seasonal : spring

Greek Salad with Avocado

This healthy Greek salad with added avocado and an easy-to-make Greek salad dressing is just the right recipe for simple no-cooking eats all summer long.

Sometimes the classics are just what the doctor ordered. Especially when it’s Dr. SummerHasArrived who’s making the house calls.

Now that we’re moving into the dog days of summer after the 4th of July binge, it’s time for us all to clean up our act and binge on clean eating instead of all of the crapola.

Standard-staple recipes in and out of the kitchen are what I’m craving now. You know, the simple stuff. Recipes that let summer’s best ingredients shine.

This Greek salad with avocado is exactly what the doctor ordered. It’s fresh, crunchy, tangy and above all, delicious. It has the basic flavors of a traditional Greek salad but with that extra somethin’ somethin’ to make your Mediterranean heart happy and healthy.

continue to the recipe… about Greek Salad with Avocado

The Best Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes

Crispy oven roasted potatoes are an easy, healthy side dish for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. No matter what time of year, they fit every meal.

The Best Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes

Forget feeling all the feels, lately I’ve been feeling all the sides. Maybe it’s because when I make up my weekly not-a-plan-flexible-meal-plan (subscribe to my newsletter and I’ll send it to you each Saturday for FREE) I realize there are so many easy side dishes I make that I haven’t yet shared here on the blog.

Or maybe it’s because if I had my druthers, my plate would be composed of a taste of this and a bite of that. Variety is my friend.

These crispy oven roasted potatoes will also add variety to your plate, with a variety of herbs, and served at a variety of times, these taters are at the top of my easy side dish list. And now, they are about to shoot to the top of yours. continue to the recipe… about The Best Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes

How to Make Easy Basil Pesto

Homemade pesto is one of the quickest ways to brighten any dish from caprese chicken to pizza and even to macaroni and cheese. This is my tried and true method to make the perfect basil pesto recipe every single time.

I’ve made homemade pesto many times and totally loved it. And just as many times I’ve totally screwed it up. Why? There are likely several reasons, but it’s mainly because I veered away from my perfected proportions and added too much garlic or not enough olive oil or didn’t season my basil pesto sauce nearly enough.continue to the recipe… about How to Make Easy Basil Pesto

Shrimp Scampi Pasta

Fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil bring summertime flavors to a classic dinner of Shrimp Scampi Pasta.

Fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil. Three ingredients that magically transform into very special recipes when a few simple additions are made. Add toasted bread and you have Bruschetta. Add mozzarella and you’ve just made a classic caprese. This recipe for shrimp scampi pasta takes those simple, classic flavors and with a twirl of a fork wrapped around slinky angel hair pasta puts the fresh taste of summer smack dab on your dinner table.

When the summer temps hit 95 degrees and up, as they do from July through August since I live in the desert mountains of the West, you won’t usually find me in the kitchen cooking over a hot pot on the stove. I’m much more of a grill girl when it comes down to dinnertime in the summertime.

Correction: I’m much more of a watching my guy grill when it comes to dinnertime. That’s why if we’re having shrimp, it’s usually been seasoned and skewered and lit up on the charcoals. But a summer of grilling isn’t always what I’m craving when I’m chilling.

The essence of summer was what I was craving when I saw shrimp at the grocery store and had a bunch of ripe tomatoes on my counter. Toss in some fresh chopped garlic, a handful of basil from the garden and I was on my way to a summer dinner wonderland.

I made this with low-carb pasta, which requires less time to cook than traditional pasta, making it an even quicker cook than usual. Getting me out of the kitchen and back to summertime chilling.continue to the recipe… about Shrimp Scampi Pasta

Easy Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce

This easy and flavorful healthy chicken gyro recipe starts with a simple 5-ingredient yogurt lemon marinated chicken that can be pan-fried, baked, or grilled, and is topped with a simple cucumber and dill tzatziki sauce. It’s as easy as that.

Creating This Chicken Gyro Recipe

I’d have to say I’m just like 97.99% of the rest of the home cooks out there. We’re busy. Our days are full. And that makes our nights even fuller. It’s the reason why one of my most often heard of requests is for more meals that are easy to make, don’t take a whole lot of time or a laundry list of ingredients, but still have that from-scratch, seasonal-eats quality.

Well here is one recipe 97.99% of you and more are going to love. It’s simple. It’s fast. It’s practical with just a few simple ingredients. And it’s totally flavorful thanks to its Mediterranean roots. continue to the recipe… about Easy Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce

The Best Grilled Chicken Breast Recipe

The secret to juicy grilled chicken isn’t always in the seasonings or complicated marinades. It’s all about HOW you grill the chicken. Here’s how to grill chicken breasts perfectly every single time.

Sometimes I get all wrapped up in outdoing / improving / out-creating some of my most favorite / simple / craveable recipes.

