If you are looking for a lighter version of a pot roast, this is it. This meal is not only hearty and filling but is still light enough where it wont weigh you down. When ever I’m craving home-cooked meal like mom used to make, this is it!
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Zucchini Pasta with Turkey Meat Sauce
My husband and I decided that we were going to become a bit healthier in our selection of foods. While on this journey we have realized that we absolutely love pasta! To create a healthier spin on this classic dish, we decided to use zucchini as our pasta and to make our own sauces. If anyone knows my husband, he is not a fan of vegetables, however this one was a winner for him. This was one of the easiest ways to cut back.
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Fourth of July Featured Recipes
Coloring Easter Eggs – DIY
Dying eggs during the Easter holiday is something that most families do every year. Most people do not know that you can have a lot of fun coloring eggs with things that you can find in your refrigerator. Yes, it may take a little work to get it done, but the results are amazing and you can avoid contact with unsafe chemicals for the little ones.
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Two Salsas and Guacamole
Shay’s Sugar Cookie
Vegan Sweet Potato Pie
Red Wine Poached Pears
When thinking about Valentine’s Day, I tend to think about SWEETS! I wanted to find a dessert that did not require a ton of sugar. This recipe for Poached Pears is a perfect treat that maintains the integrity of the pear while creating a bold flavor that can satisfy your sweet tooth. So, if you are looking for a different type of sweet treat, this one is for you.
Vegan Cornbread
Warm Apples n’ Oats
Fingerling Potatoes and Asparagus Bake
Warm Spinach Salad
Crock Pot Black Eyed Pea Soup
Vegan Pancakes
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Stuffed Bell Peppers can be a beautiful meal that does not require many extra sides. They taste great the traditional way with meat and the vegan way. They make for a delicious meal that you can serve with salad on a beautiful summer night or on a crisp fall day.
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Braised Purple Cabbage
Cabbage is one of my favorite foods. Growing up I loved anytime my Grandmother would make cabbage for the family. Trying to become healthier, I still wanted cabbage with great flavors without meat. This savory earthy dish is a great complement to any dinner. It is healthy and delicious.
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Cherry Pie
If you love tart desserts, cherry pie is perfect. This pie is buttery, tart and delicious.
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Rosemary Rubbed Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes have quickly become one of my favorite foods. Growing up my family would often have sweet potatoes on Sundays. Though I love sweet potatoes with butter and all the fixings, I found there are tons of ways to prepare them. This recipe truly highlights how delicious a sweet potato really is without all of the added butter and sugar. This is a great complement to an earthy meal and is vegetarian and vegan friendly.
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Mom DJ’s Pineapple Maple Brown Sugar Ham
When my mother and I are in the kitchen, it is simply hilarious. We go back and forth on recipes and somehow come up with delicious things. This sweet and salty mixture makes for the perfect glaze for any ham. The ham remains juicy and tender and can add personality to any dinner. This meat is also awesome for sandwiches after dinner is over.
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Britton’s Sweet Corn Kale Soup
This soup is light, delicious, yet filling. It can complement any meal perfectly by adding color to your meal. Its bright flavors will surprise you and keep you wanting more.
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Bourbon Pecan Pie
Shay’s Lemon Pancakes
Caramel Pecan Candies
Cookies are not the only treat you can make for the holiday season. Try candies, they are sure to please.
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Parmesan Whipped Butter
My husband, Jeremy, is a huge garlic, cheese and butter lover. He is notorious for random requests. One day he came in the office and said, “I want a snack. Can you just make me whipped butter?” Though this was a very random request on a Saturday evening, I combined his favorite things and came up with this delicious spread and he gave it a thumbs up! It is amazing on fresh warm French baguette, croissants, or pita bread.
Tuxedo Chocolate Chip Cookies
Most days when I’m ordering my morning latte I opt in for a “Tuxedo” mocha. I figured since the drink was so delicious, a cookie should be too! This cookie is buttery, soft, and overall delicious. I’m sure Santa would love this on Christmas Eve.
Dinner Party Series – Sweet and Savory
I am very blessed and privileged to have some great people in my life. I often tell people that I don’t have friends; I have family. Entering the fall season, I invited a group of “family” to help kickoff the Shay’s Kitchen Dinner Party series. It was important to have a unique spin on every dish to help celebrate the fall season. The theme of the October party was “Sweet and Savory”.
Britton’s Roasted Red Pepper Mashed Potatoes
Britton Citchens is an awesome husband, father, and CHEF! During this dinner party series he will be my partner in crime. He came up with this phenomenal recipe for roasted red pepper mashed potato that was simply amazing. The smokiness of the red peppers paired with the goat cheese was rich and savory.
Rosemary Rub
This savory rub will surly amplify any chicken or fish dish you are making. Its smoky flavors harmonize well.
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Apple Ginger Martini
This crisp martini brings out the sweet flavors of ginger while still highlighting the tart of fresh apples. It is amazing.
