineapple juice)
• 4 ice cubes

If you are using fresh strawberries, cut off their stems with a knife. Put the fresh or frozen berries in a blender.

Peel the banana. Break it into pieces and add them to the blender. Then add the fruit juice and ice cubes.

Put the lid on the blender. Make sure it fits tightly. Turn on the blender first at low speed, then increase to high speed. Blend until smooth and frothy, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the blender and wait until it stops. With a wooden spoon, check to see that the fruit is thoroughly blended. If not, repeat this step.

Pour into 2 glasses and serve immediately.

me with the cookbook and smoothie.

Sweet Potato Foil Packet Tacos

i found this yummy dinner at perry's plate and decided to try it. my husband hates sweet potatoes so while hes gone during deployment is the prefect time to try this. this makes about 5 or 6 if you use less filling in the packets i made 3 bc its just me and i can have some leftovers. these are also great for kids too if you want to sneak some sweet potatoes and spinach into their dinner. 

1/2 lb ground beef or turkey
2-3 T taco seasoning ( i make my own)
1/2 cup tomato sauce (4 ounces)
1 can black, kidney, or pinto beans, drained
2-3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 6 cups total)
2 T butter
salt
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream, salsa, and/or guacamole for garnish6 12-inch long pieces of aluminum foil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Brown ground meat in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in taco seasoning, tomato sauce, and beans. Set aside.
To assemble packets, spray the foil with non-stick spray. Place 1 cup sweet potato cubes in the center of each piece. Top with a small piece of butter (about 1 tsp) and a pinch or two of salt. Sprinkle some chopped spinach over the sweet potatoes, followed by about 1/3 cup of taco meat and sprinkle of cheese. Fold the sides in, then bring the top and bottom ends of the foil together in the center and fold, sealing the packet.

Repeat with remaining ingredients, placing the packets on a rimmed cookie sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender.

Serve with sour cream, salsa, and/or guacamole.

Blueberry,Mango,Pineapple and Spinach Smoothie

yes i know that title is a mouthful. i really need to use my spinach and my frozen fruit before next week so i decided to make this one. of course i dont have any bananas. at the begginning making the smoothie i didnt think it was going to come out but if you add water it mixes up so well! again you cannot taste the spinach at all i'm still shocked! my next weird thing to try will be wheatgrass drinks i found some powder i want to try called amazing green super food  they even have a chocolate one! 

1/4 cup Organic frozen blueberries
1/4 cup frozen pineapple cubes
1 cup frozen mango cubes
1 cup organic fresh spinach
1 cup water


all of the frozen fruit and water. I blended that until all of the fruit was smooth. Then I added the spinach. Blend everything up until the spinach was liquefied. 

yes i have vintage star wars cups 

i love that you can see the green bits

Banana & Peanut Butter Smoothie

i had to make this one today my bananas were getting black! yuck! i was looking at thrive freeze dried food last night. i might try the banana slices. seriously they make everything freeze dried and you can use them in recipes too! amazing! i might buy a bunch of differnt furit and cooking ingreadents i use a lot. alright to the smoothie this is a great combo bananas and PB! i just had this right after i worked out and its refreshing!

3 bananas
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1/2 cup milk (any kind you like) i used almond milk unsweetened 
1 1/2 cups ice cubes
1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter 
1 tsp. ground flax seed and/or wheat germ (optional)

In a blender, combine all ingredients.  Blend until smooth, and serve immediately.

Breakfast in a Cup

I've been wanting to try this recipe for a while now i found one just like it in a cookbook last year but it was baked ham cups with a egg in the middle. this one has bacon,toast,egg and cheese! i bought these ramekins from target last year for a dollar! i love them. 

Adapted from food for hungry soul

• 4 slices whole wheat bread, crusts removed
• 4 eggs
• 4 slices bacon, cooked or uncooked ( i used turkey bacon)
• shredded Cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter four ramekins and set aside.

