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Spring is officially here!!!

Enjoy!!

Xox Jen

Ingredients

* 1 lb. sirloin steak, cut into 1 1/2″ cubes
* 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
* 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
* 7 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
* 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, divided
* 3 tsp. grated garlic, divided
* Kosher salt
* 1/4 cup smooth tahini
* 1 tsp. honey
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 8 oz. dried orzo (about 1 1/4 c.)
* 2 1/2 cups (or more) low-sodium chicken broth
* Neutral oil, for grilling
* 1 red onion, cut into 1 1/2″ pieces
* 1 large yellow or orange bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, cut into 1 1/2″ pieces
* 10 oz. grape tomatoes (about 2 c.)
* 4 Persian or 2 English cucumbers, thinly sliced into quarter-moons
* 5 oz. baby spinach
* 1 small bunch fresh chives, finely sliced

Directions

Step 1

In a large bowl, combine steak, oregano, red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 1/2 teaspoons garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and let marinate at room temperature at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours, or refrigerate up to 4 hours.

Step 2

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon garlic; season with a large pinch of salt. Let sit about 20 minutes.

Step 3

Add tahini, honey, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and 3 tablespoons water to dressing. Vigorously whisk, adding more water as needed, until smooth and easily pourable; season with salt and black pepper. Set aside.

Step 4

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add orzo and cook, stirring, until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally and adding more broth 1/4 cup at a time if needed, until broth is absorbed and orzo is tender, 8 to 10 minutes; season with salt and black pepper. Cover to keep warm.

Step 5

Prepare a grill for high heat; preheat 5 minutes. Brush grates with neutral oil. Thread 8 skewers with steak, onion, bell pepper, and tomatoes, alternating with 3 to 4 steak cubes per skewer. Drizzle kebabs with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and black pepper.

Step 6

Grill skewers, turning occasionally, until vegetables are tender and meat is cooked to desired degree of doneness, 8 to 15 minutes total (grills can vary). Transfer kebabs to a plate.

Step 7

In a large bowl, toss cucumbers and spinach with half of reserved dressing. Stir chives into orzo mixture.

Step 8

Divide salad and orzo among bowls; top with kebabs. Drizzle remaining dressing over bowls.

This shrimp recipe is so tasty and easy!

Enjoy xo Jen

Grilled Shrimp with Oregano and Lemon

Ingredients
* 1/2 cup salted capers, rinsed, soaked for 1 hour, and drained
* 1/2 cup oregano leaves
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
* 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
* 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 2 1/2 pounds large shrimp, shelled and deveined
* Kosher salt

Directions
1. On a cutting board, finely chop the drained capers with the oregano leaves and garlic. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, along with the lemon zest and lemon juice. Season the sauce with pepper.
2. Light a grill. In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Thread the shrimp onto metal skewers and grill over high heat, turning once, until the shrimp are lightly charred and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the shrimp from the skewers and transfer them to a platter.

Truth is I made this kind of by default and it came out amazing!

I broke my glass pie pan and decided to give this bad Larry a shot, it is SOOOO good!!

Enjoy!

Xox Jen

SHEET PAN FRITTATA

INGREDIENTS

* 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
* 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
* 3 cups small broccoli florets (about 8 oz.)
* Kosher salt
* 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
* 12 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled
* 5 oz. baby kale
* 10 large eggs
* 1 cup whole milk
* 2/3 cup heavy cream
* 1 oz. Pecorino Romano, finely grated (about 1/2 c.)
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 8 oz. farmers’ cheese or part-skim ricotta
* 2 tsp. chili crisp

Directions

* Step 1
Arrange a rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°. Grease a baking sheet with butter.
* Step 2
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Cook broccoli, stirring occasionally, until bright green and tender, about 5 minutes; season with salt. Add shallots and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are softened, about 5 minutes. Add kale and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, about 1 minute more. Let cool slightly.
* Step 3
In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, milk, cream, and Pecorino; season with salt and pepper. Pour vegetable mixture into prepared sheet.
* Step 4
Pour egg mixture over, making sure all corners are covered. Dollop farmers’ cheese on top. Drizzle chili crisp over.
* Step 5
Bake frittata until eggs are firm to touch, 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool slightly.

This is so simple it’s silly…

It is simply a matter of throwing all the ingredients into a pan, then throwing it into a wrap when it’s done cooking! So easy and it tastes soo good!