It’s easy to get caught up in the complicated when I see all sorts of crazy inspiration and crazy mash-ups on the big, ol’ www. Totally inventive concoctions that take humble and mundane basic recipes I’ve always known and loved, then stuffed them into a firecracker with whatever’s trending at the moment, lit the wick, and ka-boom-er-ama!

That’s not this recipe.

This grilled chicken recipe is right back to the basics. The very basic. The elemental and absolutely essential. The simplest, juiciest chicken breast recipe you might ever make / grill /eat that will be the base to every chicken recipe you throw on the griiiiiilllll. And it just might possibly lead you to lick that wick and send you over the moon.continue to the recipe… about The Best Grilled Chicken Breast Recipe

German Potato Salad

Hot red potatoes dressed in a warm bacon, mustard and vinegar dressing are what make this traditional German potato salad a family favorite.

I can taste the pucker now. It’s the telltale sign of the ultimate German potato salad. That vinegar punch mixed with spunky, grainy mustard in a bacon-studded dressing. The unexpected zing that makes me wonder who could possibly pass up a mayo-less ‘tater salad?

Not this German girl.

Although when I just asked Smudge her opinion on which photo to use as the main for this post, she said, “That’s potato salad? I didn’t know it was potato salad when we have it. I always thought it was just hot cooked potatoes.”

I suppose hot potato salad served in a frying pan threw her for a BBQ-side-dish-loop. Surprise is good for her. And for all of us when it comes to giving traditional dishes a try. Leave it to the Germans who originated Christmas, Legos, Nutella and the VW bug to hand down yet another classic.continue to the recipe… about German Potato Salad

20 Potluck Side Dishes for the Classic Summer BBQ

This list of my top 20 classic potluck side dishes are he favorites everyone at your summer cookout will love and are easy to make and to take.

It’s summer, when you’re very likely to be invited to a backyard bbq, or hopefully even host one yourself. Summer’s main dish offerings for a crowd can be pretty standard fare with baby back pork ribs, burgers, and hot dogs likely taking center stage. Where things can go wily in summer cooking’s Wild West is in the side dish area of the party game. There’s so many options, how do you choose what to bring to a potluck?

This list of make-ahead, classic potluck side dish recipes is made up of all the old-time favorites I’ve shared here on the blog that still top my list of those I most often crave. While it’s fun to show off your amusingly inventive recipe creations, sometimes it’s best to just go with the classics, the tried-and-true, the favorites you know everyone at the party will love.

I’m sure I’ll be adding more to this list as the summer goes on, but for now, you know I’ll be sharing these sides on my summer picnic table, and hope you will too.continue to the recipe… about 20 Potluck Side Dishes for the Classic Summer BBQ

How to Make the Best Creamy Coleslaw

My favorite creamy coleslaw stays crunchy, not soupy, and gets a bit of bite in this slightly sweetened, vinegar-spiked coleslaw dressing.

Potato Salad. Baked Beans. My favorite Burrata and Heirloom Tomato Caprese Salad. Those recipes have always made up my barbecue buffet table daydreams. But coleslaw? It was always on the bottom rung of my side dish desires. Show me the shredded cabbage bowl and watch me skip right on by.

But my husband? He’s a coleslaw connoisseur. It’s usually the first thing he goes for. But that doesn’t mean the bites he gets are always good, and that puts our home’s king of slaw down in the dumps.

But this creamy coleslaw recipe always gets not just one, but two big, Big, BIG thumbs up from my man. And now me, too.

It isn’t goopy. Nor is it soupy. And it’s far from overpowered by the bite of raw onion. This here coleslaw, folks, this is the best I’ve ever eaten. And the man agrees.continue to the recipe… about How to Make the Best Creamy Coleslaw

Grilled Vegetables with Chimichurri Sauce

Grilled vegetables get a serious flavor boost with a few spoonfuls of this spunky Argentinian chimichurri as a bright and zesty finishing sauce in this easy vegetarian side dish.

When it comes to grilling vegetables, most figure it takes a soak in a marinade before grilling to infuse flavor into those healthy, veggie plain-janes.

That’s hardly the case.

Times have changed and so have our ideas about how to eat our veg. Adding this easy and tangy homemade chimichurri sauce to the savory flavors of grilled vegetables perks up and adds to the delicious gusto that comes along with cooking them over the fire.

This summer, grill first, marinade after. Rejoice and eat more plants! It’s what all the cool kids are doing.continue to the recipe… about Grilled Vegetables with Chimichurri Sauce

How to Make the Best Chimichurri Sauce

This Argentinian chimichurri sauce is a fresh parsley and cilantro salsa that gives grilled steak, chicken, fish and vegetables a garlicky kick.

Firing up the grill is a summer habit I’ll never get enough of. The smokey flavor and char of any protein or veg is something I crave all year long. But I also crave the tangy ying to grilling’s savory yang, which is why I totally dig a zesty, herb-infused chimichurri sauce.

