Parm Basil Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuff, drop, and roll...that easy. These lil' pups are perfect for a party appetizer or an easy snack..ahem fancy snack. yes sir. 

All you need is 30 minutes and these ingredients...serving size depends on number of mushrooms. I used five mushrooms so used about a 1/4 cup of basil and 1/4 cup of parmesan.

• Mushroom 
• Shredded parmesan
• Fresh basil
• 2 cherry tomatoes; cut in fourths
• Uncooked bacon

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Wash mushrooms and pull out stems.
• Cut tomatoes into fourths and put aside.
• Blend parmesan and fresh basil in blender (or magic bullet) till its finely grated.
• Stuff mushroom caps with tomatoes and parmesan basil blend. 
• Cut bacon strips into halves and wrap around stuffed mushrooms. 
• Place onto foil covered baking pan. If any of the bacon grease drips it will smoke up instead the oven...turn on the stovetop vent to prevent the room from getting smoky. 
• Bake for 15 minutes or until bacon starts getting crispy.
• Take them out of the oven and let them cool for 3-5 minutes before serving.

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Charleston, SC: Santi's

If you like margaritas then this is your jam...

We came to this place for a casual lunch spot with a couple friends...one of the guys is a Charleston local so he knew what he was getting into when he took us to Santi's. Tai Tien, Muy Bien!

The menu comes from Santi’s hometown of Puerto Vallarta. The tacos are doused in richly braised pork with a spicy red sauce next to some refried beans. The quesadilla and mexican pork taco's are fabulous choices too. I guess the restaurant use to be a former Huddle House but it has transformed over the years into an oasis with a lush patio and outdoor dining. 

I snapped a couple great photos of my friends Heather and Tyler...check out the pictures below and the restaurant if you are ever in town!

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Breaded Chicken Pasta

Easy, delicious, healthy (well sort of...) homemade breaded chicken with lemon butter pasta...doesn't the sound of that warm you up?! Annnnd make you want to lick your lips?! Hot damn this recipe makes me happy!

This recipe IS easy but takes a little bit of time to come together because of the chicken. To save time you can buy pre-made breaded chicken but it probably won't taste as good ;)

Ingredients:

• 4 thin chicken breasts
• 1 cup of flour
• 1 cup of bread crumbs (I made my own using bread and blended it in my magic bullet...season with italian seasoning)
• 2 eggs; whisked
• Angel hair pasta
• 1 cup cherry tomatos
• 1/2 red onion; chopped
• 1 medium bag of pre-washed fresh spinach
• 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 cup Prego fresh mushroom pasta sauce
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp of garlic salt
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp salt free butter

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Butter an 11 x 7-inch or a 9-inch baking pan baking dish 
• In 3 bowls, put flour, eggs (whisked), and bread crumbs in their own bowls. 
• Dip chicken in flour first, then in whisked eggs, and lastly cover the entire chicken breast with bread crumb mix. Salt and pepper then place on buttered plan. Make sure chicken breasts are not touching each other. 
• Bake uncovered for 35-45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked though (baking time will vary depending on how thin the chicken is).
• Boil water with salt and cook pasta. Follow the cook time on the packaging. I cooked the pasta and turned off the stove to keep it warm. Right before serving drain extra water in strainer. 
• In a separate skillet, toss in chopped onions, minced garlic, cherry tomatoes, and spinach. Cook until onions are brown and spinach is wilted. Salt and pepper to taste and squeeze some lemon juice on top of ingredients. 
• In a large bowl, mix drained pasta with butter then toss in spinach, onion, tomato mix. 
• Heat up Prego fresh mushroom pasta sauce to pour on top of the pasta. Take chicken out of the oven and cut up into thin strips to place on top of pasta.
• All finished and ready to serve!

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Mason Jar Salad

These are super fun to make and easy to prep for the week... I would suggest not making more than 2 or 3 ahead of time since the veggies tend to wilt. 

Be creative with colorful veggies and use quinoa for protein...splash your favorite vinaigrette or use a simple lemon olive oil sea salt dressing right before you eat your salad for lunch.  

What veggies are you going to use in your mason jar salad?

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The Bad Waitress Diner

The Bad Waitress Diner works with local distributors to ensure freshness and high quality for their end-product. It is the perfect place to get some work done and enjoy a classic grilled cheese...basically a super trendy diner with super cool people. Naturally, I wore my hipster glasses and brought my leather camera bag to fit right in.  

For the freshest ingredients here is a list of distributors they partner with... 

Co-Op Partners (The Wedge) / Twin Cities, MN
The Wedge Bakery / Minneapolis, MN
Espresso Services, Inc. / Minneapolis, MN
Espresso Supply / Seattle, WA
Trio Paper Supply / Minneapolis, MN
Fischer Family Farms / Waseca, MN
Hope Creamery / Hope, MN
Boars Head Meat & Cheeses
Kadejan Free-Range Chicken / Glenwood, MN

Cardigan: Anthropologie, Shoes: Birkenstocks,T-shirt: Zara Necklace: ALDO, Glasses: Warby Parker, Jeans: Zara, Leather Camera Bag: Etsy, Watch: The Horse

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Shrimp and Andouille Jambalaya

This shrimp and andouille jambalaya recipe can be made as mild or spicy as you like...I made this one fairly mild because I can add hot sauce if I'm in the mood for that extra kick. To be honest, this jambalaya recipe will take some time to cook, but once everything is in the pot, you don't have to do too much to it.  I always have a ton left over but this is the best recipe to reheat and eat for lunch during the week. 

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lbs smoked sausage, cut into 1/2″ pieces
• 1 cup of thawed shrimp
• 1/2 large green pepper
• 1/2 large yellow pepper
• 2 tsp minced roasted garlic
• 2 1/2 cups uncooked brown long grain rice
• 4 large celery stalks, chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 6 cups chicken stock 
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp cayenne

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in large stock pot over medium heat. 
• Add the sausage, shrimp, onions, celery, and bell peppers. Cook, stirring frequently for about 6-8 minutes or until the onion begins to brown.
• Add garlic and rice, cook, stirring for about 2 more minutes.
• Add chicken stock and stir.
• Add bay leaves, dried thyme, dried oregano, cayenne. Stir to blend.
• Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Make sure to read the rice package – cook for the time listed and check at the minimum cooking time.
• Cook until the mixture is absorbed and the rice is tender.
• Cool slightly and remove the bay leaf.

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Quinoa Cherry Tomato Breakfast

A quick recipe with superfoods in a cute little mason jar...sounds good to me! Quinoa is known as a superfood (or a supergrain) - it is high in fiber and packed with protein (perfect for vegans!). Since quinoa has a light and nutty flavor you can almost mix it with anything...since it is so easy to work with I cook enough quinoa for the week and use it in my salads or as a side with some salmon. 

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp cooked but chilled quinoa (I always have some pre-cooked in my fridge)
• 2 tbsp of cottage cheese
• 1 tsp of flax seeds
• 5-6 cherry tomatoes; halved
• salt 

Directions:

• Pour quinoa into mason jar first. Then cottage cheese and sprinkle flax seeds on top of cottage cheese. Then place halved tomatoes on top of cottage cheese with a dash of salt.

Optional: Before I begin eating I like to mix everything together but I like to pour ingredients in the order listed above for presentation. So corny, I know!

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