After our Super Bowl party this year, I was left with about a pound of leftover shrimp from a platter that a friend so graciously brought over to share. We left to go out of town for a couple of days yesterday, so I wanted to use up all the leftovers we had in the refrigerator before we left. What better to do with it than make shrimp salad? It’s a perfect lunch over a bed of baby spinach.

While chicken salad can be dense and heavy, shrimp salad is light and airy. I like to season it lightly; a little bit of salt and pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice, and some fresh dill – to really let the flavor of the shrimp shine through. Next time you have some leftover shrimp hanging around (or take the shortcut, and buy them pre-cooked) do yourself a favor and whip up a batch of this salad. You just may have a new favorite for your lunchbox!

I believe that there are probably close to a million ways to marinade and skewer chicken. That being said, I’d say that yakitori (or, Japanese skewered chicken) would have to be near the top of the  list for me. I’ve mentioned before that I took an International cooking class at my local community college a couple of years ago, and this delicious chicken was one of the dishes I familiarized myself with during the course.

I couldn’t find the original recipe that I jotted down from class, but this version was very close to what I remembered. I used boneless chicken breasts this time, but I think they’re even better with boneless, skinless chicken thighs. With a bit of steamed rice and broccoli, it’s a wonderful (and healthy!) weeknight meal to add to your menu soon.

Huevos Rancheros is one of my husband’s favorite things to order at our local Mexican restaurant. Much to his dismay, it’s only available on the lunch menu. We eat so much tex-mex at home, I figured it was about time I gave this classic peasant dish a shot. I had picked some up chorizo at the grocery store last week – so I went ahead and worked it into the recipe. The fat that rendered off the sausage was perfect for cooking the onions – wafting porky goodness throughout the entire dish.

A pretty easy breakfast to throw together on a weekend morning. And, it surely mixes up the pancakes and sausage routine. Also makes for a wonderfully easy dinner, as most folks already have these items on hand. Try this soon!

The past couple of years for Christmas, we’ve received a big tin of these wonderful  spicy peanuts from a family member. Sadly, this year she was not able to attain a tin. I look forward to them all year, so I must admit I was a little bit disappointed when they weren’t under the tree for us. However, it got me to thinking – how hard could they be to make at home?

After a little bit of recipe sleuthing, I found a recipe that seemed that it fit the bill.  I’m happy to report that I like this homemade version just as much, if not more, than the original. With just the right amount of kick from the chipotle powder, and a nice background sweetness from the honey – you’ll find yourself reaching for another handful.  Consider yourself warned, they are addicting! It makes a big batch, great for snacking on all week long. While I’ll still gladly accept a tin of Hot Honeys if gifted to me, I’m happy to know that I’ll be able to make my own at home all year long.