Author: Sapna

I'm Sapna, a foodie, blogger, wife, mom of two beautiful girls, and lover of spices.  I have a background in Nutrition and Dietetics, which I use to incorporate healthy options into all of my recipes.  I love traveling to new places, trying new food, and in turn, creating them in my kitchen to relive the magic. When I'm not in the kitchen, I love curling up with a good book, playing with my munchkins, running, hanging out with friends, and gardening.

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Lemon Herb Salmon

A quick and easy weeknight recipe that tastes good and doesn’t require any effort – sounds like something I can go for all the time.  I’m not a fish expert by any means but I like to experiment whenever I can.  Here’s one of the simplest but tastiest (according to the husband) salmon I’ve made.

I got a 1lb wild salmon filet from the market (you can ask your butcher to take off the skin – I’ll admit, I hate doing that!)

Heat the oven to 400°F.  In a pan, line foil so it overflows about 2 inches on all sides.

Add the salmon, drizzle olive oil, salt and pepper on both sides.

Sprinkle finely chopped rosemary and thyme on the top.

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Cover with thinly sliced lemons

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Fold two of the sides over to make a handle.  Then fold over each of the other two sides so that none of the steam or liquid seeps out when it’s baking.

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Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.  When you pull it out, poke a couple of holes in to let the steam out before opening the foil completely.  Portion out into two servings and serve with rice and your favorite veggies!

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Makes 2 servings so it’s perfect for a date night!

Ingredients: 

1lb salmon filet
1Tbsp finely chopped rosemary
1Tbsp finely chopped thyme
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
1Tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Instructions:

Heat the oven to 400°F.  In a pan, line foil so it overflows about 2 inches on all sides.
Add the salmon, drizzle olive oil, salt and pepper on both sides.
Sprinkle finely chopped rosemary and thyme on the top.
Cover with thinly sliced lemons
Fold two of the sides over to make a handle.  Then fold over each of the other two sides so that none of the steam or liquid seeps out when it’s baking.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.  When you pull it out, poke a couple of holes in to let the steam out before opening the foil completely.  Portion out into two servings and serve with rice and your favorite veggies!

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Quinoa, Brown Rice and Black Beans

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Loaded with protein and yummy veggies, this is one of my new favorite go-to’s.  Simple to make and you can add whatever veggies you choose – I had colored bell peppers, tomatoes and onions in my fridge so that’s what I went with today.

Here’s how I made it:

Soak 1/3c Quinoa in some warm water for about 20 minutes.  This helps the seeds cook easier and softer.

Also soak 1/2c Brown Rice for 20 minutes.  Brown Rice can be tough to cook as it usually takes longer than white rice to make but if you soak it first, it comes out really nice and soft.

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Finely Dice colored Bell Peppers, Tomatoes, Onions and a couple of cloves of garlic.

In a nonstick pot, heat oil and ad the cumin.   Add the onions. garlic, tomatoes, bell peppers and mix well.

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Cook for 5 minutes, then add in the quinoa, rice and black beans.  Add some salt, pepper and just a touch of hot sauce – it adds that magical touch!   Add the water and bring to a boil.  Cook for about 30 minutes or until the rice is tender.  20150922_191538

Just before serving, squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the rice.  The extra zing tastes really good!  There you have it!  This is a great make ahead recipe and perfect for the fall.

Here’s the recipe all in one spot!

Ingredients:
½ c diced onions
½ c diced tomatoes
1c diced bell peppers (I like to include a variety of colors)
1 can (14oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 c Quinoa
½ c Brown Rice
1 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
1 tsp, freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
2 c Water
a couple dashes of hot sauce

Instructions:
Soak quinoa and brown rice in warm water for 20 minutes.
In a nonstick pot, heat oil and add the cumin.   Add the onions. garlic, tomatoes, bell peppers and mix well.
Cook for 5 minutes, and then add in the quinoa, rice and black beans.  Add some salt, pepper and the hot sauce.
Add the water and bring to a boil.  Cook for about 30 minutes or until the rice is tender.
Just before serving, squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the rice.

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Shrimp Ceviche

The husband is a big fan of seafood so I decided to surprise him with some shrimp ceviche today.  With a few changes on the classic recipe, here’s my version of shrimp ceviche.

