Salmon Fried Rice Bowl

I don’t know about you, but I love making bowl for dinner lately. You can add any protein, veggie or starch of choice! They are quick to put together, easy for meal prep and a perfect balance of nutrients.

This Salmon Fried Rice Bowl was made with very quick ingredients . I actually used a frozen blend fried rice and spiced it up. I know some people aren’t for the frozen veggies or canned items that are a short cut but life gets busy and it’s good to have a these items in the freezer for those quick and healthy meals.

Salmon Fried Rice Bowl

Ingredients:

Rice:
1 small yellow onion, diced
6 mini colored peppers, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
16 oz bag frozen fried rice
2-3 eggs
1-2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado cooking spray
1-2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
sprinkle pepper

Salmon:
1lb salmon, cut into bite size pieces (try and cut around same size for even cooking)
1 tablespoon of olive oil or avocado spray
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
Sprinkle salt & pepper

Toppings:
Avocado, sliced
Fresh jalapeño, sliced
green onion, sliced
sriracha

Directions: Heat a medium skillet on high heat. Pre-heat air fryer for 4 minutes. In a medium bowl add in the salmon pieces, oil and seasoning. Mix well to make sure salmon is evenly coded. Add the salmon to air fryer pan or basket. Cook at 400° for 8-10 minutes flipping halfway through. (Note: Cooking time will vary based on air fryer and sizes of salmon pieces)

In the heated skillet add the olive oil and let heat for a minute. Next add in the onion, peppers and garlic and cook 2-3 minutes until it becomes fragrant. Add in the frozen fried rice next and cook 3-4 minutes. Mixing often to avoid sticking. Season the mixture with seasoning (add other flavors if you’d like) and drizzle in soy sauce and let cook another few minutes. Make a well in the middle of the rice, add in the eggs and scramble. Let cook 1-2 minutes and then mix all the rice together.

To assemble the bowl add the fried rice to the bottom and top with the salmon bites. Add your desired toppings. I used avocado, green onion, jalapeño and sriracha. Enjoy!




Greek Chicken Bowl

I’m always trying to create healthy quick meals. Life can get crazy especially during the week so having a healthy meal you can partially prep ahead of time and put together quick is a good healthy alternative to take out!

This bowl can be adjusted to any specific flavors or food lifestyles. A Must try!

Greek Chicken Bowls

Ingredients:

Chicken:
1lb chicken breast or tenderloins
1 cup fat free greek yoguart
1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 tablespoon dried dill
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
3 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 tablespoon, red or white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil

Salad:
2 cups tomatoes, diced
4 mini cucumbers, diced or cut in half moons
1 red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced (or garlic paste)
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, sliced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon oregano
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Bowl:
Cooked rice
1 cup tzatziki sauce
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Pita Chips:
3 pitas, cut in triangles (I used a low carb high fiber option)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons garlic powder
sprinkle salt and pepper

Directions: In a medium bowl add the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, spices, vinegar and olive oil. Mix well till fully incorporated. Add the chicken to a large gallon zip lock bag (or a bowl) and add in the Greek yogurt mixture. Mix all together until the chicken is fully coated. Marinate 3 hours or overnight.

To make the salad add all the salad ingredients to a medium bowl with the seasonings. Add more or less to your liking. Start with less vinegar and add more if needed. Make the salad ahead of time and let chill for 1-2 hours. This will help marry the flavors.

To make the pita chips drizzle with oil on both sides and sprinkle with seasoning. Place in heated air fryer at 400° for 8-10 minutes flipping halfway through. Make sure they start to get crisp, set aside. Note: they will crisp more once out of the air fryer.

The chicken can be cooked on the stove, baked, grilled or made in the air fryer. I used chicken tenderloins and cooked at 375° for about 10 minutes flipping halfway through in my oven air fryer. Chicken must be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°.

To assemble the Greek Chicken Bowl add you’re cooked rice (or a low carb alternative) top with chicken and add the salad on the side. Top with tzatziki and feta cheese.

Chef Notes: If you prefer chicken thighs you can easily swap out the chicken. If you have a Greek seasoning omit the above spices and use that. YUM! I have made this with low carb alternatives like cauliflower rice and low carb pita. Add extra cooked veggies for more volume.

Baked Italian Meatballs

Italian Meatballs are really simple to make and you really add any flavors you want! I’m Italian and I learned a lot from seeing my grandparents cook when I was very young and also from seeing my parents cook as well. Italian meatballs are really easy to make, there is no need to buy the store bought ones! You can put this recipe together in now time!

This recipe is a pretty basic Italian meatball recipe! I used ground beef as it was all I had but you can use a mixture of ground beef and ground pork that also comes out delicious! My grandmother use to fry the meatballs, but to make these a little healthier I bake them! You can simmer these meatballs in sauce, enjoy with pasta or eat them on their own. I personally eat them with a little drizzle of oil and some delicious shaved Italian cheese with a chunk of bread! Yum!!

Baked Italian Meatballs

Ingredients:
2lb ground meat (beef or a mixture of beef & pork)
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/3 cup grated Romano cheese
1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
1/2 Tbsp Garlic & Herb Seasoning (See below for Amazon Link)
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
4 garlic cloves, grated
1 shallot, grated
2 tsp olive oil

Extras:
Olive oil cooking spray

My Favorite Amazon Items: https://www.amazon.com/shop/garlic_and_oliveoil_veins

Directions: Preheat oven 375°. In a medium bowl add all the ingredients above and gently mix with your hands (Yes, your hands) until everything is fully mixed together. Do not over mix the meat, this is important to keeping a moist meatball.

