Pesto Stuffed Chicken with Asparagus

Yet another super easy and yummy recipe for a weekday!

What I used:

• Chicken breasts
• Basil pesto (fresh or store bought)
• Asparagus
• Tomato
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil

1. Start by butterflying the chicken breasts to create a pocket for the pesto. Drizzle the breasts with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Spoon the pesto inside the chicken pocket and spread out. Slice tomato and add to the tops of the breasts.
3. Prep the asparagus by cutting 1/2 -1 inch off the bottom of the stem. Lightly coat in olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper.
4. Add the baking sheet containing the chicken into the oven at 375 F degrees. After 20 minutes add the baking sheet with the asparagus. Cook both for another 20 minutes. 

Asian Style Marinated Tuna

I was feeling a little asian inspired and decided to come up with a last minute dinner. Once again, super easy to make! Disclaimer - There are no exact measurements with my cooking (especially since it's not baking) so everything is executed to my taste.

What I used:

• 2 tuna steaks
• Wide rice noodles
• Bean sprouts
• Baby bella mushrooms
• Asian plum sauce
• Olive oil
• Rice vinegar
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• Honey
• Sesame seeds
• Ginger root
• Soy sauce (not pictured below)

1. Start by marinated the tuna steaks. This should be done at least 1-2 hours prior to cooking. I mixed together soy sauce, olive oil, a spoonful of plum sauce, salt and pepper, honey, rice vinegar, and a small root from the ginger (chopped or minced). Cover and stick in the fridge until ready to cook!

2. Add rice noodles to boiling water. It takes about 10-12 minutes to cook. They might look mushy and overcooked but trust me, they'll be fine!

3. Rinse/clean mushrooms, cut up a little, add to skillet with beans sprouts. Add olive oil and cook on med/high heat for 5 minutes. They will be cooked but still maintain a bite.

4. For the tuna, make sure pan is on medium/high heat. Tuna should begin to sear immediately. If you have ever eaten or cooked tuna, you should know how you like it. Many people like it rare in the center. I cook mine so it's seared on all sides and maybe slightly light pink in the center! Not fully rare.

5. If you have leftover marinade sauce, add it to the skillet and reduce it for a minute on med/high heat. It will thicken and become a yummy sauce to drizzle over the tuna! 

6. You can use the same ingredients to make a sauce for the noodles as well. Top with sesame seeds!

Chocolate Chip Scones!

This was my first time attempting to make scones and they came out pretty good! I still have to tweak a few things to perfect them.

What I used:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen
• 1/2 cup heavy cream or buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• coarse sugar for sprinkling on top before baking

1. Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Butter and flour the baking sheet.

2. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add chunks of cold butter into the mixture and combine.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the cream, egg, and vanilla together. Drizzle it over the flour mixture and then toss the mixture together with a rubber spatula until everything appears moistened. 

4. Slowly and gently fold in the mini chocolate chips. Try not to overwork the mixture! 

5. Press mixture into the pan and cut into triangles (or whatever shape you want?) Sprinkle sugar on top.

6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden and cooked through. 

Shrimp Scampi with Linguine

One of my favorite meals to make - Shrimp scampi with linguine! Lucky for everyone, it's super easy to make.

What I used:

• Box of linguine pasta
• 6-10 garlic cloves (depending on taste)
• 1 whole lemon for juice
• Lemon zest depending on taste
• 5 table spoons of olive oil
• 8 table spoons of butter
• 1/3 cup of parsley flakes or fresh leaves
• 1 pound of small shrimp (fresh or frozen)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Red pepper flakes (optional)

1. Boil water and add some olive oil and salt. Cook pasta according to instructions.
2. Melt down the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped or minced garlic. Be careful because garlic burns easily!
3. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and pepper. Add shrimp and saute until they turn pink. Stir often! Add parsley. 
4. Remove shrimp from heat and add lemon juice, lemon zest and red pepper.
5. Drain pasta and toss everything all together!

