Ginger Garlic Shrimp #ImprovCookingChallenge

Our theme for this month's Improv Cooking Challenge, hosted by Nichole of Cookaholic Wife,  is Ginger and Spice.

I was so overloaded with sweets during the Holiday season that I almost sat this event out.  Then, when I was creating my menu for Christmas Day, inspiration struck.  I knew I was going to serve ham and chicken marsala.  I also like having a fish or seafood dish and decided to make shrimp.  That's when I remembered the theme for this month's challenge and knew that I was going to use ginger and spices in my shrimp so I could participate.

This is so easy and quick that it hardly seems like a recipe at all.  I can see me making this again and again throughout the year.  It is lowfat, healthy and delicious.  It can be adapted to serve a crowd or just one person, simply adjust the amounts.

I served this as part of a dinner buffet but I will be making it again for dinner served with stir fry veggies and steamed rice. It will be perfect.

Ginger Garlic Shrimp

2 lbs. large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left intact
2 T. olive oil
1/4 t. crushed red pepper
1 T. garlic paste
1 T. ginger paste

Heat the olive oil and crushed red pepper in a wok over med high heat.  When shimmering add the garlic and ginger.  Stir into the oil.  Immediately add the shrimp.  Cook and stir for about 5 minutes, until shrimp turn pink and are cooked through, being careful not to overcook as they will become tough. Print Recipe

The #ImprovCookingChallenge is a monthly blogging event where two ingredients are assigned to a month. Bloggers can make any recipe they like as long as it features the two ingredients. If you are a blogger and would like to join us, please visit our Facebook page.You can also read more about the event on our our home page
If you’d like to see previous creations, check out our Pinterest board.

An InLinkz Link-up

Lemony Olive Oil Muffins #MuffinMonday

I made these lemony olive oil muffins one morning to enjoy while watching Moana with my Little Angel Face.  She is on a serious Moana kick and is going to have a Moana themed birthday party next month when she turns 3.  Yep, I blinked and now my Melody is a "big girl" who loves to help Grammy bake.  I couldn't have made these muffins without her.

When we made these muffins I was still detoxing from a week long cruise to Alaska where I spent, what felt like, 20 hrs a day eating and drinking.   We started each morning with mimosas and eggs benedict or smoked salmon platter, had coffee drinks during morning trivia, had a snack after morning trivia, cocktails with lunch, drinks by the pool after lunch, wine with dinner and after dinner cocktails while watching shows. 

I came home feeling bloated and fat!!!  The Monday I returned home, I started the Fast Metabolism Diet again for a 28 day detox that my body really needs.  

While these muffins are not FMD friendly, they are from Cooking Light, so they are healthier than your average muffin.  I had a bite to make sure they were good before giving them to Angel Face, Mama and Grampy.  They loved them and ate away while I sipped a beet and blueberry smoothie for breakfast.  I like that they only make 6 muffins, they were all gone in a day so I didn't have temptation staring me in the face.

These muffins are very lemony and light.  Perfect for a summer brunch or for a portable breakfast while watching a movie LOL.

Lemony Olive Oil Muffins

adapted from Cooking Light

1 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

1 t. baking powder

pinch of salt

1/2 cup light sour cream

grated rind from 1 lemon, with 1 t. reserved for glaze

2 T. olive oil

2 T. rice milk or low fat milk of choice

2 t. lemon juice + 3 T. lemon juice for glaze

1 egg

1 egg white

1 c. powdered sugar

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.  Create a well in the center.  In a small bowl whisk together the sour cream, all but 1 teaspoon of the lemon rind, olive oil, milk, 2 teaspoons of  lemon juice, egg and egg white.  Dump into the well of the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.

Divide the batter between a 6 cup muffin tin that has been treated with baking spray.  Bake in a preheated 350* oven for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted removes cleanly.

Cool completely on a wire rack.  While cooling, mix together the powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon rind and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice.  When muffins are cool, drizzle with the glaze and allow to set before serving. Print Recipe

More Magnificent Muffins

• Ackee and Saltfish Muffins from Passion Kneaded
• Apple Cinnamon Muffins from Farm Fresh Feasts
• Bacon Gruyere Muffins from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Butternut Squash Raisin Mini Muffins from Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Lemony Olive Oil Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Swiss Almond Vanilla Muffins from Food Lust People Love
• Zucchini Walnut Muffin from Palatable Pastime

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all our of lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board.

Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday, can be found on our home page.

Four Bean Salad for #SundaySupper

This month, the Sunday Supper crew requested that we provide recipes that will help our readers get ready for the last hurrah of the season, Labor Day.

Labor Day is often the last big grill out event of the year.  Then kids start back to school, sports commence and fall starts to creep into the air. Grills, picnic tables and pools are replaced with Fire pits, lawn chairs and hot tubs.  I'm not ready for summer to end yet but autumn has almost gotten me entranced with the thought of cool, crisp air and long walks with the leaves crunching under my feet.

I decided to share a side dish that is perfect with whatever you decide to throw on the grill, from hotdogs to steaks.  I served mine up with the best barbecued Baby Back Ribs ever.