Next grab a few pinches of meat and form your meatballs. Don’t overly work the meat mixture. You want to just gently roll into balls. Make the meatballs any size you want. Add the meatballs to a greased cookie sheet leaving a little room in between. Bake in the oven for 25-35 minutes until fully cooked through. There is no need to flip the meatballs during the cooking process. Adjust the cook time based on the size of the meatballs. Enjoy the meatballs with pasta, simmered in sauce or just on their own!

Smashed Potatoes (Air Fryer Recipe)

I’m potato lover!! I love any and all potatoes. I love cooking with potatoes because there are so many ways you can make them! Mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, gnocchi, pancakes, baked the options are endless! I’m sure you’ve seen smashed potatoes! They are so simple to make and these are even easier than normal! I actually par cooked in the microwave! I didn’t have time to boil the potatoes first so decided to cut down on the time and throw them in the microwave! If you have the time, you can definately boil the potatoes first, but honestly I’ve done it both ways and didn’t notice a differenace.

Use any seasoning of your choice! Here’s the link to some of my favorite! https://www.amazon.com/shop/garlic_and_oliveoil_veins

Give these smashed potatoes a try and let me know how they you like them!!

Smashed Potatoes (Air Fryer Recipe)

8-10 baby potatoes, (I used Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp Ranch seasoning
1 Tbsp garlic & herb seasoning
salt/pepper, to taste

Directions: Rinse potatoes under water and remove any dirt. Add the potatoes to a microwave safe plate and cook on high 5-6 minutes until tender. Add the potatoes to air fryer rack. Using the bottom of a heavy glass press down smashing the potatoes. Next drizzle olive oil and season both sides of the potatoes. Preheat the air fryer. (Note: My air fryer preheats at 400° for 4 minutes.) Next add the rack to the top of the air fryer and cook at 400° for 10 minutes, flipping half way. Add or reduce time depending on your desired level of crispiness! Personally, I like these smashed potatoes nice and crisp! Remove from the air fryer and serve with sour cream for dipping or any dip of your choosing or just enjoy on their own. Enjoy!!

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Air Fryer Garlic Butter Lobster Tail

I love seafood! Recently I made a seafood feast with crab legs, lobster tails, mussels and clams and it was so delicious! I call it “working” on content but it’s a delicious way to work if you ask me! Anyway, I love lobster and I decided to try to switch up how I make it! These were cooked in the air fryer and I must say they came out phenomenal. So quick, so tender and so delicious.

The best way is to butterfly the lobster. I started doing this a while back to my tails and I love how they come out. It looks pretty professional, too but it’s so simple! Start by cutting the top of the shell, pull the shell open and using your fingers pull the meat out and lay on top of the shell. You still want the meat attached to the shell slightly to keep it in place.

This recipe has a very simple garlic butter. You can just use butter and lemon and keep very simple. Check out the recipe and cooking instructions below.

Air Fryer Garlic Butter Lobster Tails

Ingredients:
2 lobster tails, butterflied
1/2 stick salted butter, melted
1 garlic cloves, grated
1-2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp parsley
sprinkle salt
sprinkle pepper

Directions: Preheat the air fryer. (Mine preheats for 3 minutes at 400°) Add the lobster tails to an air fryer safe pan. Add the butter, garlic, parsley, lemon and salt & pepper to a bowl and mix well. Using a brush, brush the butter mixture over the lobster. Add into the air fryer and cook at 380° for 4 minutes. After 4 minutes, brush more butter onto the lobster and cook another 4-5 minutes until fully cooked. The tail is done when the meat turns a milky white and the shell is a bright red. Note: Cook time will vary depending on the size of the lobster tail. These lobster tails were only about 5 oz each, anything larger make take 10-12 minutes to fully cook. Avoid overcooking as the lobster will become chewy and rubbery if over cooked.

Air Fryer Oreos

I’m still loving my air fryer! It was probably one of the best items I’ve purchased recently. I love kitchen items, obviously! But this gadget is awesome! I decided to give Oreos a try in the air fryer. I personally don’t like the idea of the ones with crescent dough. I feel like it would be a little on the doughy side for me. I made mine with pancake mix and I loved the way they came out. Do they taste like a fried Oreo you get a carnival or state fair… probably not. BUT these are delicious nonetheless! If you are looking for a “fried” treat with no guilt this is it! Give them a try and let me know what you think!

Air Fryer Oreos

Ingredients:
1/2 cup complete pancake mix
1/3 cup water
10 Oreos (or other chocolate sandwich cookes)
cooking spray
powder sugar, to taste

Directions: Preheat air fryer. (Mine preheats at 400 for 4 minutes) In a small bowl mix together pancake mix and water until combined. If the mix seems to wet you can add more pancake mix. You want it to be thicker and not to runny. Spray the air fryer rack with cooking spray. Dip the cookie in the pancake mix and make sure it’s fully covered. Lay on the air fryer rack. Complete with all Oreos and make sure they are not touching. Place in the air fryer and cook at 400 for about 7-8 minutes flipping halfway through. Remove from air fryer and sprinkle with powder sugar. You can use parchment paper for a smoother bottom! I just put on the rack vs using the parchment paper.