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Listen, guys… back to school means QUICK dinners!

I mean 1 pan to clean? Sign me up!

This one was a fan fave in our house and I will definitely be making this again

(This recipe called for red and yellow potatoes, but I chose to swap them out for sweet potatoes.  So feel free to use whatever you have on hand.)

Lemon Dijon One Sheet Chicken & Veggies

Ingredients:

• 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1-1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 3 medium), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts (about 4 cups), quartered
• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• Coarsely ground pepper, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°. In a large bowl, mix the first 4 ingredients; gradually whisk in oil. Reserve 1 tablespoon mixture. Add vegetables to the remaining mixture; toss to coat.
2. Place chicken and vegetables in a 15x10x1-in. pan coated with cooking spray. Brush chicken breast with reserved mustard mixture. Roast 10 minutes.
3. Turn chicken and stir vegetables; roast until a thermometer inserted in chicken reads 165° and vegetables are tender, 10-15 minutes longer.
4. If desired, sprinkle with pepper.
5. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

These are so tasty and tender!

Enjoy xo Jen

Ingredients:

* 2 1/2 lbs beef tri tip or petite sirlion, cut into 1 1/2″ thick pieces
* 2 medium zucchini, cut into thick rings
* 1 medium purple onion, cut into 1″ pieces

For the Steak Marinade:
* 1/4 cup white vinegar
* 1/4 cup soy sauce
* 1/4 cup BBQ sauce, honey flavor, or sweet and smoky
* 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
* 2 tsp sesame oil
* 1 tsp garlic salt
* 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

* Add all marinade ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
* Place chopped steak into large mixing bowl or Ziploc bag and pour marinade over meat. Stir to combine, cover (or seal the bag) and refrigerate overnight, stirring once or twice while marinating. Allow at least 8 hours for marinade to tenderize meat.
* Skewer marinated meat along with the sliced veggies, alternating them on the skewer. Grill steak kabobs over med/high heat for about 8-10 min or until desired doneness is reached, rotating every 2-3 min for even grilling. Remove kebobs from grill and let them rest at least 5 min before eating.

I’ve been making this in bulk and LOVING it!

Planning ahead to have healthy options during the mayhem of summer is key!

Enjoy xo Jen

INGREDIENTS
* 16 oz high protein pasta (I used barilla)
* 1 large cucumber chopped
* 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes sliced in half
* 1 red bell pepper chopped
* 1 yellow bell pepper chopped
* 1 small red onion chopped
* ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
* ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
* juice of 1 large lemon
* 4 oz crumbled feta cheese
* 1 tbsp dried oregano
* ½ tsp garlic powder
* salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Cook pasta according to box.
2. After draining pasta, rinse with cold water.
3. Combine cooled pasta with other ingredients ad toss.
4. Serve chilled and enjoy!

This cucumber tomato salad is the perfect summertime side!

Enjoy xoxo Jen

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Sea Salt Grinder
3/4 teaspoon Pure Ground Black Pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
6 mini seedless cucumbers, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
1 pint cherry tomatoes halved grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

INSTRUCTIONS

Whisk vinegar, oil, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and sugar in large
bowl until well blended.
Add cucumbers, tomatoes, and onion, tossing to coat in dressing.

Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes or until ready to serve. Toss to mix just
before serving. Top
with Feta or mozzarella, if desired.

This past week we caught some delicious striped sea bass and WOW was it delicious!!!

🧂 Ingredients

• striped sea bass fillets
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 medium tomatoes – sliced and remove the center and seeds
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and black pepper to taste

🔥 Directions:

1. Preheat
• Grill: medium heat

2. Prep the foil packets
• Tear 2 large sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil (or double-layer regular foil).
• Lightly oil or butter the center to prevent sticking.

3. Assemble the packets
• Place a sea bass fillet in the center of each foil piece.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Layer with sliced onions, tomatoes, and garlic
• Dot the top with butter slices.

4. Seal it up
• Fold the foil over the fish and crimp edges tightly to seal , creating a tented pouch.

5. Cook
• Grill: Place foil packet on grates and cook 10–15 minutes.

This Watermelon Pizza is a fun activity to make with kids!

INGREDIENTS

* 1 container of cool whip
* 1 seedless watermelon, chilled
* 2 cups fresh berries

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Slice a watermelon crosswise and cut round pieces about one inch thick. These watermelon rounds are the “pizza.” You usually can get 4-6 good rounds from a medium sized watermelon.
2. Cut each watermelon round into 6 triangle slices and top each slice with whipped cream and fresh berries. Enjoy immediately.

These are so tasty , we made double the chicken to have for leftovers!

Enjoy!

Xo Jen

Ingredients

* 1 pound ground chicken
* 2 teaspoons soy sauce
* 1 teaspoon cornstarch
* 1 teaspoon cooking oil
* 2 green onions, chopped
* 4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
* 2 teaspoons seasoned rice vinegar
* 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
* 1 large mango, diced
* 1 head butter lettuce, rinsed, leaves separated

Directions

* Place the ground chicken, soy sauce, and cornstarch in a large bowl. Mix to combine 
Sauté shiitake mushrooms and green onions: 
Heat a wok or a large sauté pan on medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the oil. Add the green onions and sliced shiitakes. Let cook for about a minute.
Add chicken mixture:
Increase the heat to high, and add the ground chicken, soy sauce, cornstarch mixture. Use a wooden spoon to break up the ground chicken and spread around the pan. Stir fry in this way for 5 to 7 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Add seasonings and mango:
Add the seasoned rice vinegar, sesame oil, and diced mango. Remove from heat. Adjust seasonings (rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce) to taste.

Scoop spoonfuls into the cups formed by the lettuce leaves to serve:

These were so tender and tasty!

Enjoy! Xo Jen

Ingredients

For the Red Wine Vinaigrette Marinade
* ¼ cup red wine vinegar
* 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
* 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
* ½ teaspoon honey
* ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
* ½ teaspoon kosher salt
* ¼ teaspoon black pepper
* ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
* 1.5 lbs of steak tips

Instructions

* In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients except the olive oil. While whisking continuously, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until smooth.

¼ cup red wine vinegar, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon honey, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
* Add the steak tips to the bowl and toss until evenly coated with the marinade. Cover the bowl with beeswax wrap or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 2 days. You can turn the steak tips every few hours for more even marinade coverage.

1 ½ pounds sirloin steak tips
* Remove the steak tips from the refrigerator about 30 minutes prior to cooking to bring them closer to room temperature. Preheat your grill on high heat for 15 minutes.
* Reduce the heat to medium-high. Remove the steak tips from the marinade, allowing the excess marinade to drip back into the bowl. Place the steak on the grill and close the lid. Cook the steak tips for about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare doneness. The actual cook time will depend on the thickness of the steak and your desired doneness.
* Transfer the steak tips to a plate and allow them to rest for 10 minutes before cutting them into smaller pieces.

Alright, guys… you know I love grilling and these have become my favorite skewers that even the kids devour! 

I mean… Who doesn’t love grilled pineapple!??

Give these a try and give me a shout at what you think! You are going to want to add these to your weekly meal planning!

Enjoy! xo Jen

Pineapple Skewers

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. chicken breast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 small pineapple (about 1 lb.), trimmed, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
• 1 small red onion, cut into 6 wedges
• 8 oz. baby peppers – cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• Kosher salt and pepper
• Teriyaki for basting

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, toss chicken, pineapple, onion, and peppers with oil and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper.
2. Thread chicken and vegetables onto skewers.
3. Grill, turning occasionally until pork is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes total, basting with teriyaki sauce during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
4. Enjoy!