Enjoy! xo Jen

Egg White Breakfast Wrap

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 egg whites
• A tiny pinch of fine-grain sea salt
• A few tablespoons of chopped chives
• A dollop of pesto
• A small handful of mixed salad greens

DIRECTIONS:

1. Throw all ingredients in a pan and cook until eggs are white.
2. Toss in a whole wheat wrap and BOOM…. you’re done!

Taco Tuesday was getting old so we decided to do Fajitas this week and they were a hit!!

Enjoy!

Xo Jen

Easy chicken fajitas

Ingredients

Seasoning mix:
* 1 teaspoon sea salt
* ¼ teaspoon black pepper
* 2 tablespoons chili powder
* 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
* 1 teaspoon garlic powder
* ½ teaspoon dried oregano
* ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Fajitas:
* 3 medium bell peppers cut into thin strips
* 1 medium onion thinly sliced
* 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast cut into strips
* 2 tablespoons avocado oil

Instructions

* In a small bowl, combine the seasoning ingredients: sea salt, black pepper, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes. You can divide each of the spices in half and mix them in two different bowls. Half will season the veggies, and half will season the chicken.
* Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers, onions, and half the seasoning mix. Cook, stirring often, until just tender, about 5 minutes. If the bottom of the skillet becomes too dry, add a little water, a tablespoon at a time. You can also reduce the heat to medium.
* Using a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables onto a plate. Add the remaining oil to the skillet, then add the chicken slices with the second half of the seasonings. Stir-fry until the chicken is almost fully cooked, about 4 minutes. Again, if the bottom of the skillet becomes too dry while you cook the chicken, add a little water.
* Return the vegetables to the skillet. Stir-fry everything together for 1-2 more minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and the dish is heated through.

The crockpot is my FAV way to make soups!

We’ve been on a total potato kick lately… So of course I had to try this recipe!

Let me know how you like it!

Enjoy xo Jen

Crockpot Pasta Free Minestrone Soup

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 red bliss potatoes cubed
• 28 ounces diced tomatoes
• 15 ounces crushed tomatoes
• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 15 ounces red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
• 15 ounces great northern beans, drained & rinsed
• 3 celery stalks, sliced
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 lb green beans, cut into 1-in pieces
• 2 zucchini, sliced
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 2 bay leaves
• Fresh parsley for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Add all ingredients to the slow cooker.
2. Cook HIGH 2-3 hours or LOW 4-6.

We are all about the bowls these days!

This one was a fan favorite!

Enjoy xoxo Jen

Crockpot chicken burrito bowls

INGREDIENTS
* 1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or a mix
* 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
* 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed
* 2 teaspoons chili powder
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
* 1 cup uncooked brown rice
* 1 cup frozen corn kernels
* Optional toppings: shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, sour cream, diced avocado, salsa, hot sauce, diced green onions, shredded lettuce

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine the chicken, diced tomatoes and their juices, chicken broth, chili powder, salt, and cumin in a 2 1/2- to 3 1/2-quart slow cooker. Make sure the chicken is covered with liquid, adding additional broth as needed. Cover and cook on the LOW setting for 3 to 4 hours.

2. Uncover and stir in the beans, rice, and corn. Cover and continue cooking on the LOW setting for 3 to 4 hours more. Check the rice periodically in the last hour of cooking, stirring once or twice to make sure the rice cooks evenly and adding more chicken broth if the mixture seems dry. Cooking is done when the rice is tender — if the rice is done but there is still liquid left in the slow cooker, uncover and cook on the HIGH setting to let the liquid evaporate.

3. Use 2 forks to shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. You can do this either in the slow cooker itself and then mix it into the rice, or you can transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board if you prefer to keep it separate. Taste and stir in more salt or other seasonings as needed. Serve burrito bowls with a selection of toppings.

Sports are back and so is the crockpot in our home!

This took me 15 min to prep and was absolutely delicious!

Enjoy xo Jen

Ingredients

* 1-1/2 pounds turkey breast tenderloins, cubed
* 2 teaspoons canola oil
* 1 can turkey chili with beans, undrained
* 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
* 1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
* 1 medium green pepper, chopped
* 3/4 cup chopped onion
* 3/4 cup salsa
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

Directions

* In a nonstick skillet, brown turkey in oil; transfer to a 3-qt. slow cooker. Stir in the chili, tomatoes, peppers, onion, salsa, garlic, chili powder, cumin and salt.
* Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until turkey is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. Garnish with cilantro if desired.