Adding flavor to foods that hit the hot grill grates is usually accomplished with marinades like this versatile Greek marinade or adding a simple spiced dry rub. But when I want to keep things super simple, my secret to the best flavor bomb is adding loads of that favorite vinegar/garlic/herb flavor AFTER simply grilling my steak, chicken, pork, fish or vegetables.

And that’s when I am very generous with spoonfuls of classic chimichurri sauce.continue to the recipe… about How to Make the Best Chimichurri Sauce

The Best Easy Grilled Vegetables

After years of practice on the grill, these are my tips for the best easy grilled vegetables, enhancing the natural sweetness of summer’s favorite vegetables with each smoky bite.

Adding more plants to meals is always at the top of my menu planning, and summer’s bounty makes it even easier to do. With a hot grill already fired up for grilled chicken, fish, or kebabs, I love slicing up whatever fresh vegetables I have in the fridge and tossing them on the grill for a simple mezze-ish platter side.

Even more, grilled vegetables are a healthy vegetarian main when chopped and added to this favorite healthy pasta salad (with avocado!), or added to healthy Mediterranean grain bowls, or made into one of my favorite easy grilled veggie sandwiches slathered with ricotta cheese.

Grilling coaxes out every bit of deep, roasted, sweetness from any plain old veg, softening and flavoring and bringing a lush, smoky char to each deliciously addicting bite.

This grilled vegetable recipe is another that isn’t so much of a recipe but a method to master, and easy to master it is. These grilled vegetables skip the marinade and the skewers, and there’s no need for a grilled vegetable grilling basket either.

Summer eats are meant to be simple, and these grilled vegetables are falling right in line.

continue to the recipe… about The Best Easy Grilled Vegetables

The Best No-Bake Cookies Recipe – with Coconut!

These easy no-bake cookies are loaded with goodness and they’re even a little bit of healthy. Old-fashioned oats, cocoa, and the surprise addition of coconut make these classic no-bake cookies (without the peanut butter!) the very best.

No-bake cookies are a starter-cook-in-the-kitchen classic recipe that’s oh so easy to make.

That’s the good part.

So what’s the bad part?

It’s just that they’re so dang easy to make you can whip up a batch whenever the craving strikes. And then eat the whole bowl. By yourself. In one sitting.

Just ask my husband. That was his M.O. when back in the day after high school football practice he would make no-bake oatmeal cookies at least once a week. As all big brothers do (or more aptly don’t), he refused to share any of the batch with his siblings. Brotherly love. It’s real.

But here’s the best part…

Once you make these no-bake beauties yourself, you’ll see why he was so selfish. And you won’t blame him one bit for keeping them all to himself.continue to the recipe… about The Best No-Bake Cookies Recipe – with Coconut!

Sweet Vinegar Coleslaw (No Mayo)

This healthy coleslaw with a sweet vinegar coleslaw dressing is a no-mayo alternative to the classic coleslaw version, covering all the potluck salad bases.

Opposites do attract. It’s why anything that’s both sweet and tangy always taste so good. And when you try this healthy, vinegar coleslaw recipe made with apple cider vinegar and sweetened with just a bit of sugar, you’ll believe it with each and every forked bite.

I’m a fan of any crunchy slaw that comes together fast and balances out a meal, and this recipe is right up there with my best creamy coleslaw recipe. But sometimes I’m more in the mood for a lighter zesty bite than a creamy one.

This coleslaw’s tangy dressing lightens bbq sauced slow cooker pulled pork sandwiches and is the crunchy compliment to classic potluck salads like my mom’s recipe for the best potato salad or the classic macaroni salad.

It’s time to round out the bevy of side dish salads and add this one to your bookmarked recipe list.

continue to the recipe… about Sweet Vinegar Coleslaw (No Mayo)

10 Ways to Save More Money at the Grocery Store

These 10 tips show how to save money at the grocery store and stick to a budget. With a little strategic planning and conscientious purchasing, saving money at the grocery store is totally doable.

This post is brought to you by Kroger

It’s the question we ask ourselves every week: How can I spend less money on groceries? Unless you’re independently wealthy or live off-the-grid and farm/hunt/gather for your meals, grocery shopping on a budget is a goal for us all.

Grocery bills are no joke, especially if you’re a food fanatic like me. Organic and gourmet can be pricy, and going shopping rogue without a list, shopping while hungry, and impulse buys only makes matters worse (I’m looking at you $9 wedge of specialty cheese).

In the past, despite my best, budget-abiding intentions, I would too often find myself overspending and over buying groceries that only led to wasted food and wasted money. But I found a better way, and when I shared my tips for 10 ways to waste less and save more at the grocery store, I heard from so many of you that you wanted to hear more ways to be a better shopper.

As a food blogging, semi-professional grocery shopper, I’ve learned a few tricks over the years. From resourceful meal planning to savvy, organized lists and buying in bulk, these are the tried and true tips to help me spend wisely and stay within my budget.continue to the recipe… about 10 Ways to Save More Money at the Grocery Store

Instant Pot Oatmeal Recipe for Steel Cut Oats or Rolled Oats

This oatmeal recipe made in an Instant Pot makes make-ahead oatmeal so easy that it’s become my new favorite method for both steel cut oats and rolled oats!

