Baked Salmon with Cream & Herbs

I love fish - I really do. I don't cook it for myself very often, since typically it will stink up the kitchen. Usually, I just grill fish, or go out to a restaurant when I want fish. 

This recipe, however, doesn't stink up the kitchen AT ALL. It's quick, easy, and really impressive in that it looks incredibly fancy and tastes amazing, but only takes about 30 minutes from start to finish. Since I grow my own herbs and had plenty of cream leftover from my Chicken Pot Pie Pasta, this was ESPECIALLY easy - all I had to do was get a few salmon filets! 

This is a simple meal - it goes GREAT with Spinach-Parmesan Orzo! 

Spinach-Parmesan Orzo

I've got a serious love for spinach. I make it as a side dish REALLY frequently - as in, at least once per week. It's incredibly healthy, super easy to prepare, and cheap (especially since local grocery stores here almost ALWAYS have a B1G1 Free/50% off sale on bagged spinach). 

Sometimes I make creamed spinach, or, with an Asian meal, Japanese spinach "salad". Usually, though, I just saute it in a little teeny spot of olive oil for about 5 minutes or until wilted. Easy!

I had an extra bag of spinach (thanks to one of those aforementioned sales), and wanted to make something a little nicer than the usual sauteed spinach. After a quick scan of the pantry, I found some orzo and then remembered that I had a little bit of grated Parmesan from my Chicken Parmesan that needed to be used up. Since I ALWAYS have chicken stock on hand (whether it's my usual recipe, or my slow-cooker stock made from the leftovers of storebought or homemade rotisserie chicken), I knew I could come up with something without having to go to the store....Spinach-Parmesan Orzo (who saw that one coming?)

Agua Fresca (Fruit-Infused Water)

Agua Fresca, literally "fresh water", are simply glasses of water, infused with the flavor of fresh fruits, herbs and, occasionally, seeds. Now, I drink a LOT of water - I quit drinking sodas YEARS ago, and now only have one on a rare occasion. Usually, I just drink water and unsweetened tea. I have water bottles (the reusable kind) all over the house, in my car, and stashed in the fridge, so I can stay hydrated all day long. 

However, plain old water gets boring...FAST. I actually LIKE water, but sometimes I need something a little different. This is where agua fresca, or "fruit-infused water" comes in. This is simply water lightly flavored with fruits and herbs - the flavor is very subtle, and there aren't any added sweeteners. It's definitely a welcome change from plain water, and the possibilities are ENDLESS!

Keep reading after the recipe for some great fruit/herb combinations! 

Now, you CAN buy infusing pitchers or water bottles or drop-in infuser balls, but I like to just use something I've already got - mason jars, specifically, half-gallon mason jars I picked up at a local Ace Hardware (they're hard to find sometimes, but you can always find them on Amazon). I simply dump in my ingredients, add filtered water, and let chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight! 

Slow-Cooker Korean Pork Ribs

Every so often, out of laziness, brokeness, or just not wanting to go grocery shopping, I'll take an inventory of the freezers. I've got the regular ol' above-the-fridge freezer, and a 5.0 cu. ft. chest freezer - it has a really small footprint, but holds a LOT. Honestly, I don't know how I ever got by without one!

Anyway, I TRIED to make a list once, taking everything out of the freezer, and even making a super-nerdy Excel spreadsheet. It worked great...for about 2 weeks. Then I quit crossing things off or adding new purchases. So, I rooted around in the freezer and was SURPRISED to find about 5 pounds of country-style pork ribs, bought when Winn-Dixie had a really good sale! 

I decided to try something different instead of regular BBQ ribs or my usual sticky sweet Thai chili ribs. I've been craving Korean food lately (we don't have many Korean restaurants here, and the big 'fancy' one was absolutely HORRIBLE the last time the BF and I ate there), so I decided to try to make galbi (kalbi) style ribs...in the slow cooker (told you I was lazy)!

I actually like to make the sauce the night before - just combine all of the ingredients in a jar, put the lid on, and shake it up! Then, in the morning, all you have to do is plop the ribs in your slow cooker, pour the sauce on, and turn it on - EASY!

Kiwi-Mango Quinoa Salad w/ Lime-Ginger Vinaigrette

Y'all. Make this salad...like, RIGHT NOW. 

My good friend and running buddy Amanda (HAY GURL!) messaged me on Facebook not too long ago. I think the message was something along the lines of OMG YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS THE DRESSING IS AMAZING. 

I checked out the recipe and it looked great. Amanda mentioned that she used corn and feta in her salad. I looked at the ingredients, checked the fridge and pantry, and decided I could make my own version of the salad, substituting minced bell pepper for the red onion, and adding in some canned mandarin oranges.

I didn't make any changes to the vinaigrette, and I am SO GLAD I DIDN'T. It honestly makes this salad. I could probably pour this vinaigrette on a pile of dirty running socks and make them taste amazing. I won't try it, though - those socks aren't cheap! 

I ate a TON of this salad. As in, I had seconds. And thirds. Luckily, since quinoa is such a superfood, I didn't feel any guilt at all for indulging! 

Chicken Pot Pie Pasta

As a Southerner, I definitely love chicken pot pie. Creamy sauce, tons of chicken, and a super buttery biscuit topping - what's not to love?? I can make it the traditional (slow) way, pull a casserole shortcut, or forgo the biscuit topping altogether and use PASTA instead. 

I know - totally not traditional...

Am I concerned? Nope - this tastes WAY too good for me to worry about being traditional/authentic, plus, it's SUPER quick and easy to prepare! If you REALLY miss those biscuits, just make a batch (canned/frozen or homemade) and serve them on the side!