Shrimp Ceviche

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh, raw shrimp
1 c lemon juice
1 large cucumber, deseeded, peeled and finely chopped
2 roma tomatoes, deseeded, finely chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped
1-2 serrano peppers, finely chopped (how many you use depends on your spice level)
Salt to taste

Directions:

In a large bowl, pour 1/2 c lemon juice over shrimp and let rest for at least 15-20 minutes.

In another bowl, combine cucumber, onion, tomatoes, peppers, parsley and 1/2 c lemon juice and mix well.  Add veggie mix to shrimp then salt to taste.  Mix well.  Cover and let marinate in fridge for at least 1 hour so the flavors really sink in.  Serve with chips and Enjoy!

 

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Hearty Veggie Soup

With the weather so cold out, and rain falling non-stop, I love turning to a comforting bowl of hot soup. My hearty veggie soup is a classic that I enjoy so much each time I make it. I usually make a large batch that lasts me a few days. With plenty of carrots, celery, potatoes and kidney beans, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do…….

Hearty Veggie Soup

Heat 1 tbsp EVOO in a pot over medium heat. Add in the garlic and roast for 30 seconds.

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Then add in the red onions and saute for about 30 seconds.

finely chopped onions

Add in the potatoes, celery and carrots. I usually leave my potatoes in a bowl of water once they’re chopped until I’m ready to use them; this washes out a lot of the starch in potatoes.

Veggies

Add tomato paste and mix well. Add kidney beans.

Kidney Beans

Add veggie broth, 1 cup of water, and mix well. Season with basil, oregano and salt. Allow soup to boil then reduce to low heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until the veggies are tender. Stir occasionally so the veggies don’t settle to the bottom. Garnish with basil leaves and serve hot.

Soup

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp EVOO
4 med red potatoes
5 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
2 (16oz) cans veggie broth
2 Tbsp dried basil
1 Tbsp dried Oregano
1.5 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (6oz) can tomato paste
1 (15oz) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 c water

Directions:

Heat 1 tbsp EVOO in a pot over medium heat. Add in the garlic and roast for 30 seconds. Add in onions and saute for 30 seconds. Add in the potatoes, celery and carrots. Add tomato paste and mix well. Add kidney beans. Add veggie broth, 1 cup of water, and mix well. Season with basil, oregano and salt. Allow soup to boil then reduce to low heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until the veggies are tender. Stir occasionally so the veggies don’t settle to the bottom. Garnish with basil leaves and serve hot.

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Honey White Bread

Honey White Bread

I was in need of bread to make sandwiches for lunch and decided I wanted to make my own loaves at home – at least I’ll know it’s healthier and what goes in it.  Try it out and use it for sandwiches, toast with jam, bread crumbs, anything your mind asks you to create!

Ingredients:

1/2 c warm water
2 packages dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 c warm milk (I use 2% but you can use buttermilk also – it adds a bit of a tang to the taste)
6 Tbsp melted and cooled unsalted butter
2 egg yolks
4 c all purpose flour (plus a little extra to knead and roll the dough)
1 tbsp Kosher salt
1 egg white

Directions:

1. Place the water in an electric mixer bowl and add yeast and sugar.  Mix with fingers lightly.  Allow yeast and sugar to dissolve for 5 minutes.

2. Add milk, butter, and honey.  Mix on medium speed until blended.  Add egg yolks 1 at a time, 2 cups of flour and salt.  Mix on low speed for 5 minutes.  Add remaining 2 cups of flour and mix on medium speed until dough is not sticking to bowl.  Knead on medium speed for 5-7 minutes.

3. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for a minute.  Grease a bowl with butter (or EVOO), add dough then turn over so all of the dough is slightly oiled/buttered.  Cover the dough with a damp towel and allow to rise for 1 hour.

4. Grease two 9×5 loaf pans with butter (or EVOO).  Divide dough (which should have risen beautifully by now) in half and roll into loaf shaped.  Place each in greased pans and cover again with damp towel for another hour.

5. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Lightly whip the egg white and brush over each loaf.  Place both loaves in oven and bake for 40-45 minutes.

6. Bread will be golden brown on top when ready.  Remove from oven and turn over on cooling rack to remove from loaf pans.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy!