Spicy Shrimp & Bacon Corn Chowder

So I like to give credit where do and let you all know I got this recipe from Closet Cooking

Great site with awesome recipes. Of course, I am notorious for never following the recipe so I added my own flare and additional ingredients.

First, I halved the recipe on the blog because I just wanted to make 2 servings for me and my boyfriend. I also used a 1/3 of the amount of heavy cream required to make it more healthy. (I also really hate overly creamy soups)

Additional ingredients are as followed (obviously optional)

1 large ancho chili (adds great smokiness)
2.5 tbs of tomato paste (gives it a sweeter taste)
1tsp of the following: rosemary, sage, parsley, cilantro and spicy oregano

I also grilled the shrimp to give it that charred, smokey flavor!

My Favorite Lipsticks

I recently became obsessed with lipsticks! I thought it was time to share with you some of my favorite lipstick colors. Now to preface, I do have a tanner skin color but I really do think these colors look good on everyone (but I would add some red to the Diva lip color because it does look vampy on pale skin)

1. YSL - Rouge Pur Couture ($35) - Great red lip color, similar to Ruby Woo but a smoother finish
2. YSL - Le Fuschia ($35) - My favorite magenta lip color, because let's be real, red doesn't go with everything!
3. MAC Chrome ($16) - More of satin finish and an excellent nude lip color.
4. MAC Ruby Woo ($16) - Used a lot by Rihanna and is the perfect bright red color. This is a matte finish, so wear lip balm under the color so it doesn't dry out. Add lipgloss for a glossier finish.
5. MAC Lady Danger ($16) - Coral/Orange Red that looks great on a brown/olive skin tone. This is also a matte finish
6. MAC Diva ($16) - Dark red lip color. It's not too vampy on me but can be on a paler skin tone. I would mix it with Ruby Woo to give it a brighter look. This is my go to lip color during the fall.

Can be purchased at:

Bloomingdales.com

Sephora.com

Photos courtesy of google.com

Labor Day Weekend Grill Feast: Red Snapper with Veggies on a bed of Quinoa

Happy Labor Day Weekend all!

Since the warm days are about to turn chillier, we wanted to use our grill to make a Labor Day Weekend Grill Feast. It's a very simple and easy dinner. Grilled red snapper and corn with sautéed zucchini and baby broccoli on a bed of quinoa. Now a lot of my recipes, especially this one, doesn't really give step by step instructions, just a general guide. Everyone has their own preference and some my recipes don't call for exact measurements because I just like going rogue! Makes cooking more fun.

Recipe

1.3 lbs fillet of red snapper
1 bunch of baby broccoli
2 zucchinis cut into circles
1/2 cup of quinoa
1.5 cups of water
Seasonings (your choice)

I first seasoned the fillet of red snapper with a bunch of difference whole foods seasoning from their seafood isle (they have everything!) Put it on the grill for 15-20 minutes.

Baby Broccoli - chop up some garlic in a pan with a little bit of olive oil. Put the broccoli in with some lemon juice with the pan cover on. Let it steam for 10 minutes. Soggy vegetables are the worst, so keep an eye on how high the stove is set.

Zucchini - Toss it in olive oil, seasonings of your choice, salt, pepper and cook in a pan for 10 minutes. You want it to remain crispy so make sure it doesn't start getting brown ... it's a sign that it's now overcooked. No bueno!

Quinoa - Boil 1.5 cups of water and 1/2 cup of quinoa. Quinoa to me isn't very good seasoned, so I avoid seasonings.. Don't worry, the other flavors in this meal will compensate. Let it cook for 5 minutes on high, and when the water is bubbling, put the stove on low and let sit. The quinoa will seep up the water and become fluffy.

Corn - Season with your favorite seasonings (I used paprika, dill, garlic&herb, Betts seasoning (all time favorite) and Morton's all purpose seasoning) Cover in foil and grill for 10-12 minutes.

