BBQ Pizza (dough + sauce from scratch)

Ingredients needed:

DOUGH RECIPE:

• Yeast packet
• 3-4 cups of flour
• Sugar, salt
• 1.5 cups of water
• 2 tbsp olive oil

BBQ SAUCE RECIPE:

•  2 cups ketchup, 1 cup water, 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 5 tbsp brown sugar, 5 tbsp sugar, pinch of salt, pinch of onion powder, pinch of grown mustard, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce. OR muse already made BBQ sauce!

TOPPINGS:

• Chicken
• Bell peppers
• Red onion
• Lots of mozzarella cheese (or whatever cheese you prefer)

Recipe:

1. Combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt into a bowl. Add the water and oil and beat until the dough forms into a ball. Add flour as the dough starts to get sticky. If it gets too dry, add water.
2. Leave the dough to rest in a bowl. Grease the bowl with olive oil. Place a damp cloth over the bowl, and let the dough rise
3. Combine all your ingredients for the BBQ sauce while you wait for the dough to rise. Once the dough is ready, cut into pieces and roll out into your desired shape. Spread the sauce on
4. Add your BBQ sauce and toppings of your pleasing. Place into oven at 450F for about 20 minutes. Make sure to check every 10 minutes, as everyone has different ovens and times may vary. Add an egg wash on top if you want to brown the crust!

Beef Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

• Beef (I used sirloin and about 1 lb)
• Oyster sauce
• Brown sugar
• Soy sauce
• Sesame seeds
• Salt, pepper, red chile flakes

Recipe:

1. Cut beef into thin bite size pieces
2. Marinade in about 2 tbsp. of oyster sauce, soy sauce, and a pinch of brown sugar.
3. After marinating for about 30 minutes (optional), cook on medium heat in a skillet with some oil
4. Once the beef is cooked, add in another 2 tbsps of oyster sauce, soy sauce, and 1 tbsp of sugar
5. Taste to see if it needs salt. The soy sauce should already give enough salt, but if you need more, add to taste. Add a pinch of black pepper and red pepper flakes
6. Add in any vegetables once the meet is almost done cooking. Cover the veggies with the sauce, and enjoy!
7. If you ever feel the need to add more sauce, just stick with the ratio of 2 tbsp oyster sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar. 🙂

Mango Coconut Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cup of mangoes
• 1 can of coconut milk
• 1/2 can of salsa verde
• Thinly sliced bell peppers
• Thinly sliced red onion
• 1 jalapeno
• Salt, pepper, sugar
• Boneless chicken breast (slice into thin pieces)
• Parsley or cilantro, whichever you prefer
• 2 limes
• 1-2 tsp. paprika
• 1-2 tsp. cumin

Recipe:

1. Pan sear your chicken breast(s) in a medium skillet with some oil. Salt and pepper to taste.
2. Add your sliced bell peppers, jalapenos, and red onions to the skillet
3. While everything is cooking, get out a blender and make your sauce. IN YOUR BLENDER, add the mangoes, coconut milk, salsa, paprika, and cumin. Add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. If you want it sweeter, add less paprika and more sugar. If you want it spicier, you can add in some jalapenos to the sauce. Blend.
4. When the chicken and veggies are done cooking, and the sauce is blended, you can combine everything together. Pour the sauce into the skillet with the chicken.
5. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes to combine all the flavors. Garnish with parsley/cilantro, and squeeze in some lime. You can also drizzle on some extra coconut milk if you’d like for presentation (that’s why in my picture there’s some white splashes).
6. Serve over rice, and enjoy!

 

Spinach Pesto Sauce

I came across this Food Network book the other day, which had about 50 recipes in it solely for Pesto. They had all kinds of variations, like kale, artichoke, and fennel. I noticed that they didn’t have a Spinach one, which surprised me, because I always make pesto with spinach. Spinach is easy to get your hands on, and is less pricey than other forms of greens. So, I decided I’d share my recipe!

