Shrimp and Pineapple Fried Rice

**This is a recipe that I created when I was craving shrimp and pineapple and had leftover rice. Really good and even better the next day!

Prepare according to directions and set aside:

1 cup jasmine rice

In a medium bowl combine and set aside:

1 20 oz can crushed pineapple
3-4 green onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cilantro finely chopped

Heat in a large skillet:

2 tablespoons sesame oil

Add to skillet:

2 garlic cloves, minced

Add rice and:

4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar

Once heated thoroughly fold in pineapple mixture and:

2 cups cooked shrimp

Cook until heated through

Enjoy!

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

In a large resealable bag toss together:

2 zucchini cut into 1 inch cubes
2 yellow squash cut into 1 inch cubes
2 red peppers cut into 1 inch strips
1 package of mushrooms
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning

Place vegetables on a baking sheet and roast 15 minutes or until tender and remove to a large bowl.

In a large pot cook until al dente

1 package of whole wheat or multigrain penne pasta

Drain and add to vegetables. Combine with:

1 jar marinara sauce
1 cup grated fontina
1/2 cup mozzarella
1/4 cup of parmesean

Pour mixture into a greased 13x9 inch pan. Top with additional parmesan and mozzarella. Bake 25 minutes.

**I love, love, love this recipe! It is so versatile. You can mix and match your veggies, pasta, sauces... use whatever you have on hand. In the summer I like to grill my veggies before hand, it gives it a different flavor.

Enjoy!

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Super simple recipe that is SO good!

Makes 8 cups

Melt in a soup pot over medium heat:

4 tablespoons butter

Add and cook, stirring until tender:

1 cup chopped onions

Stir in:

1 1/2 lbs Asparagus, trimmed and chopped into 1 inch pieces (set aside the tips)

Cover and cook 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in:

1/4 cup flour

Turn the heat on high and slowly stir in and bring to a boil:

4 cups chicken stock or other light broth

Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until the asparagus is very tender, about 20 minutes. Using a food processor, blender or immersion blender, process until smooth. Return the soup to the pot and stir in:

1/2 to 1 cup heavy cream, half and half (I used fat free), or milk
Reserved asparagus tips

Heat through but do not boil.

Turkey or Chicken Pot Pie

Preheat oven to 425

Have prepared a 9 inch deep dish double pie crust

In a deep skillet melt:

2 tbls. butter or olive oil

Add and cook until soft:

1 small onion diced
2 stalks celery diced
2 carrots diced

Season with:

Salt and pepper
1 tbls. Italian Seasoning

Add, bring to a boil and cook until soft:

3 potatoes peeled and cubed
2 cups chicken broth

In large sauce pan melt:

2 tbls. butter

Stir in and heat through:

1 1/2 to 2 cups diced cooked chicken or turkey
3 tbls flour
3/4 cup milk, half and half or cream (I use fat free half and half)

Stir chicken/turkey mixture into veggies and cook until thick.

Pour into pie crust and top with crust, crimp edges and make 4 slits in top. Transfer pie to a baking sheet lined with foil.

Bake 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 and bake an additional 20 minutes.

*Really easy and the kids love it. I usually roast a whole chicken the night before for dinner and use the leftovers for the pie. Works great. I have also made the filling in the morning and then refrigerated it until I was ready to make the pie.

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Chicken Satay

In a large resealable bag combine

1 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon fresh ginger
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 tablespoon curry

Cut into strips and combine with the marinade

4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts

Refrigerate 2-4 hours

Thread chicken onto skewers (I use metal skewers. If using bamboo make sure to soak them first!)

Oil and preheat BBQ or indoor grill

Cook chicken on medium heat until no longer pink. Be careful not to overcook!

Serve with

Peanut Dipping Sauce

In a small saucepan combine

4 tablespoons of peanut butter (regular or chunky)
3 tablespoons of soy sauce
3 tablespoons of honey
1/2 teaspoon of ginger
1 clove of garlic minced
1/4 cup of orange juice

Cook on low heat until smooth.

**I also served this with coconut rice but I am still trying to perfect the recipe. I will post it when I do! Because I try to incorporate veggies with every meal I also skewered some zucchini squash, red bellpepper and mushrooms (I had them in the fridge and they needed to be eaten) and threw them on the grill after seasoning with garlic salt and pepper and drizzling with some olive oil.

Enjoy!