Shrimp Scampi Flatbreads

I was home to make lunch and was thinking about Shrimp Scampi but it seemed a bit much for lunch so I made it into a flatbread with a scampi-like sauce. I loved it and it was the perfect fit for a surprisingly quick lunch with the flavors without messing with dough or even boiling water. Cooking the shrimp and making the sauce in that same pan makes for a lot of flavor and was just so easy.

The Three Bite Rule - Shrimp Scampi Flatbread

Ingredients:

1 garlic naan
5-6 shrimp
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup clam juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon garlic
cracked black pepper & salt
1 teaspoon chopped chives
~2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon thyme

Directions:

Toast the flatbread.
In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Cook and flip once and cook for a few minutes per side.
The Three Bite Rule - Shrimp Scampi Flatbread
Remove the shrimp and add in the clam juice, lemon juice, mustard, & garlic.
The Three Bite Rule - Shrimp Scampi Flatbread
Whisk and bring to a low simmer. Add in more black pepper and chives.
The Three Bite Rule - Shrimp Scampi Flatbread
Spread the sauce onto the naan and top with Parmesan and shrimp.
The Three Bite Rule - Shrimp Scampi Flatbread
Sprinkle with the thyme and return to the oven for another few minutes.
The Three Bite Rule - Shrimp Scampi Flatbread
The sauce was veryyy flavorful. The clam juice, lemon juice, dijon, and garlic are fo-real. For pasta I’d probably save a bit of the starchy water to thin it out a little. I was so glad I made this one & got the flavor I was thinking about. It was easy to make a single serving and was a great reminder how quickly some classic flavors can take shape.

What I Ate: Breakfast Sandwich on Texas Toast

I took my Mom for a birthday breakfast at a spot between us and knew I couldn’t turn down their breakfast sandwich special. It was on Texas toast which seemed so fun! I kept these quite simple as egg & cheese for a meat-less weeknight dinner with some tots in the toaster oven.  I’d totally make these bfast sandwiches again and load them up with tomato, bacon, spinach, or whatever.
The Three Bite Rule - Texas Toast Breakfast Sandwich

Ingredients: (per sandwich)

2 pieces of Texas toast
1 egg
1 slice cheddar
(add in bacon/sausage/spinach/sliced tomato/etc)

Directions:

Toast the Texas toast according to the package.
Fry and egg. Flip it and add the cheese. Reduce the heat and cover with a pot cover to melt.

The Three Bite Rule - Texas Toast Breakfast Sandwich
I like the yolk to run and this doughy toast is perfect to soak it all up. Tots in the toaster oven meant dinner was QUICK and didn’t heat up the whole house. The little one gobbled some up for his 2nd dinner. The babe is a carb-lover so he’d be happy with bites of Texas Toast the next time I toast up the remaining pieces. One would be plenty so an open-faced one would be nice too.

July 2016 Recap

All of a sudden it was Independence Day. Now all of a sudden it is August. I’m so ready for the heat to be over but I hate to rush through any season. I truly didn’t cook much.

One of my fav’s this month was this peanut sesame sauce for noodles
The Three Bite Rule - Peanut Sesame Noodles
And the little one would definitely agree. He was slurping them up while we were eating after already having dinner.

Also, summer means fresh sides and this pineapple, cucumber, and mint salad was sooo refreshing.
The Three Bite Rule - Pineapple, Cucumber, Mint Salad
Also, don’t miss the Californian Burger with In-N-Out Sauce, avocado, and lots of herbs.
The Three Bite Rule - Cali Burger
The Little One: 
He is speaking so much more! He has so many thoughts and feelings. He eats sooo much! His favorites are fruit, cheese, and whatever I’m eating. He was really into pulled pork I made and he loooves long spaghetti. In August we’ll have a trip to the beach and he’s going to have a blast.

This Year’s Goals: 
The Year of the: Seasonal Decor: I got an awesome watermelon welcome mat. love it.
do something a different way: 
drink more water: yes, that might be the only good thing about this heat
make more interesting side dishes: yes, I made maple bacon creamed corn which was delectable.
cook more soups & sauces: Ehh. Maybe the condiment for In-N-Out sauce counts?
watch more movies: we watched Room
make working out a higher priority: Running has been going pretty well a few times a week. I’m up to 2 miles.

Pineapple, Cucumber & Mint Salad

This salad served to clients at work made me want to make it ASAP. I love fresh pineapple and since the little one will always eat cucumbers, it means we always have some around. My mint plants are going gang-busters so poof! This salad was born. I planned to make pulled pork int he crockpot so this was perfect alongside it! I also would definitely chop it up more and use it as a relish. Yum!
The Three Bite Rule - Pineapple, Cucumber, Mint Salad

Ingredients:

1/2 cucumber, mostly pealed
1 cup fresh pineapple
1/2 shallot
8-10 mint leaves
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon olive oil

Directions:

Chop the cucumber & seed, if necessary. Chop pineapple, shallot, and mint. Add it all to a bowl.
The Three Bite Rule - Pineapple, Cucumber, Mint Salad
Add in the lime juice & olive oil. Toss well.
The Three Bite Rule - Pineapple, Cucumber, Mint Salad
Refrigerate until serving, or serve immediately.
Enjoy!
The Three Bite Rule - Pineapple, Cucumber, Mint Salad
I thought this was perfect with the pork. I was so glad to have something zippy and fresh. This salad was so fast to throw together. The pork cooked all day in the crockpot and it was the fastest dinner to get together. Uhh it was just. so. ideal on a hot hot hot night. The leftover pork will be frozen and probably will go inside tacos. I’d really love this cuke & pineapple all diced up as a relish on a taco or sandwich.

Seriously, make this for your next BBQ and everyone will appreciate this cool, sweet, light, refreshing salad.

Margarita Pasta Salad

I road tested this pasta salad out and turned it into a meal by making it a vehicle for taco salads. It features flavors of a margarita, lime, with a touch of salt. I heard a tip of tossing the pasta in vinegar while it cools so I wanted to try it out. I think it works a bit, I don’t know that is changes the pasta salad to out of this world, but it totally has more flavor than many run-of-the-mill pasta salads.
The Three Bite Rule - Margarita Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
1/2 pound rotini pasta
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup margarita mix
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tomato chopped
1 cup roasted corn
1/2 cucumber
Green onions, chopped
fresh lime squeezed & zested (optional)

Directions:
Boil the pasta and drain then toss with the apple cider vinegar. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before dressing it.
Whisk together the mayo, sour cream, margarita mix, chili powder, and salt.
The Three Bite Rule - Margarita Pasta Salad
If the pasta hasn’t completely chilled, then cover the dressing and mix later. If the pasta has already been chilled, then toss in the dressing.
Add in the veggies and herbs.
The Three Bite Rule - Margarita Pasta Salad
Enjoy!

I think this would be great at a BBQ. I think it could have had more lime-ness. Next time I’ll juice a lime and zest it up. We topped them with taco-salad toppings like taco meat, avocado, and salsa. It was great for a bit of change from the usual taco salad. I used up some taco meat from the freezer and it involved very minimal cooking…many birds, one stone!
The Three Bite Rule - Margarita Pasta Salad