Ingredients:

• A bag of spinach
• 1/2 cup pine nuts or walnuts
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• Juice of half a lemon
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Recipe:

1. In a food processor, add in your spinach, nuts, cheese, and garlic
2. Add in all the seasonings, and lemon
3. Blend it on high and while blending, pour in some oil. Keep adding oil while blending until you get a creamy consistency
4. Add it to any dish you’d like, or store it in the fridge. I added mine to some noodles with grape tomatoes and more cheese. Enjoy!

Black Bean Burger (Veggie Burger)

Ingredients:

• 15 oz. can of black beans
• 1/2 onion
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• Red pepper flakes
• Cumin
• Cilantro/Parsley
• Salt & Pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 cup of breadcrumbs

Recipe:

1. In a food processor, blend the onions and garlic
2. Rinse and drain your black beans, then add that to the processor
3. Add in a tsp. of cumin & red pepper flakes (adjust the spice to your liking)
4. Add in a pinch of salt and pepper, along with 1 egg and blend
5. After everything is blended, add the mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add in a cup of breadcrumbs and combine
6. Form your patties (Recipe should make 4 large patties, or 6-8 slider sizes), and place them in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. Freezing them will allow them to stay together better when they start cooking.
7. After 20 minutes, heat a skillet with oil and sear the patties on high to medium heat. Try not to flip them too much, or they may break.
8. Once you get a nice sear, place them in a 375F oven for about 5-10 minutes, making sure the insides are fully cooked
9. Once the burgers are fully cooked, assemble your burgers and enjoy!

Mongolian Chicken & Noodles

1. Get any type of noodles you’d like, and start boiling them in a pot of water
2. Take two chicken breasts, and cut them into bite sized pieces
3. Sear them in an oiled pan, and add some garlic and onions. Let this cook until the chicken is cooked through.
4. Then, add in broccoli. (You can add any other veggies you’d like at this time as well). The reason you want to add the broccoli after everything else, is because you want it to still be crunchy when you eat it. Cook for about two minutes.
5. Then, pour on the sauce
   1. To make the sauce you need:
      1. 2 tbsp oyster sauce
      2. 2.5 tbsp soy sauce
      3. 1 tbsp brown sugar
      4. 2 tsp sesame oil
6. If you like the sauce sweeter, add more sugar. If you want it to be spicy, add some red chili flakes as well! If you need more sauce, just double the recipe. If you need less, cut it in half.
7. Combine the sauce, chicken, and vegetables together. Add your noodles to the pan, too. Mix it all up and enjoy!

(Picture of my dish. I also added some raw onions at the end, because we like onions!)

Cajun Shrimp

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• Salt & Pepper
• 1/3 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 pound of shrimp
• Olive oil (or any kind of oil)
• About a tbsp of butter
• 1-2 clove of garlic
• About half a lime

Recipe:

1. Get your shrimp and wash them. Peel and devein the shrimp.
2. Add all of your seasonings into a bag or bowl and mix it well. Then, coat your shrimp with the seasoning.
3. Add oil to a pan on medium high heat. Add in your shrimp and let it cook for about 4 minutes. You’ll know the shrimp is cooked when it’s no longer transparent and starts to turn pink.
4. While the shrimp is cooking, add in about a clove of garlic and some butter. This will give the shrimp more flavor.
5. Squeeze some fresh lime juice over the top. Add in some cilantro or parsley if you’d like, and enjoy!

Tips*

• If you’d like it to be even spicier, add in some red pepper flakes or spicy chili sauce.
• If you’d like to eat the dish with rice noodles like in the photo, fill a bowl with warm water and add in the noodles. Let the noodles soak in the water for about 10 minutes, or until you’re done cooking the shrimp. Then, add the noodles into a skillet and mix it with your shrimp. This dish also goes great with some rice, vegetables, or even on it’s own!

