Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

I guess my husband knows me as the queen of lettuce wraps. I make so many different kinds. Hopefully I'll show you the many possibilities of this simple yet so freakin' delicious treat. Shrimp was on sale this week, so I picked up a bag of raw 50 counts. Today I decided what the hell, we love these suckers, lets have them.

Ingredients:

• 25 med raw shrimp peeled, deveined, and chopped.
• 1 head of Boston Bib or Butter lettuce
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 tbs of ginger minced
• 1/2 cup of Mae Ploy sweet chili sauce divided into half
• 1 tbs of Saracha (rooster sauce) 
• 1/4 cup of red onion sliced thin
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 cup of rice vinegar 
• 1/2 cup cilantro roughly chopped

1. Combine rice vinegar, salt, sugar and onion in a small bowl and set aside
2. Wash and drain lettuce leaves whole

1. in a pan on med heat add a tsp of olive oil and add garlic and ginger until fragrant. 

 

1. Add 1/4 cup of the Mae Ploy and reduce.

 

1. Next add the shrimp and the rest of the chili sauce and the saracha. Cook until the shrimp begin to turn pink. This should take 5-7 mins. be careful not to overcook them or they will turn out rubbery. 

 

1. Assemble the wraps and enjoy. I place all the item in bowls in the middle of the table and allow folks to add what they want and don't want into their wrap. Hope you enjoy it!

Peanut Noodles

Tonight I had a craving for something creamy, sweet and savory. I couldn't pinpoint what it was that I wanted because it wasn't on the menu I planned for the week.  As I was pondering what it was that I wanted and as my son inhaled his brown rice cereal it dawned on me. By golly I wanted peanut noodles! Oh glorious, glorious peanut noodles. So versatile, they can be eaten warm, or cold. They can be a main course or they can complement a meal as a side dish. Not only you will love them but so will the kids! I see that you get my point. So lets begin.

 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound whole wheat spaghetti, or plain spaghetti.
• 1/3 cup of creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 of sweet chili sauce I use Mae Ploy, its never let me down
• 1/2 tbs of Saracha little more or little less however you please
• 3 cloves garlic minced 
• 1/2 tbs ginger minces
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped
• 1/4 red onion julienned

1. Boil noodles until al dente and drain
2. In the same pot the noodle were cooked in, add a tsp. of olive oil and add ginger and garlic on med heat until fragrant. Then add the pasta back into the pot and combine.
3. add peanut butter and chili sauce and turn off heat. Combine noodles until coated.
4. Add red onion and cilantro.

 

See that wasn't so hard! I hope you enjoy them, they are just that tasty I had to share them with you! Provecho Kiddies.

Homemade Granola Bars

This recipe is favorite among family and friends alike. It's so simple to make and if you make a batch you and your kids can have healthy snack or addition to a lunch.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
• 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds or your favorite nut like almonds
• 1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup chopped dried cherries
• 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Now lets get started on these energy packed cuties.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 8 x 12 baking dish. I usually spray it with a little olive oil.
2. Toast oatmeal, nuts, and coconut for 10 min. make sure to stir occasionally to prevent the mixture from burning.

1. In the last 2 mins. of toasting the oatmeal mixture add the wheat germ. When finished pour the oatmeal mixture into a large bowl. Turn your oven down to 300 degrees.

1. In a small saucepan, add honey, brown sugar, vanilla and salt. Bring it to a boil over medium heat.
    Add the honey mixture to the oatmeal mixture and stir to combine. 

1. Add dried fruits, for fruits like apricots and cherries make sure to chop them up to smaller sizes. Add the dried fruit to the oatmeal/honey mixture and combine well.
2. Transfer to the baking dish and press down lightly into pan. Place in the oven and bake for 30 mins. until golden brown. allow to cool for 1-2 hours then cut into bars.
3. you can place in a airtight container and it should last for a week.

 

Provecho!