.spaghetti with artichoke hearts and tomatoes.

The picture for this recipe does not do it justice! This is a Pioneer Woman recipe, which pretty much guarantees it will be amazing. I added shrimp to it to make it a bit more hearty, and I just like shrimp. I'm sure it would taste great with chicken too, or no meat at all. Enjoy!



Ingredients (serves 6)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
½ whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
1 can Artichoke Hearts (14.5 Oz. Quartered Or Whole) Drained
1 can Diced Tomatoes With Juice (14.5 Oz.)
1 cup Heavy Cream
½ cups Chicken Broth (More As Needed)
½ teaspoons Nutmeg
Salt And Pepper, to taste
1 pound Thin Spaghetti
1 cup Parmesan Cheese, Freshly Grated
2 Tablespoons Fresh Chives (or Other Herbs) Chopped

Preparation
Cook spaghetti till al dente. Drain and set aside.
Melt olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add artichoke hearts and tomatoes. Stir and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cream and chicken broth. Add salt and pepper to taste (do not undersalt!) Cook over low heat until heated through, then turn off heat.
Place drained pasta in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 cup Parmesan. Pour sauce over the top. Add chives. Toss lightly to combine and coat; add a tiny bit of reserved pasta water if sauce seems too thick.

.vegetable quesadilla.

I am so proud to say that this was made by my husband! I came home one day to find that he made this beautiful plate for his lunch, I just had to try it and take a picture. I always buy him vege burgers (we like Tomato & Basil Pizza - by Morning Star) for his sandwiches because he loves them. However, trying to step away from routine he decided to chop it up and place it in a quesadilla. Not only did it taste delicious but he did wonderful with presentation as well. So, while this recipe is pretty simple it will hopefully remind you, as it did me, to change up your daily routine and experiment with your food. Enjoy!




Ingredients
1 flour tortilla
Mexican cheese (or cheese of choice)
1 vege burger
pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
salsa (optional)
avocado (optional)

Preparation
Heat pan to medium-high heat. Heat vege burger and mash to small pieces. Remove burger and place tortilla on pan. Top with cheese, burger, pepper, and garlic powder. Close quesadilla and cook until golden brown. Enjoy!

.chicken salad sandwich.

This sandwich is perfect for those days that you feel like something delicious and healthy for lunch but don't want to spend too much time or energy making it. I try to always have canned tuna or chicken in the house and you can easily adapt the rest of the recipe to what you already have. Enjoy!



Ingredients
1 large can of chicken
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1-2 avocados (optional)
bacon bits (optional)
Bread of choice

Preparation
In a mixing bowl, combine chicken, mayo, oil, onion, celery, and seasonings together. Mix well. Serve on top of bread. Add avocado or bacon bits if desired.

.jerk chicken & asparagus.

This recipe was something I just threw together one night when I was too lazy to go to the store. I was not planning on it ending up on the blog but it was just so simple and delicious I had to post it. The hubby and I went to Jamaica for our honeymoon and feel in love with Jerk Chicken. We bought sauce and marinate from the resort and have yet to finish it all (don't worry it isn't expired yet). We paired it with sweet potato fries from my favorite Trader Joe's (ive already posted about these) So get yourself some Jerk sauce and enjoy!



Ingredients
Chicken
Asparagus (I always stock frozen asparagus)
Jerk Sauce (to taste)
olive oil

Preparation
Marinate chicken in jerk sauce for 30 minutes or longer if time allows. Heat pan to medium-high heat, add oil and chicken. Cook through (about 3-4 minutes per side) and add chopped asparagus in last 4 minutes and cover. Serve with the side of your choice. Enjoy!

.sweet coleslaw.

I usually am not a huge fan of coleslaw. However, this recipe was AMAZING and paired so nicely with the bbq chicken sandwich. And so simple to make! Enjoy!





Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) bag coleslaw mix
2 tablespoons diced onion
2/3 cup creamy salad dressing (such as Miracle Whip™)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar (I used cider vinegar)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds

Preparation
Combine the coleslaw mix and onion in a large bowl.
Whisk together the salad dressing, vegetable oil, sugar, vinegar, salt, and poppy seeds in a medium bowl; blend thoroughly. Pour dressing mixture over coleslaw mix and toss to coat. Chill at least 2 hours before serving.

.bbq pork sandwiches. {husband's choice}

This is my husband's choice for April. And if I had a choice it would be mine too! I could go on forever about this recipe (which can be made with chicken too). It is shocking how easy and simple this meal is to make. I was skeptical at first because of the lack of ingredients, but since it was rated a top 20 recipe on allrecipes.com and the hubby loves bbq pork I had to try it out. You must make this recipe!!!! It will change your life, and you MUST use hawaiian sweet sandwich rolls. Also, goes well with homemade coleslaw (recipe coming soon) The best! Enjoy!



Ingredients
1/2 (14 ounce) can beef broth
1-1/2 pounds boneless pork ribs
1/2 (18 ounce) bottle barbeque sauce

Preparation
Pour can of beef broth into slow cooker, and add boneless pork ribs. Cook on High heat for 4 hours, or until meat shreds easily. Remove meat, and shred with two forks. It will seem that it's not working right away, but it will.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Transfer the shredded pork to a Dutch oven or iron skillet, and stir in barbeque sauce.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until heated through. Lightly grill sandwich buns with butter on a skillet until toasted. Add meat and enjoy!

.creamy taco mac.

This recipe is very similar to the south of the border chicken pasta but also tastes very different at the same time. I found this recipe on a website I follow called Annie's Eats. Enjoy!



Ingredients
1¼ lbs. ground turkey or beef
8 oz. dry pasta shapes
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
4 tbsp. taco seasoning
3 oz. cream cheese
½ cup sour cream
Salt and pepper
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Preparation
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground turkey over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the turkey is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the turkey is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Mix in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit. Remove from the heat and top with shredded cheddar cheese, if desired.