This recipe is brought to you by Blue Diamond Almond Breeze

The Best Instant Pot Oatmeal Recipe

I’ve made oatmeal fast in the microwave, low and slow in the slow cooker, and overnight in the fridge, but this oatmeal recipe made in the Instant Pot electric pressure cooker makes make-ahead oatmeal such a cinch, and so convenient, that it’s become my new favorite method. And even better, it works with both steel cut oats and rolled oats, for a healthy breakfast that I can make different every day of a week that doesn’t require any babysitting or tending as it cooks.

Today I’m sharing how to make Instant Pot oatmeal with both steel cut oats and rolled oats, plus 10 flavor combinations—from fruit or kale, to chocolate chips and nut butters—to make this oatmeal totally your own.

My family has a long history of eating oatmeal for breakfast. As a kid, I never even knew you could make oatmeal on the stove top, because my mom would always buy the instant quick oats oatmeal packets, placing them easily within our elementary school arm’s reach so my little sister and I could boil the water for the packet of oats and mystery ingredients to make our own breakfast before school.

My mom was smart that way. We learned how to fend for ourselves and she earned herself a little extra mom time in the morning with her coffee and the Today Show.

As I moved on in life, I sort of fell off the oatmeal-for-breakfast train and favored scrambled eggs, or cottage cheese and toast, or my fave microwave egg whites and spinach toasted bagel as my made-in-the-office breakfast instead.

But then last year when my sister served me her recipe for Instant Pot steel cut oats alongside her famous latte, I made the return to dosing up on my own morning oatmeal once again.

This Instant Pot oatmeal recipe has been perfected by my sister. If there’s one thing that Holly does and always does right, it’s making sure that she measures, that she takes notes, and that she makes it perfect. She’s a scientist, and that’s why she is such a good cook. Because sure, cooking can be art, but it all starts with science.

But Is Instant Pot oatmeal actually easier to make? Yes!

The Instant Pot is still enjoying its run as the trendy appliance of the season or two, but here’s one more validating reason it’s worth the cupboard space: I like making oatmeal in the Instant Pot rather than over the stove or in the microwave because there’s no monitoring involved to be sure it doesn’t bubble over and cause a mess like mine does in the microwave 50% of the time, or stirring to avoid it sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Instead, you simply set it and walk away until the timer rings. And even better, it’s awesome for making a big master batch to keep in the fridge and warm up anytime with your favorite fixins’.

Cooking steel cut oats the traditional way can take up to 30 to 40 minutes of cooking time. But when you toss them into the Instant Pot, the cooking time is cut to 3 to 4 minutes with the resting time of about 10 minutes where the grains continue to soften. Be sure to allow time for the pressure cooker to come up to heat, about 7-10 minutes more.

I’ll take that for $500, Alex!continue to the recipe… about Instant Pot Oatmeal Recipe for Steel Cut Oats or Rolled Oats

Shrimp In Thai Coconut Sauce

Coconut milk flavored with peanut butter makes a classic Thai-inspired, creamy sauce. When tossed with shrimp and bell peppers, it makes for an easy dinner!

I feel that I’ve led you astray. That I didn’t deliver. That I was just a being a big tease.

Actually, there were a plethora of you who said that’s exactly what I was, when you e-mailed me in droves asking where the recipe was for the photo of this dish in my Friday Faves without sharing the recipe.

You’re right. I owe you this coconut curry shrimp recipe. And I’m delivering it in two different versions, one that was the original from a cereal cooking challenge I was part of and the other version minus the cereal for those of you looking for a simpler version.

This recipe was my divine inspiration when I was put on the spot for a cooking challenge at General Mills HQ. We were tasked to create recipes using a General Mills cereal, ANY cereal. And that’s a lot of cereals!

I channeled my main man in the kitchen (my husband) and used Reese’s Puffs to create a Thai flavored version by grinding the Reese’s Puffs and coating the shrimp in them then cooking for a peanut-y crust.

To recreate the recipe, I went to the store to buy the cereal and came home with…Cocoa Puffs, not Reese’s Puffs. So, instead of making yet another trip to the store, I’m giving you the stripped down version as well, minus the Reese’s Puffs coating.

What’s in This Coconut Curry Shrimp?

Here’s what you’ll need to make my take on Thai shrimp curry:

Jumbo shrimp
Vegetable oil
Garlic
Kosher salt
Red chili flakes
Onion
Bell pepper
Coconut milk
Fish sauce
Peanut butter
Lime juice
Ground ginger
Brown sugar
Basil
Cilantro
Green onion

How to Make Coconut Curry Shrimp

First up, you’ll need to peel and devein the shrimp. Then, toss the shrimp with a little oil, garlic, kosher salt and red chili flakes. Let the shrimp marinate for 10 minutes.