Gnocchi with Shrimp and Asparagus

Recipe


Gnocchi - 

2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 large russet potatoes

Boil or microwave the potatoes until soft and mushy. Mix in with the 2 cups of flour and kneed into a nice ball. Take a small piece from the large dough and roll it into a skinny snake (you can determine how skinny you want it based on how fat your want your gnocchi to be) Cut with a knife and put in boiling water until the gnocchi comes floating to the top (about 2-3 minutes). Make sure you don't overcrowd the gnocchi, so complete in batches.

Shrimp - 

10-15 Medium deveined shrimp
1 tsp coconut oil
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional ... I just like spicy food)

Sauté the shrimp in a separate pan and just lightly brown each side. Put aside on another plate

Asparagus

Chop the asparagus into large long chunks and blanche in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Rid of the excess water and set aside.

Shallots -

1 shallot
1/2 tbs of coconut oil

Meanwhile with some coconut oil, sauté 1 large shallot until gold brown. Move the shallots to a separate plate and use the same pan to make the sauce.

Sauce -

1 cup of chicken broth (sodium)
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 tbs of butter
2 tbs of all purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped italian parsley
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp ground pepper

Deglaze the shallots pan with broth, wine and butter. Let the ingredients simmer and then slowly add the all purpose flour to thicken the sauce. I would add a little flour at a time until you get the consistency you want. The 2 tbs requirement is a rough estimate I begin with and add more if I need to.

Add some of the italian parsley, red pepper flakes and ground pepper to the sauce. I didn't add any salt because the broth had plenty but feel free to add to your liking!

Once the sauce has thickened, add the shrimp, shallots and asparagus to the sauce. Let simmer for about 5 minutes and toss in the gnocchi. Add the last bit of fresh parsley, some fresh grounded pepper (optional) and toss. Serve immediately.

Top 5 Thursdays! Coffee Table Books

So I decided on starting Top 5 Thursdays! I just love a good list and todays edition features my Top 5 Coffee Table Books in no particular order. I tried to pick books that are between the $10-$20 range which I think is pretty reasonable. I have seem some high-end fashion coffee table books that are about $50-$60... One day...

1. Lauren Conrad Style - Great book with amazing fashion tips and staple wardrobe pieces
2. Humans of New York - It's a conversational piece with amazing photography and compelling stories behind each photo
3. Dirty Side of Glamour - I love celebrities! Tyler Shields is a very unique photographer with some wild and crazy celebrity portraits
4. Post Secret Extraordinary Confession from Ordinary Lives - I just love the anonymity it offers with a gamut of feelings and personality
5. Lauren Conrad Beauty - (I know it appears twice but I'm just a huge Lauren Conrad fan) she offers great beauty advice ranging from makeup and just having that radiant glow!

Quick Kale Salad Recipe

I love an easy weeknight salad! I had some kale at home and decided to make a quick salad for dinner. It's healthy and low-carb!

Recipe

1 bunch of kale thinly sliced
1 granny smith chopped lengthwise
1/2 cup of walnuts, pistachios or pine nuts

Dressing

2 tbs olive oil
3 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs lemon zest
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp pepper

If you don't have time to make a dressing, the Dean and Deluca Pear Vinaigrette is an amazing alternative! I use that if I have a long night at work. However, I do advocate making your own since it eliminates preservatives.

Mix all ingredients together, serve immediately.

*** You can add some fresh grated parmesan cheese or pecorino romano to the salad. I'm just not a huge pungent cheese fan since it diminishes some of the healthiness of the salad but it's all preference.

Caprese Salad with Balsamic Glaze

Recipe (serves 2)

4 vine-ripen juicy tomatoes (the juicier the better!)
1 cup of fresh basil leaves
1 buffalo mozzarella ball (or any type of mozzarella)
1 tbs of olive oil
1 tbs of fine balsamic vinegar
Balsamic glaze drizzle on top
Dash of freshly grounded pepper and salt

Instructions: Dice up your tomatoes and mozzarella. Toss everything together (except the balsamic glaze). Drizzle the glaze at the end.

Fairly simple recipe! The balsamic glaze is sweet and really binds the whole salad together but it's all preference. You can purchase it at any World Market, Whole Foods and/or regular/specialty grocery store.