Posts Tagged ‘Make It’
You may be thinking — is there a way to actually mess up roasted carrots?
The answer is really quite simple — yes.
Too many times I have put on my Betty Crocker hat to roast up some veggies, only to serve up squishy, over-cooked morsels tasting of old feet.
No. Longer.
I have finally perfected the roasted carrot, so much so that it’s become a regular request of the Mister.
You’ll need:
- 1 bunch of carrots
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Rosemary
- Salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with non-stick foil. Arrange cut up carrots on cookie sheet and drizzle and toss with olive oil.
Side note: I like to leave a little but of the “stalk” remaining on the carrot. It adds a bit of color and looks gourmet. At least that’s what I tell myself — work with me, people 
Sprinkle with salt and rosemary — don’t be shy with the seasoning! Cook for 20 minutes, tossing 1/2 way through.
If you are like me and have been avoiding roasted veggies in fear of creating foot-like results, fear no longer!
Enjoy
This past week was rough. Bean has been rolling over in his sleep and too tired to roll back over himself, cries out for Mommy’s help. Did I mention that this ordeal occurs every few hours? Well it does. It’s OK though — he’s super cute.
I on the other hand? Not so much. Not only are the circles under my eyes darkening, but I went a little too far with the whole “messy bun” look this week as a result of not having washed my hair for 5 days. And I may or may not have worn the same at home loungewear (i.e. leggings and a nursing tank) for those same 5 days. That Mister is a lucky man, people, a lucky man.
Needless to say, I was a sight for sore eyes. Luckily, the Mister still pretends to find me alluring - God bless him. But I knew needed to recapture my mojo and show him that despite appearances, I really do have it all under control. Because who doesn’t want to be superwoman?
So I went to work — washed my face and hair, applied lip gloss and slipped into NEW leggings with a T-shirt that, in my opinion, made my butt look pretty awesome.
I also made a kick-ass dinner. Because we all know people look more beautiful when accompanied by delicious food.
You didn’t know that?
Shame on you.
If you, too, need to reduce those under-eye circles and bring out the sparkle in your eye, serve this dinner. It takes less than 15 minutes and tastes so good even the worst cases will find redemption. And while you’re at it — wash that hair
You’ll need:
- 1/3 cup apricot preserves
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce (found with soy sauce and other Chinese cuisine)
- 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into 1″ pieces
- salt and ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- cooked rice (optional, if you’d like to “bulk up” the meal)
First, stir together the apricots, preserves, hoisin sauce, and soy sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
Next. season the pork with salt and pepper and heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the apricot mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the pork is cooked through and the sauce is thick. Serve over rice, if using.
I decided to forgo the rice. Don’t worry, though, I recovered the lost carbs by chowing through an entire bag of popcorn — alone. What!? I’m allowed – I am superwoman, after all
I told you I was taking this whole “meal planning” thing seriously! After our roasted chicken dishes last week, I figured I’d switch things up a bit and tackle seafood this time around!
Our grocery store was having a sale on shrimp, so I purchased a 2 lb. bag and went to work creating two different recipes.
Today, I’m going to share one of them: Roasted Chickpeas with Garlic Lemon Shrimp
You’ll need (makes two entree-sized servings):
- 1 pound of shrimp, peeled and di-veined (can be cooked or raw) — if you want to make my other recipe this week, purchase a 2 lb. bag and save the other half!
- 1 can of chickpeas
- 1 lemon
- 1 1/2 cloves of garlic, minced (will need zest and juice!)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Drain the chickpeas and pour into a roasting dish. Toss with one tablespoon of the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Spread into a single layer and bake for 20 minutes.
While the chickpeas are cooking, combine shrimp, the zest of 1/2 lemon, the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil, parsely, minced garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Set aside.
Once the chickpeas are finished, pour shrimp mixture on top and return to the oven for 5-8 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.
Fill up a bowl and dig in!
Refreshing. Simple. Completely delicious.
Tomorrow, I’ll share what you can do with your remaining shrimp. If you want to join in the fun, make sure you have a head of broccoli and red onion handy!