Cook the onion and peppers in a hot skillet until softened, then transfer them to a bowl. Working in batches, cook the shrimp in the skillet and then place in a separate bowl.

Next, make the coconut shrimp sauce. The creamy sauce is amped up by combining coconut milk with salty fish sauce and lime juice, plus peanut butter, brown sugar, and ground ginger. Don’t be afraid of fish sauce. It sounds odd but lends a distinctly Thai flavor to the dish. My husband read somewhere Red Boat is a highly rated fish sauce, and is 100% natural, so it’s the one we buy now.

Add the cooked onion and peppers back into the skillet and pour in coconut milk mixture. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer and cook until reduced by half. Add the shrimp to the skillet with the basil and cilantro and toss to coat.

When serving this coconut curry shrimp, for me it’s all about the garnish. Cilantro leaves, fresh basil, sliced red jalapeño, chopped green onion and a squeeze of lime simply enhances this dish in my opinion. And if you’re using the Reese’s Puffs, a few tablespoons of crushed puffs adds a peanut buttery crunch.

Can I Add in Extra Veggies?

Of course! Feel free to swap out one of the bell peppers for another favorite veggie.

What Type of Coconut Milk Should I Use?

You should used canned unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk.

How to Make Coconut Milk Shrimp with Cereal

If you’d like to try the version with the cereal crusted shrimp, simply grind 1 cup of Reese’s Puffs in a food processor. After allowing the shrimp to marinate for about 15 minutes, roll the shrimp in the crushed cereal and sauté in the skillet.

You will need to wipe the pan out after each batch and may need a little extra oil as well.

It’s a pretty tasty crunch, if I do say so myself. (Pat on back…)

Tips for Making Coconut Curry Shrimp

PLEASE TAKE NOTE! There have been some comments that the dish is too salty. I believe this is from using a lesser quality fish sauce, which will lend a saltier taste. Please use a high quality fish sauce like the one I recommend, or add just 4 tablespoons of sauce and then taste it, and add more to your liking.

You can use fresh or dried ginger in this dish. I’ve used both. If using fresh, use 1 1/2 tablespoons minced ginger and cook it with the peppers and onions and omit the dried ginger from the coconut milk mixture.

I always use Key West Pink Shrimp in my shrimp dishes. In my opinion, they’re sweeter and more flavorful than striped or tiger shrimp that are typically farmed. I find the wild caught Key West Shrimps in the freezer section at my local Kroger (under the Private Selection brand).

I like to leave the tails on this dish for presentation sake, but if you want to, feel free to remove the tails from the get go.

I serve this dish over brown rice for another layer of nutty flavor. If you’re a white rice kinda eater, go for it. Cellophane or rice noodles would be really good underneath too, or spiralize a few zucchini noodles to keep the veg-love flowing.

More Thai-Inspired Recipes You’ll Love

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Bookmark this recipe and leave a comment below, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

3.76 from 157 votes

Shrimp In Thai Coconut Sauce

Coconut milk flavored with peanut butter makes a classic Thai-inspired, creamy sauce. When tossed with shrimp and bell peppers, it makes for an easy dinner!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Thai

Keyword shrimp

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 429 kcal

Ingredients

1 pound jumbo shrimp shell and tail on
4 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
2 gloves garlic minced or pressed
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
1/2 onion peeled and sliced
1/2 red bell pepper seeded and sliced
1/2 orange bell pepper seeded and sliced
1/2 yellow bell pepper seeded and sliced
1 cup coconut milk
4-6 tablespoons high quality fish sauce start with 4 tablespoons and add more to taste
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons lime juice about 1/2 large lime, juiced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 tablespoons basil leaves chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
1 green onion chopped
Red jalapeno pepper thinly sliced (optional)

Instructions

Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails on. Place the shrimp in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of the oil, garlic, kosher salt and red chili flakes. Toss to coat and let marinate for 10 minutes.
Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium high heat with 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the onion and peppers and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer the peppers and onion to a bowl.
Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet and cook half of the shrimp for 2 minutes, then flip and cook for another 2 minutes or until opaque. Transfer the shrimp to a plate. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and cook the remaining shrimp then add to the other shrimp.
In another bowl or 4-cup measuring cup mix the coconut milk, fish sauce, peanut butter, lime juice, brown sugar and ground ginger and stir well.
Transfer the cooked onion and peppers to the skillet and pour the coconut milk mixture of the peppers. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
Add the shrimp to the skillet with the basil and cilantro and toss to coat. Serve over rice or noodles. Garnish with more cilantro and basil, chopped green onion and sliced red jalapeño of desired.