It helps you use up some of the beans that are prolific right now in your gardens or at roadside stands and farmer's markets.  I used a combination of yellow and green beans but you can use any fresh beans that you like and/or have on hand.  I have made this with soy beans, purple beans and fava beans.

You can also use whatever canned beans you happen to have in your cupboard, including green and yellow beans if you don't have fresh.  I happened to have kidney and garbanzo beans this time but I often use cannellini, northern, pinto and black beans.  You can have more than 4 kinds of beans as well, it just happened that these were what I had available.

There is not a lot of work involved.  Trim, halve and blanch the fresh beans.  Rinse the canned beans and chop your fresh herbs and veggies.

Toss it all together in a vinaigrette and chill until ready to serve or to take with you to your potluck. It is a great side salad when eating outdoors as there is nothing that needs to be kept cold and it can sit out without worry.

Four Bean Salad

1/2 lb each fresh green and yellow beans or 1 lb of either

1 (16 oz) can garbanzo beans

1 (16 oz) can kidney beans

1 stalk celery, diced

1/2 c. diced sweet onion

chopped fresh parsley, to taste

1/4 c. olive oil

1/4 c. red wine vinegar

2 T. sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Trim and halve the fresh beans.  Drop into boiling water for about 3 minutes.  Remove and immediately immerse into an ice bath.

Rinse the canned beans well and place into a large bowl.  Drain the fresh beans and add to the bowl with the canned beans.  Add the celery, onion and parsley to the bowl.

Place the olive oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in a small jar with a lid and shake until well combined. 

Pour over the beans and vegetables.  Toss to coat and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Print Recipe

Labor Day Menu Ideas

Scrumptious Labor Day Sides and Starters

• Foil Pack Grilled Potatoes by Hardly A Goddess
• Four Bean Salad by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Jalapeno Popper Deviled Eggs by Sunday Supper Movement
• Pasta Salad with Baby Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomatoes by Simple and Savory
• Sausage and Peppers Salad by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Shelly’s Pasta Salad by Soulfully Made
• Sour Cream and Onion Potatoes by Cricket’s Confections
• Thai Spiced Shrimp Cabbage Coleslaw by Food Lust People Love
• Zucchini Parmesan Foil Packets by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks

Delicious Labor Day Entrees

• Malaysian Chicken Satay by Sprinkles and Sprouts
• Grilled Hasselback Fajita Chicken by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
• Maple Turkey Burger with Cheddar, Bacon and Apple by Caroline’s Cooking
• Pork Spiedini Hoagies by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Sous Vide Sirloin Steak with asparagus by Our Good Life
• Sriracha Deviled Crab Sandwich with Key Lime-Bacon Slaw by Gourmet Everyday
• Tom’s BBQ Spare Ribs with North Carolina BBQ Sauce by Recipes Food and Cooking
• Vietnamese Grilled Steak Salad by Palatable Pastime

Luscious Labor Day Desserts

• Blueberry Crisp Bars by Pies and Plots
• Fudgy Brownie Trifle with Chocolate Mousse by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Watermelon Treats by The Freshman Cook

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Saying Hello to Halo~~Product Review

I was approached by Halo Top Creamery and offered a coupon for a complimentary pint of ice cream in return for posting an honest opinion on this blog and posting a photo and link to this review on Instagram.  I received no monetary compensation nor did I receive any further instructions or requirements regarding my post.  This review is 100% mine and 100% true.

Halo Top describes their ice cream as "low-calorie, high-protein, and low-sugar, we use only the best, all-natural ingredients to craft our ice cream so that it tastes just like regular ice cream."

I was skeptical, especially since this entire pint of Sea Salt Caramel ice cream only contains 320 calories.  Especially considering that a 1/2 cup serving of Hagen Daz Salted Caramel ice cream contains 240 calorie.  That is a huge difference.  Huge.....160 calories, huge.  That means you could eat 3 servings of this ice cream for the same calories as 1 serving of regular ice cream.

This is great unless the low calorie, high protein and low sugar ice cream tastes like pooder dooder. Pooder Dooder is a technical term adopted from my nephew when he was being potty trained.  He is 40 now and our entire family still says pooder dooder.

So I scooped myself a serving of ice cream and added no adornments of any kind.  No hot fudge, no whipped cream, no cherry.  Just plain old unadorned Salted Caramel flavored Halo Top Ice Cream.

It is rich, smooth and creamy.  Had I been served this ice cream in a blind taste test I would have never guessed in a million years that it was low fat and low sugar.  It was delicious and I will be indulging in other flavors, guilt free (or at least with less guilt) from now on.

I was slightly disappointed by the salted caramel flavor. It was good but, to me, it tasted more like butterscotch.  Now, I know, that some people believe that caramel and butterscotch are the same thing.  I know that sometimes the terms are used interchangeably.  

I, however, do not think they are the same thing.  I think they are two very distinctive flavors.  I like butterscotch, hence I enjoyed this bowl of ice cream.  However I was expecting and looking forward to caramel.  This is a slight little disappointment that perhaps nobody else would even mention.  I am looking forward to trying some of their other flavors. Next up?  Peanut Butter Cup......YUM!!!