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Chicken Sweet Potato Soup
During fall sweet potatoes are at their best. Usually when thinking about sweet potatoes people associate them with marshmallows and sugar, but there are a number of reasons why sweet potatoes in themselves are actually really good for you, without the bad stuff. Sweet potatoes are high in antioxidants, which work to prevent inflammatory issues like asthma, arthritis, gout and much more. They are also great for the digestive tract due to them being rich in fiber. They can help offset heart problems and stroke. With all of these benefits, I wanted to use them more in my recipes. If you want a sweet yet savory hearty soup, this is a sure winner.
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Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
As a child my brother and I would go to the pumpkin patch every year. We would pick out our pumpkins to carve for Halloween and attempt to bake the seeds. Now that I’m older, I realize that there was so much more I could have done with those pumpkins. This simple dessert highlights how delicious pumpkin can be.
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J’s Fried Apple Pies
My brother, Jamar, and I simply love fall. Growing up we would often go to the apple orchard on Saturday mornings to pick up apple cider donuts, honey sticks, and a bag of apples. With this, it is easy to see that his absolute favorite desert is apple pie. Being a college student, he wanted to make an apple pie that he could grab and go. This one was an absolute winner.
Peach Bourbon BBQ Salmon
We are extremely blessed to have some great friends. Simeon “Real” Dill is known as being a celebrity barber, but to me he is a great man of God, businessman and style enthusiast. When Jeremy informed me that Simeon was coming over for dinner I wanted to make something as eclectic as he is. I had just purchased some locally grown peaches from the market and wanted to continue celebrating national bourbon month. What better way to do this then to make peach bourbon barbecued salmon!
Flourless Chocolate Bourbon Cake
Often times Jeremy and I sit at home on Friday night to catch a good movie. During our “date nights” we always want something sweet. This night, I wanted something sweet but not too heavy, so out of the blue we decided to make flourless chocolate cake. I can honestly say this one was simple, yet amazing – especially served with a little vanilla ice cream.
Parmesan Crusted Mac and Cheese
Everyone loves a good Mac and Cheese dish. This mac and cheese is a sure crowd pleaser at any event.
2 BBQ Sauces and a Rub
Featuring Three different sauces, starting with Shay’s BBQ Sauce, a Roasted Garlic BBQ Sauce and a Texas BBQ Rub.
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Grilled Veggies
To some this may seem like a given, but meat is not the only thing that can go on the grill. Whenever we grill at my home, I try to make it a point to put some vegetables on the grill. Vegetables are not only good for you, but can bring color and flavor to a meal. By grilling veggies you are able to incorporate that smoky flavor from the grill into the veggies and bring a savory sensation to your palate. Next time you grill try one of the tips below to bring a little “color” to your grilling experience.
Watermelon, Cucumber & Basil Skewer
Sometimes you just want something light and refreshing. I am a huge fan of cucumber as well as watermelon, so I figured why not put them together. Instead of creating a salad, this is a great appetizer that you can serve at parties that can truly prepare your guest’s palette.
3 Creamy Alfredo Sauces
One of my husband’s favorite dishes is Creamy Fettuccine Alfredo. He has been ordering this dish since he was a child. Interestingly enough my favorite pasta sauce is Marinara; therefore you can see the problem we have when it’s pasta night at our house. After playing around a bit with different types of creamy sauces that we would both enjoy, I created three Alfredo sauces that are not only creamy but also delicious! Whether you want a heavy creamy sauce, something on the light side, or even a Vegan option; you will find one of these sauces perfect.
Buttermilk Waffle
To be honest, waffles are by far one of the trickiest breakfast items to make. Sometimes they are too soft, almost soggy and other times they are too hard to truly enjoy. While studying for my undergraduate degree, there were many nights when “cafeteria food” simply was not going to cut it. I would often make waffles in the cafeteria for dinner. It became one of my favorite foods that I still enjoy this breakfast item for dinner today. I finally created the perfect waffle recipe that yields waffles that are crispy on the outside, while still being soft and delicious on the inside.
Berry Pound Cake
One of my favorite deserts growing up was pound cake. It seemed like my Grandmother was always whipping together a quick homemade pound cake for desert. I remember her making it seem completely effortless. When I moved away from home I missed those wonderful pound cakes.
Little did I know, it took a lot of time, care, and experience to make the perfect pound cake. Though I feel that my Grandmother’s cake still reigns supreme, this one is getting me a bit closer. Thanks G. Brown, love ya!
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
This past 4th of July holiday my husband and I had the opportunity to host our family. We wanted to steer away from traditional desserts, so we decided to do chocolate covered strawberries for the family. This was a very easy and simple sweet dessert that everyone enjoyed. You can really get pretty fancy with this one.
Orange Ginger Chicken
Last winter was pretty difficult for the Midwest. We had a series of storms that made driving conditions extremely difficult. My husband and I had the unfortunate opportunity of driving in one of those storms to visit our Aunt and Uncle. To our surprise when we arrived our Aunt had prepared a beautiful spread for us. One of my favorite dishes that she prepared was Orange Ginger Chicken. This chicken dish is sweet, spicy, and savory. Try this dish next time you are trying to take traditional chicken up a notch. Read More »