 

Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

Dough:

• One packet of  yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup of warm milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter or shortening
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 3-4 cups of flour

Filling:

• 1/2 cup of melted butter
• 1/3 cup of white sugar
• 2/3 cup of brown sugar
• 3 tbsp cinnamon

Glaze:

• 4 tbsp butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3-5 tbsp of hot water

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Dissolve a packet of yeast in some warm water and set it aside. You’ll know the yeast is activated if it starts to foam
3. In a separate bowl, mix together milk, sugar, melted butter, salt and egg
4. Add about 2 cups of flour, one cup at a time, and mix.
5. Once the yeast mixture is ready, add it into the dough.
6. Mix the remaining flour into the bowl. Start to knead the dough when ready on a floured surface.
7. Place the dough in a bowl greased with olive oil, and let the dough rest for about an hour. Place a damp cloth over it, and allow the dough to double in size.
8. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it. Then roll the dough onto a floured surface and roll it out with a rolling pin.
9. Take your melted butter and spread it on the dough.
10. Then, mix together your sugars and cinnamon. Put it on top of the melted butter
11. Roll the dough into a log and then cut it into pieces. Place them in your baking dish, and add an egg wash if you’d like them to be a dark brown color.
12. While the cinnamon rolls are baking, make your glaze. Mix together the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Add the hot water or milk 1 tbsp at a time. If you’d like to alter the taste a little, you can also add some cream cheese.
13. One the rolls are done (should take about 30 minutes in the oven), put your glaze on top and enjoy!

Shrimp Scampi Pasta

Ingredients:

• Linguine/Spaghetti
• Shrimp
• Salt & Pepper
• Garlic
• Red pepper flakes
• Parsley
• Lemon
• Butter
• Parmesan cheese

Recipe:

1. Fill a pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add some salt to the water, and then add in as much pasta as you’d like.
2. While the pasta is cooking, start on your shrimp. For this dish, I used about 8 pieces of shrimp for 2 people, but you can use as many as you’d like. Let the shrimp thaw and then start to peel & devein the shrimp.
3. Once the shrimps are clean, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add in your shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Then, add in about 2 tablespoons of butter.
4. Flip the shrimp over after a minute or so, and make sure both sides are seasoned with salt and pepper.
5. Once the shrimp is almost done cooking, add in about a clove or two of garlic. It’s important not to add in the garlic right in the beginning of cooking, because it can start to burn.
6. When the shrimp is done cooking, add in about a tablespoon or two of lemon juice along with some lemon zest. This is going to be the basis of your sauce.
7. Then, add in some red pepper flakes and a tablespoon of chopped parsley.
8. Make sure the pasta is cooked, and drain it in the sink. Then, add your shrimp and sauce into the pasta and mix all of it together. Enjoy!

*Tips:

• If you find that you haven’t created a sauce in the pan while your shrimps are cooking, add in some more lemon juice and butter.
• If you find that the sauce is too runny, add in a bit of cornstarch to thicken it up.

 

Spicy Fish Tacos

Ingredients:

• Fish
• Tortillas
• Cumin
• Paprika
• Salt
• Pepper
• Red pepper flakes
• Lime
• Tomatoes
• Onions/Red onions
• Avocado

Recipe:

1. After the fish has thawed, heat up a pan on medium heat and add some oil
2. Sear the fish on one side. Add salt, pepper, some cumin and paprika as evenly as possible. The more you add, the spicier it will be.
3. After a few minutes, flip the fish and sear the other side. Add the seasoning mix on that side, too.
4. Once the fish has cooked, let it rest. Break the fish into smaller bite size pieces to add into the tortillas.
5. Heat up some corn or flour tortillas in a separate pan.
6. Get ready to assemble the tacos. Cut up some red onion, slice some avocado, and dice the tomatoes.
7. Add fish into the tortillas. Add your toppings. Squeeze some lime juice on the top and sprinkle some red pepper flakes for extra heat.

*Tips:

• If you want the tacos to be less spicy, you can make the same recipe without paprika and cayenne. You can just put salt and pepper, or even add some garlic salt for more flavor.
• Also, you if you’d like to prep this ahead of time, you can cut up the fish and marinate it in the spices overnight. You can also cut the veggies ahead of time and store them in the fridge.