24 Healthier Thanksgiving Recipes - A Buzzfeed Post

I have been lacking inspiration lately but now that the semester is coming to an end, I plan on having many new recipes on my blog! In the meantime, Thanksgiving is right around the corner and although I don't necessarily think it's a super great "holiday", these recipes are AMAZING. I'd absolutely make them regardless of whether it's thanksgiving or not. You can find the post HERE!

Sick Day Soup

I am currently dealing with random sinus congestion issues and I thought a soup would be very appropriate to make, seeing as I also don't have the best appetite at the moment. No one really wants to be cooking while they're feeling down, but this took me 10 minutes to prep!

What I used:

• Shirataki tofu noodles
• Zucchini 
• Mushrooms
• Veggie stock

1. Add the veggie stock to a pot and start to heat through.
2. Prep veggies by cutting them up.
3. Prep shirataki tofu noodles by draining and rinsing them thoroughly
4. Add veggies. Wait 3 minutes and then add noodles. Heat through.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Restaurant Review - True Food Kitchen

This past weekend I was super excited to try out True Food Kitchen which has now recently open in Mosaic District, Fairfax, VA. I had very high expectations about this restaurant because I was especially interested in their anti-inflammatory diet that is highly advertised. I honestly thought that this restaurant was going to become my holy-grail, healthy eating go-to place, especially because they boast about "honest food that tastes really good". Maybe some people agree with that bit, but my experience was nothing of the sort.

To start, we ordered two drinks from their natural refreshments list. Hangover Rx (no, I did not have a hangover) - coconut water, pineapple, vanilla, and orange juice. And the Pomegranate Limead - lime juice, evaporated cane, pom juice, and chia seed. These weren't bad at all! They were simple and could easily be made at home.

As for the entrees, at least for mine, it didn't go as well. I am usually very good at ordering and this meal just wasn't what I thought it would be. I ordered the spaghetti squash casserole - fresh mozzarella, organic tomato and zucchini. They used those ingredients very literally because there was no thought behind the dish. It had obviously been sitting because by the time I received it, the cheese had already hardened. As for the casserole, it was squash strands drowned in pulverized tomato mush... Yes, mush. It was completely inedible and I was actually very frustrated and annoyed. I asked the waitress to take it back and I quickly ordered a new meal off their menu.

I quickly ordered a wild mushroom pizza, which was also a disappointment. It was composed of roasted garlic, teleggio, and mushroom. It was basically a fondue pizza with (in my opinion) a few small mushrooms on it. That's all I have to say about that. 

As for the service, it was lunchtime so it was very chaotic. However, because it is lunchtime I expect to get my order out, receive my food, eat, and be out within an hour. That did not happen. The service was very slow, and I honestly thought we had been forgotten about a few times. It was all below satisfaction and I'm not sure if I would ever go again. If you have been to True Food Kitchen, I'd like to know your experience! 

21 Meat Alternatives You Should Be Cooking With - A Buzzfeed Post!

I just came across one of the most helpful Buzzfeed articles! You can check it out here. It features 21 meat alternatives to use in cooking and I definitely needed the inspiration! It can sometimes be difficult to think of creative ways to use ingredients as meat substitutes, so here you go!

Bangers and Beans (Vegan Style!)

Now that fall (and possibly winter) is rolling around, it's time to bring out the comfort foods! Cold weather brings out the ultimate laziness, therefore maximizing the least amount of effort into my meals. First of all, I am not a fan of sausages OR beans because they seem completely unappetizing but with a few simple and right ingredients, it can be delicious!

What I used:

• Tofurky kielbasa sausages
• Vegetarian baked beans

1. Add beans to saucepan and heat through. 

2. Pan sear the sausages. Add water and cook through for a minute.

3. Optional - If you prefer more heartiness and starch, you can cook up potatoes and turn it into a mash!

The kielbasa sausage is packed with flavor and the beans balance it out with sweetness. This took about 7 minutes to make and that's it!

Protein Isn't Just Meat!

Here's a friendly reminder!

Grocery Haul

I only purchased a few items this week, many of which are my staples!

• Soy milk
• Veggie sticks
• Bananas
• Tofurky kielbasa sausages
• Tofu shirataki noodles (recipe coming soon!)
• Amy's Pesto Tortellini
• Bagels
• Milano cookies (argh, sweet tooth)