Nutrition Facts

Shrimp In Thai Coconut Sauce

Amount Per Serving

Calories 429 Calories from Fat 288

% Daily Value*

Fat 32g49%

Saturated Fat 23g144%

Cholesterol 286mg95%

Sodium 1076mg47%

Potassium 395mg11%

Carbohydrates 12g4%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 27g54%

Vitamin A 1094IU22%

Vitamin C 74mg90%

Calcium 181mg18%

Iron 5mg28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

More Easy Shrimp Recipes to Try

Thanks for stopping by and checking out the recipe. I hope it inspires you to get in the kitchen and cook something good.

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Greek Salad with Chicken

Crisp, crunchy, and fresh with tangy Mediterranean flavor, this Greek salad topped with chicken can be meal prepped ahead for weekday lunches or a light and healthy dinner too.

Lunch. It’s the meal that we all have the best of intentions in planning ahead for, and too often, don’t. Our lack of prep leads to over indulging on more expensive than we budgeted for co-worker lunches, or poor choices at the fast food drive-thru (ummm, suuuuure, I’ll take fries with that.) Or worse, we skip the mid-day meal all together leading to a snack attack of epic proportions as we walk through the after work door.

One thing that’s gotten me through the what-to-eat-for-lunch dilemma is prepping a few fave ingredients for a filling and healthy lunch salad (that works for dinner, too) I know will hold in the fridge the whole week through.

This recipe is a riff on the classic Greek salad and is topped with grilled chicken. The typical Greek and Mediterranean flavors of kalamata olives, tangy feta cheese with crunchy cucumbers are ingredients I crave on a daily basis, with two easy to meal-prep recipes I’ve added in.continue to the recipe… about Greek Salad with Chicken

No-Mayo Potato Salad with Herbs

Easy to make and lighter to eat, this healthy no-mayo potato salad with fresh herbs and an easy olive oil dressing is the perfect side dish for a crowd.

There are times when a mayo-free potato salad is exactly what’s needed. Like those backyard barbecues where mayonnaise and summer’s heat simply don’t mix. Or a potluck party buffet table for a crowd where you my Mom’s best potato salad ever’s hard boiled eggs aren’t up to the task of languishing at room temperature all day or night long at the party.

And surprisingly, I heard somewhere out there are eaters who just don’t like a mayonnaise dressing on their potato salad. What the what? Shocking, I know…

For each of these situations, this mayo-free potato salad is the winning recipe solution. I discovered the inspiration for it while leafing through my copy of My Smith’s Magazine I receive each month from my local Smith’s Marketplace grocery store. This potato salad is easy to make and feels a bit sophisticated, just like anything with classic French roots will. It’s loaded with fresh nips of herbed bites, Dijon mustard flavored olive oil, and it won’t go bad before the party ends, and even better, gets more flavorful on the second and third day after it’s been in the fridge..

continue to the recipe… about No-Mayo Potato Salad with Herbs

Blueberry Buckle Recipe With Lemon Glaze

This award-winning blueberry buckle recipe is studded with sweet, juicy blueberries and topped with a crumbly streusel and lemon glaze for a sweet breakfast or dessert.

You could say I never got my thrill on blueberry hill. Unless it was baked in a decadent blueberry muffin or my favorite blueberry quick bread.

I’m okay with admitting that fresh blueberries have never been a favorite of mine. They were always the loose marbles of the fruit salad that I would pick around in favor of fresh strawberries, chunks of cantaloupe, and definitely give me all of the pineapple.

Times have changed.

The nutritional values that blueberries possess were drilled into my head back when my job was designing health food magazines. Every issue had an article or blurb about their merits as a driving force in lowering blood cancer, fighting off the elements due to their antioxidant powers and strengthening bones to keep osteoporosis at bay.

Now, I can call myself a lover of the fresh, sweet, juicy blueberry. But I’ll forever be a fan of a good dessert (or breakfast?) treat with blueberries baked right in.

continue to the recipe… about Blueberry Buckle Recipe With Lemon Glaze

Mediterranean Grilled Pork Chops with Tomato Salad

A fresh and flavorful Mediterranean tomato salad serves as a salsa when it tops juicy grilled pork chops for a 30-minute, quick and easy dinner or BBQ meal.

It’s finally summer, so who wants to spend all day cooking? Not it. Who’s ready for fast and easy? #raisinghand

One of my favorite secrets to easy, flavorful cooking is to take a basic cooking method and dress it up with a fresh and easy recipe topper. Have you tried my Mediterranean grilled balsamic chicken with olive tapenade? Or marinated flank steak with Asian chimichurri sauce? They’re prime examples of easy to create flavor, just like this fast pork chop recipe you’ll soon be making all summer long.

Does this recipe look somewhat familiar? I hope so! Last week I shared my husband’s mastered and always juicy grilled pork chops plus this recipe for a super simple Mediterranean tomato salad. Today I’m sharing how to make two small tweaks and marry the two.

Together they create one healthy and delicious summer dinner that can be prepped ahead or made on the fly, for a dinner that’s ready in 30 minutes.

