Pan Fried Lemon Butter Garlic Shrimp with Roasted Balsamic Brussels Sprouts and Green Beans

Here is a simple easy meal that adults and children should like.  This is a great way to introduce someone to brussels sprouts that doesn't usually eat them.  They are naturally bitter, but caramelize in the oven and adding the balsamic taste and a bit of salt magic happens!  I suggest breaking a few into leaves, they are crunchy and addictive.  This is a also a great recipe to have little children help snapping beans and pulling leaves off of sprouts.  Thinking warm spring thoughts on this snowy cold March day

Pan Fried Lemon Butter Garlic Shrimp

Ingredients
1-2 pounds of shrimp thawed and deveined
1 lemon
chipotle chili powder to taste
sea salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter

Recipe

1. Zest the lemon.  In a plastic bag or large bowl, combine lemon zest, juice from the lemon, chili powder, salt, pepper and shrimp.
2. Heat butter in large skillet over medium high heat.  Cook shrimp 3-4 minutes or until done, flipping after two minutes

Roasted Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients
1-2 pounds brussels sprouts
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1-2 garlic cloves minced
sea salt and pepper to taste

Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Mix oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.  Note:  you can use less oil if you have less sprouts, just keep the ratio 1 to 1
3. Cut end off brussels sprouts then cut them in half.  Keep the loose leaves they are a family favorite roasted!  Put on baking sheet.  Pour oil mixture over them and toss to coat
4. Cook for 25 minutes stirring once

Simple Green Beans

Ingredients
1-2 pounds green bean ends snapped off
1-2 garlic cloves minced
1 cup chicken broth (or veggie)
1 tablespoon butter

Recipe

1. Wash and snap ends off of green beans.
2. In large skillet over medium heat melt butter.  Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Add green beans and cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add chicken broth.  Turn down heat to simmer.  Put a top on but vent it so moisture escapes.  Cook for 20 minutes.  You can remove the top the last five minutes.  All the broth does not need to be gone, you should cook until you get the beans as soft as you like them

Red Hot Spicy Roasted Chicken

These are seriously red hot spicy!  To make them a bit less spicy you can omit the red pepper and only use 1 1/2 tablespoons of chipotle chili powder.  Or you can use less rub, I really work it in and add allot.  These aren't so hot there is no flavor,  you will be surprised at how you can taste each spice and that you don't miss the skin at all in this is a lighter version of roasted chicken.  Serve chicken warm or cold, it's super yummy either way.  Be prepared for less leftovers if you have kids, they love gobbling up those drumsticks!

Ingredients

bone in chicken - legs (8-10 medium) and chicken breasts (2 large), these are just examples

2 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoon chipotle chili powder

1/2 teaspoon red pepper

2 tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoon dried oregano

kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Recipe

1. Mix olive oil through pepper in a small bowl.  It will form a paste
2. You can cook these on a roasting pan, or if you're like me and don't like the big clean up on a cookie sheet lined with foil.
3. Using kitchen shears cut the skin off your chicken.  Then rub the paste generously into each piece and place in pan.  I usually let the rub soak in for at least an hour and pop the chicken into the refrigerator.
4. Preheat oven to 350.  Bake for one hour or until the meat is done.  It's best to use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature.  Some people pierce with a knife and make sure the fluids are clear as a check, but again a thermometer is always your best bet

Baked Acorn Squash

 

Michael and I love our bowls of ice-cream but when the cold weather comes you crave something warm when you want a sweet treat.  One of our favorite easy and not bad for you treats is acorn squash with a bit of butter and brown sugar.  It's good on it's own just mashed up too.  This recipe is really simple but I thought I'd share for those of you out there who have not had a chance to try this yummy treat.  Looking at this picture I want another one right now!

Ingredients

acron squash - 1 acorn squash feeds two.

2 tablespoons brown sugar per acorn squash

2 tablespoons butter or margarine per acorn squash

 

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. Cut acorn squash in half and scoop out seeds with a spoon.
3. Place sqaush on cookie sheet, hallowed out side up.  Add a tablespoon of butter or margarine and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar to the center of each squash half. 
4. Roast for 1 hour of until the flesh is soft when poked with a fork. 
5. We like to mash ours up with a fork when it's down and eat right in the squash skin!

Note: Many people add maple syrup and salt to these as well.  We find them pleny sweet without the syrup.  I have substitued 2 teaspoons of real maple syrup for the brown sugar.