Orange Shrimp Meal

I've never really liked Chinese food. If my family went to a buffet I would always eat the American food and, of course, the fortune cookie. Recently, I decided to become brave and try some orange chicken. I was hooked from there! You can bet your hard earned dollar that I've been making up for lost time! I also don't typically like shrimp unless it's fried. The fact that I made, and enjoyed this dish surprised me! found the shrimp recipe on THIS BLOG, and I put baked zucchini and green beans with brown rice along side the shrimp.

Shrimp

1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/8 cup ketchup

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup honey

1 tablespoon vinegar

3 cloves garlic, minced

Heat up a skillet between medium and medium-high heat. Season the shrimp with the pepper. Cover the bottom of the pan with cooking oil. Saute the shrimp until they're nice and pretty and sun kissed tan. While those babies are cooking make the sauce. Taste it, adjust to your liking. Once the shrimp is cooked all the way through pour the sauce in the pan, cover and let simmer on low until the sauce thickens. That's it! So easy.

Vegetables

1 zucchini per person

1 bag fresh green beans, cleaned with ends snapped off

1 teaspoon garlic

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the tanning bed to 375 degrees. Wash the zucchini and cut the ends off, and then into strips. Single layet the zucchini and green beans on a pan, and sprinkle on the seasonings (adjust to taste.) Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until crisp. So yummy even for those who hate veggies!

Rice

No recipe for this one. Just use a box of rice, and cook with the instructions on the box!

So, when you're ready for this 15 minute; yet, gourmet meal just pop the veggies in the oven, and cook the shrimp and rice while their baking!

Bon Appetit!

Healthy Ranch dressing!

That's right! A healthy ranch dressing. No more loaded calorie salads with unhealthy dressings. Also, it is so easy. Literally takes two minutes! Calories for the WHOLE shebang? Roughly 200! Which is probably what you're putting on your one salad already.

Ingredients:
1 Greek non fat yogurt
1 packet of Ranch for dressing (not dip!)
Milk (I use skim)

Mix the yogurt and Ranch packet together. Then add literally just a splash of the milk. Enough to thin it to the consistency you like. I like a thicker, creamy kind of dressing, so I added just a tiny bit. Refrigerate it, and you're done!

Now start dippin', and saladin', and toppin' without worrying about the calories! :)

Strawberry Banana Protein Muffin!

So while on the oh so addicting site of Pinterest I came across banana muffins (click here,) but they weren't your ordinary muffins. They were made with oats, and greek yogurt! I decided to make them, and they were a hit! After making them a couple of times I decided to get a little creative. I had a request for protein muffins. I thought to myself well, I only have strawberry protein powder on hand... DUH how about strawberry banana protein muffins!!!? The best part? There's no added sugar in my recipe! So, without further adieu I give you the healthiest, nutrient packed muffin recipe.

Makes 6 muffins (can easily be doubled)

1 1/4 c. old fashion oats--not the quick, or instant kind
1 c. greek strawberry yogurt
1 egg
1 banana
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 scoop strawberry protein powder

Preheat your hot, flaming, burning box to 400 degree F.
You're gonna blend all of the ingredients, at the same time, in a blender. If you have an old blender like I do, make sure you put the wet ingredients on bottom so that it doesn't get all clogged with the oats! Pour the mix into the muffin tin halfway.
Cook for about 15-20 min. They might not get golden brown, so don't be discouraged. Do the good 'ol toothpick test about 15 min. into baking!

That's all it takes, folks!! Easy, healthy, packed with protein snack!

Peanut Butter & Jelly Cupcakes!

Remember those times in elementary school when you would trade your lunch for a PB&J? Well this is gonna take you back to those days!

This past week, I went on vacation to Blue Ridge, GA. We went to the cupcake shop that won Cupcake Wars one episode. What did they win with? PB&J cupcakes! So I decided to try it on my own. It ended up being a super easy, but divine recipe!

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Cupcake Batter:

1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract (could probably use almond extract)
1/3 c. milk
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. jelly (flavor is your choice!)

Jelly Frosting:

2/3 c. jelly
2/3 c. confectioner's sugar
Pinch of salt

We're gonna cook these puppies at 350 degrees F, so go ahead and turn your oven on to preheat.
First, cream room temperature butter and peanut butter until all lumps are gone. Next, add the sugar, vanilla and eggs and beat until creamy. Add the baking powder, and mix through. Add your flour 1/2 c. at a time. After you've added 1 c. add all of your milk then the last bit of flour.
Now for the assembly! Pour batter about 1/4-1/2 in the muffin tins. This should use about half of your batter.

Then you're going to put some jelly smack dab on top of your batter. I had a squirt bottle of jelly with a rectangle opening, so it worked out good!

Pour the rest of your batter evenly on top of the jelly. You want to cover up the jelly as much as possible; otherwise, it'll cook fast in the oven and become like a sticky candy. But not a good kind!

Cook at 350 degrees F for about 15-25 minutes, or until golden brown on top! 

While the cupcakes are cooking, take your confectioner's sugar, salt and jelly and whisk together until it's all mixed together and you get a nice bright color. Once the cupcakes are done, and cooled, top of with some of the jelly frosting and peanuts (I used almonds... It was all I had, ok!?)

And voila, people will wonder when you became such a master chef!