This summer is shaping up to be the best flavored yet. Let’s go!

continue to the recipe… about Mediterranean Grilled Pork Chops with Tomato Salad

30 Pasta Salad Recipes to Make All Summer Long

Easy classic pasta salads are the trademark of summer BBQs, picnics, pool parties, and potlucks. This list of 30 pasta salads will keep your picnic table full all summer long.

I’m just going to put this out there now…with all of summer’s shenanigans and goings ons, this is a post you are going to want to bookmark/Pin/save and share for future reference. Break out the red-checked picnic tablecloth, it’s BBQ, picnic, and potluck pasta salad time!

Summer just wouldn’t be the same without a variety of pasta salads making the recipe rotation for summer party donations. Sure, it’s easy to pick up a pint-to-go from the deli counter, but pasta salads like this list of recipes are so much better and healthier than the pre-made glop.

Recently a few friends commented that whenever they think of FoodieCrush, they automatically think of fresh, healthy salads. As a pasta salad lover, I’m totally okay with that. They make the perfect accompaniment to simple summer dinners or meal prep for whole meal lunches all week long.

After taking a look at my salads and sides recipe archives to see if it was true, I realized that hot damn! I do have a lot of pasta salads shared here on the blog. But I’m not the only one. That’s why I’ve composed this list of 30 pasta salad recipe favorites from here on FoodieCrush and from other bloggers too.

So what are you waiting for? Put a stock pot of water on to boil (don’t forget to generously season with salt), and let’s pasta some salad. continue to the recipe… about 30 Pasta Salad Recipes to Make All Summer Long

Mediterranean Tomato Salad

This easy, healthy tomato salad is studded with fresh Mediterranean flavors to eat a simple side salad or a topping for chicken, fish, steak or pork. It goes with everything—it’s like the salad version of The Bachelorette.

Through every stage of my calling as a home cook, my love of tomatoes is one thing that’s never wavered. The other could very possibly be my love of anything and everything with a pucker.

Yep. Pickles, capers, olives, and kisses included.

While this Mediterranean-flavored tomato salad is optimal at the height of summer’s tomato season, it’s lightly brined, bright with lemon goodness makes grocery store tomatoes totally acceptable any time of year.

Summer’s simple salads are calling our names. So what are you waiting for?continue to the recipe… about Mediterranean Tomato Salad

The Best Juicy Grilled Pork Chops

Lean grilled pork chops come out juicy and tender every time thanks to a simple sprinkling of pork dry rub for a dinner that’s ready in under 30 minutes.

Pork chops have long been known as a working man’s meal. They’re economical, lean and healthy, and cook up quick. They also have a history of coming to the dinner table dry as shoe leather.

But no more! Today is the day to banish that belief because tough, dried out pork chops are about to be expelled from your vocabulary.

My husband has made these simple grilled pork chops so many times he’s figured out the secrets. Whether bone-in or boneless, these pork chops turn out tender, juicy, a little bit smokey, and far from any mode of foot fashion.

Even better, these grilled pork chops don’t need a marinade or a brine, so they go from package to grill to dinner in 30 minutes.

Here’s how to make juicy grilled pork chops every time. continue to the recipe… about The Best Juicy Grilled Pork Chops

Memorial Day Recipe Ideas: Here’s What I’m Cooking

Celebrate the beginning of summer and Memorial Day weekend with a few favorite recipes made especially delicious when shared with friends and family.

Hello and happy Saturday!

3-day weekends bring on all of the desires of wanderlust, relaxation, and deciding what’s on the menu.

I was on a phone call with a client yesterday. After talking shop I couldn’t wrap things up before asking the most pressing question of our whole conversation: What are you cooking for Memorial Day?

His answer was unexpected of sorts, and a reminder of why we’ve come to celebrate this 3-day weekend with food. “Meat. Lots of meat.” He was joining his wife’s family at his father-in-law’s home where every year for Memorial Day they celebrate the life of her brother who was killed in action. He explained more, “My father-in-law spends days preparing and grilling so much meat for 40-50 people. I don’t know how he does it every year, but it’s important to him that he does.”

Memorial Day is a special holiday where we shouldn’t forget the real reason it was established: to honor our fallen patriots. And like so many traditions, it’s food that brings us together to do so. And so with a very grateful heart and a full stomach, we salute you and the families who’ve loved and lost.

continue to the recipe… about Memorial Day Recipe Ideas: Here’s What I’m Cooking

20-Minute Berry Jam

Use up your almost over-the-hill berries for the sweetest homemade jam that cooks in just 20 minutes.

Who else finds themselves guilty of the best of healthy intentions and buys too many berries that then start to look like Yoda as they ripen faster than you can eat them? It’s okay, not to worry, there’s a remedy for that: Homemade jam.

The thing is, homemade jam is the perfect remedy for those fresh berries that are at, or have just passed the point, of being perfectly ripe for snacking. Just because they may not be picture perfect is no reason for tossing them out.

