New REcipes we tried during home quarantine

Lauren Ralph Lauren pajamas

Now that we have been home on quarantine we have had more time for some home projects.  We have also had more time for cooking and trying out some new recipes.  Normally when we go to work it can be hard to find time to cook elaborate meals.  I work an hour away from home, kids need baths every other night and we try to get them to bed at a decent time to get up and do it all the next day.  I want to share some new recipes we tried that are actually quick and easy for a weeknight or even something to make during the weekend.  Most of the recipes were found on Pinterest.  

​1. Chocolate chip banana overnight oats

This has been my favorite breakfast food for the past month or so. One of it is because it is so easy to make the night before and I can wake up the next day and grab it. This will for sure be my go-to when I go back to work.  Not only is it easy, it is also so good! With a banana, chocolate chips, and sweetened with honey and vanilla.  The recipe was found on Pinterest and is from the website Wholefully.com.  There are many overnight oat recipes listed on their site, but this one has been my favorite.  It has all the ingredients in my pantry already.  It is super easy.  You will need a tightly closed container like a tight clamp container or mason jar.  
Ingredients

• 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup (heaping) rolled oats
• 2/3 cup unsweetened milk of choice
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds or ground flax meal
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 0–2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
• 1/2 ripe banana, chopped or mashed
• 2 tablespoons chocolate chips

Mix it all together.  I typically mix it right in the jar but you can mix it in a separate bowl and then put it in a container.  I refrigerate it overnight.  Delicious and easy is the perfect combination. 
Recipe from wholefully.com
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​2. Garlic butter salmon

I love salmon when it is made for me but I always have a hard time making it on my own.  I am always looking for a delicious and easy way to make it that not only I will enjoy but that my husband will too.  Salmon is a very healthy fish so it is something that I would like to add more of in my diet.  I found another recipe on Pinterest from Diethood.com. A recipe with garlic butter has for sure gotten my attention.  This is so easy to make when everything can just be put on one pan and cooked.  It is a quick and easy recipe that can be made on a busy night.  I used broccoli with the salmon but anything can be used.  It would pair well with brussel sprouts, asparagus, squash, mushrooms, carrots, peppers, or a mix of whatever you want.  It is so easy.  Make the butter garlic sauce, pour it over the salmon and veggies and bake.  Done and yum!

Garlic Butter Sauce

• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 1 lemon, halved, divided
• chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Salmon and Vegetables

• 4 (6 ounces each) salmon fillets
• 4 to 6 cups broccoli florets

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Grease a sheet pan with cooking spray.
3. Arrange broccoli florets and salmon fillets on prepared sheet pan.
4. Rub minced garlic over each fillet. Set aside.
5. In a mixing bowl whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, oregano, thyme, and rosemary.
6. Pour the butter mixture over the salmon and veggies.
7. Take half of a lemon and squeeze lemon juice over everything; then, season with salt and pepper.
8. Place the sheet pan in the oven and cook for 15 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork and internal temperature is 145F degrees.
9. Remove from oven and garnish with parsley.
10. Serve with lemon slices.

The salmon turned out so good and flaky.  It will be on our menu again in the future. 
Recipe from diethood.com 

​3. Avocado Toast

One of my favorite things to eat in the morning is avocado toast with eggs and one of the reasons for this is how versatile of a meal it is.  What I mean by that is that it can be made so many different ways.  To keep things clean and whole I usually use rye bread.  Ezekiel bread would be good too. These bread are more whole and clean rather than white bread.  You can use whole wheat bread if you prefer, but I don't care for it too much because it adds too much sweetness to a meal I don't want sweet.  Often my recipe goes like this:
 1 piece of bread toasted
1 egg. I do mine over easy but you can scramble it or do it sunnyside if you prefer. 
1/4-1/2 of avocado depending on how much you like.  I prefer a little less and will do about a 1/4  I then mash it and spread it on the toast.  You can add some sea salt and pepper if you like but I usually add a sprinkle on at the end. 
A handful of cherry tomatoes, cut in half and sauteed in the egg pan for a few minutes to soften up a bit. 

This is my most basic Avocado toast.  I will sometimes sautee some spinach as well. You can really add whatever veggies you want.  It can work in so many ways   A sprinkle of cheese is good as well, either a feta or goat cheese.  I have also used Queso Fresco freshly grated.  I like this cheese because it adds a bit of salty flavor without a lot of strong cheesy flavor. 

I love that I usually feel full after this meal but not bloated. I feel energized  If I am really hungry or want to sustain myself for a while like on the days I workout, I will use 2 pieces of toast and 2 eggs.  

4. Taco Hotdish
I have been watching alot of the Food Network lately and it has been inspiring me to try more recipes and get creative.  I really enjoy watching Girl Meets Farm.  If you haven't seen the show, you need to check it out.  It is based on a blogger's site by Molly Yeh.  She is so darn cute and has the most fun, unique, and easy recipes.  She was making a Taco Hotdish and when she made it she was using a cast iron pan to cook the meal on the stove and then put it in the oven with the same pan.  I had to run out and get a cast iron pan to make this same dish.  I actually cut it in half and made 2 of them: one with beef for my husband and one with turkey for me. If you don't have a cast iron, it is fine.  Just make it in a skillet on a stove and put it in a casserole dish in the oven.  I just liked the idea of having one less big dish to clean.   You can find the recipe HERE.  It is so easy and so delicious, plus it has corn chips on top. YUM! I left out the radishes and lime on top.  I didn't have fresh cilantro but put some dried cilantro on top.  Even my daughter ate it.  I was concerned it would be too spicy for my 3 year old to eat with the jalapenos, but it was not.  It was perfect! Just make sure to take the seeds out all the way if you don't want it spicy.  

I hope you enjoy these recipes.  Please leave a comment if you tried any or if you have any other things you would like me to share.  I have more scheduled for the future so be on the lookout!