While oven is warming, fry bacon slices in a pan until partially cooked, but not crispy (if using precooked bacon skip this step). Remove from pan and drain on paper towel.

Meanwhile, butter the insides of 4 ramekins and cut crusts from 4 slices of bread. Gently press the bread slices into the ramekins.

Place the bacon slice inside the bread, creating a well for the egg. Sprinkle a small amount of shredded cheese in the center of each bread cup.

Crack an egg into the center of each bread cup. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Cook for 10-15, to your desired level of doneness. Pop toast cups out of ramekins to serve.

Pesto Penne Primavera

this is an amazing dinner! i was totally shocked how fresh pesto can make something taste so good. i finally got to make my own now that i have a food processor/blender. this dish can be made with any veggies you like. i added zucchini and red pepper. i would of loved to add aspragus,roasted red peppers and greek olives with feta maybe! 
i linked this recipe up with eat at home she has a post about fresh herbs which i love and i'm going to start growing my own again.

Basil-

1 cup fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice

4 cups mini penne pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup sliced zucchini

1/2 cup red pepper

Directions:

1. Combine the basil, garlic, 1/4 cup pine nuts, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup olive oil, and lemon juice in a food processor and blend until well combined and has the texture of fresh pesto; set aside.

1. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta in boiling water until cooked yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes; drain. Transfer the pasta to a large bowl. Pour 1 tablespoon olive oil over the pasta and toss to coat; set aside.

1. Heat 1 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Roast the pine nuts in the skillet until lightly browned; remove to a plate and set aside. Add the zucchini and red pepper to the skillet; cook and stir until hot, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir the pine nuts into the vegetable mixture. Add the pasta and about 1/4 cup of the pesto, or more to your liking, to the skillet and toss to combine. 

Pineapple,Orange & Banana Smoothie

this is probably one of my favourite comboantaions! i must warn you this is thick i was pouring it through the pour spout and the whole top fell off and half of the pitcher ended up on the counter! luckily bc its so thick i just scooped it up with my hands lol. dont worry my counters are always clean! 

2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
2 bananas, peeled
1 orange, peeled
1 cup ice
1 Tbsp. ground flax seed and/or wheat germ (optional)

In a blender, combine all ingredients.  Blend until smooth, then serve immediately.  (If your blender has trouble getting going, you may need to add in a few tablespoons of water or juice to get it started.)

Panko-Crusted Salmon

i just realized ive done fish and smoothies the past few posts! you do not want to pass this one up so amazing it sounds simple its not just panko and thats it. you spoon djion mustard and honey on the salmon to make the panko stick nom nom! 

• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 pieces thickly cut, boneless salmon (each 6 oz)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp djion mustard (i added a little honey)
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley
• 
  

1 Preheat the oven to 400°F. Set the salmon on a foil-lined baking sheet skin side down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2 In a small bowl, combine the honey mustard and 1 teaspoon of the thyme. In another small bowl, mix the panko with the remaining 1 teaspoon of thyme, 4 teaspoons of olive oil, and parsley Add salt and pepper.

3 Using a small spoon, spread the mustard mixture on the salmon; top with the bread crumb mixture.

4 Roast the salmon for 10-14 minutes or until it is almost completely firm to the touch and flakes when poked with a fork. Serve at once.

Green Smoothie

I had to rewrite this post since I said i hated spinach last year my taste buds have changed so much in the pass year I have to say now I love spinach I used to have to have it mixed in now I can eat it raw! But if you hated it like I used to this is a great way to get your greens in your day I dare say kids could love this! 

1 cup of milk (i used almond milk)

2 cups fresh baby spinach, rinsed

1 Granny Smith green apple, cored

1 banana, peeled

1 orange, peeled

1 tsp. grated fresh ginger (or 1/2 tsp. ground ginger)

1 cup of ice (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth and well-combined.

i'm still trying to get a hang of take photos of the smoothies i havent gotten it right yet.