The berries may not look the same the day they went into the fridge—with a few more dimples and their skin beginning to look a bit withered—but that’s my signal that their sweetness just leveled up, making them perfectly ready for crunchy sourdough toast and this easy to make, sweet berry jam. continue to the recipe… about 20-Minute Berry Jam

Kale Caesar Pasta Salad

This 5-ingredient pasta salad recipe has all of the flavors of traditional Caesar salad with the addition of kale and sweet roasted cherry tomatoes for an easy and healthy potluck pasta salad.

Most often you’ll hear me professing my love of making and using homemade dressings. I make a lot of them. Why? Because they’re easy and healthy and I know exactly what’s in them.

But sometimes, I need a pasta salad recipe in a hurry, something I can throw together quick. That’s when I turn to my pantry and the impromptu creating begins.

Since nobody-never-ever says no to a quick and simple healthy-ish pasta salad, having this potluck salad recipe with store-bought dressing on hand is my golden unicorn.continue to the recipe… about Kale Caesar Pasta Salad

Blueberry Oatmeal Quick Bread

This incredibly easy blueberry bread gets an added dose of healthy with the addition of Greek yogurt and oats, making it an even better option than banana bread or blueberry muffins.

This quick bread recipe is a favorite I originally shared back in 2013. Lately I’ve been making it over and over again—it’s that perfect food gift for welcoming the new baby (hello, baby Max!) or saying hello to new neighbors. So while I was at it, I took new photos to share again here.

This oatmeal blueberry bread recipe came about after standing at the kitchen counter one day with a half dozen super ripe bananas, swatting my husband’s headed-to-the-garbage-can-hands in an attempt to quell their discarded fate.

I knew by the super sweet smell and the mooshy touch—not to mention Smudge’s squinched up expression each time she passed them by thanks to their rather unattractive state—that I’d be lucky to squeeze even one more day in before my opportunity to make banana bread would be gone. And just like that, it was.

That’s when blueberries came to my quick bread rescue, for a quick bread worthy of any breakfast, brunch, or treat.continue to the recipe… about Blueberry Oatmeal Quick Bread

Easy Coleslaw Dressing

This easy homemade coleslaw dressing gives the crunchy classic cabbage salad a tangy bite with creamy mayonnaise and cider vinegar’s zing.

Backyard barbecue and summer potlucks wouldn’t be the same without a classic coleslaw salad on the table. It’s the perfect side car to grilled chicken, the best grilled salmon, my very favorite garlic burgers and is a necessity when it comes to pulled pork sandwiches.

I make my best creamy coleslaw recipe with this same homemade dressing, but it can be used for even more than just lushing up cabbage, and that’s why it’s worthy of a recipe post of its own.

I eat coleslaw dressing on basic crunchy iceberg salads with cucumber and tomato, or drizzled on baked potatoes instead of sour cream. And it makes an awesome dip for fresh veggies on a platter or to dip in for a snack.

Some creamy coleslaw dressings use a combination of sour cream and mayonnaise with flavorings that run the gamut of grated onion to worcestershire sauce to mustard and lemon juice.

But why go through all those paces? Let’s keep this dressing simple.continue to the recipe… about Easy Coleslaw Dressing

Asian Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe

Crunchy ramen noodles and cabbage make this easy Asian ramen noodle salad with an addictive dressing an instant picnic and pot luck favorite.

This salad is pretty enough to take a picture of. And pretty enough to share that pic. That’s why today I’ve partnered with Adobe to share a new app they’ve developed for your smart phone that makes it incredibly easy to resize and add text to your smart phone photos, even for the tech challenged.

Because isn’t good food meant to be shared? I’d say so.

That’s why I love sharing recipes that have stood the test of time. The recipes that when you’re stumped as to what to make, you just go to the proven standards that you’ve made over and over and over again..

That is this Asian Ramen Noodle Salad. It’s probably on the all-time top 10 list of the most-favorite, often-requested, go-to-because-it’s-incredibly-easy pot luck and picnic salads. Ever.

Funnily, it’s not a salad I normally make for an average Wednesday night dinner. And I have no idea why not. It’s always just seemed to have that retro, convivial sharing quality. It’s a salad meant to be eaten with a crowded table of friends and family gathered round a bunch of burgers and beers at the BBQ.

But then, what isn’t?

Probably one reason this Asian ramen salad has stood the test of entertaining time is that it is incredibly easy to make and lasts for a beyond average length of time on the card table draped with a tablecloth disguised as an elegant banquet buffet.

Or is that just at my house?

Or maybe it’s so popular because it bears the ying and yang of sweet and savory. It’s the teriyaki chicken of Asian salads. It’s non-threatening, there’s nothing too weird in it, and it’s a salad that nearly every picky eater will try. Even the onions!

For today’s recipe post I wanted to create an image with the ingredients on the photo to share on Instagram and Facebook—and for you to download if you’d like. I made it with Adobe Post and I’m sharing how I did it at the end of this post.

But first, the recipe…

continue to the recipe… about Asian Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe

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