lunch Archives | FoodFash

Sweet Potatoes With Garlic & Basil Compound Butter

April 10, 2016 by Kristin

Sweet potatoes are one of those foods that don’t take a ton of effort to go from good to great. Take the time to oil and salt the skin. Take the time to pop them in the oven. And while that’s all happening, why not spend a few minutes of that time mixing up compound butter with fresh garlic and basil?

I picked up a basil plant at the grocery a few weeks ago and, although it’s almost naked, managed to find four decently sized leaves to chop. I crushed a couple cloves of garlic and found that I’d taken care of all the hard tasks. Making compound butter is a chore that barely takes minutes and is so worth the reward.

Garlic and basil compound butter went wonderfully with sweet potatoes but would also make white potatoes, steaks, and seafood extra delicious!

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Blackened Chicken Kale & Romaine Caesar

March 13, 2015 by Kristin

Once upon a desire-to-recreate-a-recipe time, I looked up how to make blackened chicken and wrote it off as a smoky mess hassle. Months {and an extreme blackened chicken caesar salad craving} later, I decided to scroll further down Google search results and find a recipe that used a stovetop rather than the oven.

I purchased all six spices from the bulk department, spending a whopping 40-ish cents on seasonings. And I generously coated the chicken breasts per this blackened chicken recipe, wishing later that I was a bit more generous. I could have used more of that crispy blackened crust I was hoping for.

Side note: I’m seriously considering tossing my spice collection and going the bulk route from now on. So fresh, so cheap!

When the chicken was finished, I filled a large bowl equally with bite-sized pieces of kale and romaine. And then I used my hands to mix in homemade caesar salad dressing {a recipe that I plan to perfect and share soon} until all of the greens were lightly coated. After topping with the sliced blackened chicken, it was the exact salad I had been craving for so long. And without a single sound from the smoke alarm!

Quick Weekday Meals

August 8, 2014 by Kristin

Even though my schedule is busier than ever these days, I’m finding that taking the time to make quick, homemade lunches and dinners is key to keeping energized throughout the madness. Every meal listed below was prepared in less than twenty minutes and kept me plenty full as I hopped around town from project to project.

Filet with Zucchini & Onions

Heat cast iron grill pan over medium-high heat
Coat filet lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper
Grill on each side for approximately 4 minutes {or until desired temperature is reached}

Heat 1 tablespoon of organic unsalted butter {or coconut/olive oil} in a saucepan over medium heat
Add 1/2 onion {coarsely chopped} to butter and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned
Add 1 small zucchini {coarsely chopped} to onions and butter and cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is tender {less than 5 minutes}
Season with salt and pepper

Shrimp & Greens

Heat 1 tablespoon of organic unsalted butter {or coconut/olive oil} in a frying pan over medium heat
Add 6 peeled and deveined shrimp to butter
Season with salt and pepper and cook for about 2 minutes on each side or until cooked all the way through
Remove shrimp from pan and set aside
Add two to three large handfuls of baby spinach to the same frying pan
Season with salt and pepper and stir until wilted
Place spinach and and shrimp on a plate and sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes

Chicken Sausage & Asparagus Quinoa

Bring 1 cup of water to boil in a small saucepan
Add 1/2 cup rinsed quinoa to water, cover, reduce heat, and let cook for 12 minutes
Remove from heat, keep covered, and let sit for 4 minutes
While quinoa is cooking, heat a grill pan over medium-high heat
Lightly coat chicken sausage with olive oil and let grill until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees {this sausage took about 15 minutes}
While sausage is cooking, add 2 tablespoons of organic unsalted butter {or coconut/olive oil} to a frying pan over medium-high heat
Add 1/2 onion {coarsely chopped} to butter and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned
Add 1/2 bunch of asparagus {coarsely chopped} to the onions and butter until the asparagus is tender, but still firm {about 5 minutes}
Add quinoa to veggies, season with salt and pepper, and serve with sausage

Broiled Grouper & Greens

Coat grouper lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper
Broil for about 10 minutes, until fish is opaque and flaky
While fish is cooking, place a handful or two of greens on a plate
Drizzle greens with coconut oil and massage oil into greens
Season with salt and pepper
Squeeze juice of 1 key lime {or 1/2 regular lime} over greens
Top with fish and serve

Cucumber & Cilantro Chicken Salad

August 1, 2014 by Kristin

Have you ever been such a busy bee that when you came home from the grocery store you realized, not only did you forget something, but you brought home another thing that already had fair representation in the fridge? Like cilantro. I’ve purchased cilantro three times in less than a week. Not good.

Luckily my roommate’s gym schedule is about an hour behind my yoga schedule. And since we both go to the grocery store on a daily basis {I wish I was joking}, I knew he could pick up that onion that slipped my mind. And as far as the boat loads of cilantro? I’d just whip up a batch of super summery chicken salad and pretend the overstock was all on purpose.

And then I’d be thankful. Because chicken salad with cukes, red onions, cilantro, lime, and homemade mayo is such a darn good combo. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne pepper and man oh man, you’ve got yourself something special.

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