Sprialized Zucchini Shrimp Scampi

I made a Sprialized Zucchini noodle Shrimp Scampi last night for my lunch today using my Sprializer! 

Now if you don’t know what a spiralizer is, it’s basically a vegetable slicer, cutting super-thin strips resembling spaghetti strands, creating a healthier, grain-free alternative to standard pasta.

I've been playing with mine a lot lately and getting creative so you'll be seeing many more Sprialized creations in the future. 

There are many brands and types of Sprializers out there and I would recommend not using a handheld one. This is the Sprializer I use. 

World Cuisine Tri-Blade Spiral Vegetable Slicer 

I even did a live Facebook video of my very first time trying out my Sprializer. You can check that out here. 

Zucchini Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

6-8 shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup chicken stock

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 (medium-sized) zucchini, spiralized

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

Fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add shrimp, garlic and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pink, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan. 

Stir in chicken stock and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a simmer; stir in zucchini noodles until well combined, about 1-2 minutes.

Serve immediately, garnished with Parmesan. 

BRATTY BANANA MUFFINS

Last Sick Kid Food post for a while I promise!!! 

I made hubby go get white flour for this!! Fact is I don't have white anything in the house but sick tummies and fibre don't get along so white it is. 

These make a great first food after a tummy bug. They are easy on the tummy and tasty enough that the kids will gobble them up.

BRATTY BANANA MUFFINS 

Ingredients

- 1 3/4 cups flour

- 1/4 cup organic cane sugar

- 1 tsp baking powder

- 1/2 tsp baking soda

- 1/2 tsp cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp sea salt

- 2 free range eggs

- 1 cup mashed banana *

- 1/2 cup applesauce

* approx. 2 ripe bananas

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and either line your muffin tin(s) or lightly coat with olive oil. I used my silicon muffin cups. 

Combine the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt) in a medium bowl and mix well.

Mash up your bananas.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together all the wet ingredients (eggs, mashed banana, applesauce).

Add in your dry ingredients, one cup at a time, and mix well.

Pour the batter into your muffin tin(s). Filling to about 3/4 full. 

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Or until slightly golden brown. 

Homemade Pedialyte Recipe

Ahhhh.... sick kids.  I had not one but 2 sick kids over the last 3 days and of course every time they are sick the Paediatric Electrolyte drinks are either expired or we are out! I usually get the one with just apple juice flavour rather then those ones that come in bright colours full of food colouring!  But on thursday we had nothing on hand and he couldn't keep anything down so I made up a batch of homemade "Pedialyte" for him and it helped a lot.  

Oral rehydration really is just water with modest amounts of sugar and salt added so my mixture does the trick with out any additives, flavours or colours.  

Homemade Pedialyte

Ingredients

2 cups room temp water

1 Tablespoon organic cane sugar

1/4 tsp sea salt 

Directions

Stir together until dissolved.  

Mushroom Parmesan Risotto

Just fending for myself these last few days on the meal front.  My boys have been SO sick with a stomach bug so feeding them isn't a big to do right now.  Mostly liquids for them, maybe some crackers, a banana, apples sauce... you know the drill.  

We had planned for Fraser's Birthday party to happen this Sunday and I made his cake yesterday figuring that I would just freeze them if we had to cancel it, but when I turned out the cake one of them didn't quite make it out intact.  Since Fraser had been so disinterested in food all day I decided to give him a spoonful of cake in hopes that it would give him a little boost.  He was SO exhausted and although for the most part he was keeping fluids down he just wasn't eating or increasing fluids much.  Apparently birthday cake was just what he needed.... Just a few small nibbles of Mom's super moist organic chocolate cake and his energy rebounded a little.  

Sometimes you just gotta throw out the book and give them cake!  

Anyways.... today is better but they still are not eating much so at lunch time I decided to make Risotto from what I had in the fridge.  O Man this was a serious comfort food lunch!!  

I even have left overs for later :)

Mushroom Parmesan Risotto

Ingredients

1.5 cups sliced mushrooms

1/2 onion chopped

1 Tablespoon butter

1 tsp garlic powder or fresh chopped garlic

3/4 cup Arborio rice

2 cups water +

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions 

1. In deep frying pan, sauté mushrooms, onions and garlic in butter until soft. 

2. Add in Arborio rice and stir over heat for 1 minute. 

3. Add in 1 cup of water and stir. Put lid over rice and let water cook off. 

4. Add in another 1 cup of water. Stir in and let it cook down adding additional water as needed until rice is cooked. 

5. Once cooked add in an additional table spoon of water, Parmesan, salt and pepper. 

6. Stir together and cover until thickened and cheese is melted. 

7. Remove from heat and serve. 

Serves 3-4 depending on if you can stop at just one serving ;)

May the 4th be with you Bento Lunch

Today is May the 4th..... which is Star Wars Day!  And since I have a Star wars obsessed 6 year old and I can't resist putting together a healthy themed bento lunch for him, I was determined to create a star wars lunch for today!  

So last night when I got home from kickboxing class my mission was to make Asher a "May the 4th be with you" themed lunch but it took me a while to figure out just exactly what I was going to make with what I had on hand since I had to do it without any special cut outs. I settled on this little BB8 tuna sandwich.

BB8 is a well loved little character from the newest star wars movie and one of the easier characters to turn a sandwich into without a special cutter since he is just two circles! Admittedly I used food dye to create the lines on the bread but I'm ok with that just this once!  It's gives the effect I was looking for and it's not a ton of dye!  

Dipping a tooth pick and a small jar rim into a few drops of blue food colouring on a plate, I created the lines on him from a photo I found online.

I think I did pretty good and of course I had to find out this morning if Asher knew who it was before his kit was tossed around in his backpack, so I opened his lunch before he left the house this morning to show him and he knew RIGHT away that it was BB8!  Phew!  

I got the Printable note card here

Did you do anything special for Star Wars Day today?

Quick Egg Taco

Eggs new best friend is mango salsa! I have never been a huge fan of eggs and yet I know they are an excellent source of protein.  But lately I've been enjoying them with Mango Salsa and loving it!  

I Scrambled some last week and topped them with Avocado and Mango salsa and with this simple and quick recipe I just sprinkled a little taco seasoning and pepper on them and then topped with shredded white cheddar cheese and mango salsa.  Yum!  

Quick Egg Taco 

Ingredients 

2 free range organic eggs 

1 tsp olive oil 

Pinch of Taco Seasoning 

Pepper to taste

1/8 cup shredded cheese

1/4 cup mango salsa

Directions

• Add 1 tsp of olive oil to a small frying pan over medium high heat. 
• Crack two eggs in the pan when hot. 
• Cool eggs until they turn white but the yolks are still runny. 
• Flip eggs and cook for 30 seconds on other side.
• Remove immediately and transfer to a small plate. 
• Top with shredded white cheddar cheese and mango salsa. 

Enjoy. 

Bell Pepper Nachos

Omg Bell Pepper Nachos for dinner! Quick, healthy and so good!!! 

Bell Pepper Nachos

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:
¼ medium onion, chopped
1/2lb lean ground turkey
1 tbsp taco seasoning
¼ cup water
1 medium yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch wide slices
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch wide slices
¼ cup shredded white cheddar cheese
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. Heat medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
3. Add onion; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent.
4. Add turkey; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until turkey is no longer pink.
5. Add taco seasoning blend and water. Mix well; cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes, or until water evaporates.
6. Arrange peppers in an oven-proof baking dish; top with turkey mixture and cheese.
7. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes, or until cheese melts.
8. Divide pepper mixture evenly between two serving plates. Top with salsa and plain greek yogurt; serve immediately.