5-Ingredient Lemon Panko Shrimp

June 20, 2014 by Christine Skari

Friday night dinners were a weekly tradition when I was growing up. I’m lucky to live just 5 minutes away from my Japanese grandparents and cousins, so every Friday I would wait eagerly by the door to go to Obachan’s house and eat some authentic asian food and then run to the backyard with my cousins to play with dirt and climb trees. My Obachan makes a delicious shrimp tempura and I would load up as many as I could on my plate, squirt a bit of this tasty brown sauce on the side, then dig in.

Youuu GUYS. SO GOOD.

Everything you could want. The crunch. The juicy inside. Mhmm her tempura is comfort food at its finest.

So what do you do when you a) don’t trust yourself with hot oil and b) are looking for a healthier alternative? You come up with a dish that has all the flavor and taste but is healthier and made in the safety of the oven! Even better? Only 5 ingredients and the recipe comes together in a flash. PARTY. You bring the drinks and I’ll bring a few of my tasty crustacean friends. OMG decapods.

What am I even saying?

I don’t know. It’s hard to concentrate when you have this picture all up in yo’ face.

The thing that makes this taste as good as the fried version is the crispiness of the panko. Also the perfect lemon flavor. Oh, and the parsley adds a great accent as well. Basically I like all of it, okay?

If you’ve never worked with panko before, you’re in for a treat. Normal breadcrumbs just can’t compare to the crunch factor you get from panko after it’s been all nice and toasted in the oven! I was out grocery shopping with my sister before making my 5-Ingredient Lemon Panko Shrimp and she insisted that we had a big stash of panko in our family’s pantry. Guess what?

SHE’S A BIG FAT LIAR.

Apparently we have 3 containers of the Italian version, but there was not a single panko crumb to be seen. I threw a short hissy fit at having to go back and make a second trip, but it just so happens that there’s a Starbucks at the entrance of the grocery store and I was able to cool down the fiery temper within me with a caramel frappuccino (it took me 7 tries to spell that right) and everything was okay in the world.

The moral of this story is never trust your sister with important things, like your supply of panko breadcrumbs. Got it?

One last word before we part to stuff shrimp in our mouths. This is best eaten straight out of the oven when the crispiness is at it’s maximum. They’re delicious either way, but if you’re looking for the AHHHH YUM experience, eat em’ when they’re hot and fresh.

Baked Broccoli Chicken Alfredo

April 29, 2014 by Christine Skari

So imagine this. In my belleh. All over my clothes and hands. Creamy white cheese sauce dripping down my face and I look like a toddler trying to eat and missing my mouth but I just don’t care because it’s so damn delicious and I want to swim in it. The cheese, you guys!!

The other day I mentioned my excitement over having bought a new white baking dish. I didn’t mention that the #1 reason I’ve bought four new baking dishes in the last two weeks is so I can get the perfect baked pasta shot. Actually, I only ordered two initially but was smart enough to leave them at my parent’s house on accident during a weekend trip home. Going off me resembling a toddler, I also have zero patience and I just couldnotwait for them to come up to visit me in a week. How could I when supah cheesy baked pasta was calling my name?

Look at it. Just look at it. You have so much good stuff packed in one pan. So here we go, I’ll tell you guys the game plan. Everyone huddle up! So first, we’re going to take a pile of cheese and melt it till it’s all gooey-like in a ridiculously easy garlic-y homemade sauce. Then, we’re going to use that mouthwatering sauce to smother juicy chicken and vibrant broccoli. Pour it aaallll into that pretty new baking dish of ours and go crazy with fresh parmesan on top because really, why not. Now stick that beautiful mess into the oven and pace back and forth restlessly as everything melds gloriously together. Try your best not to let the delicious smells tempt you into reaching in and grabbing a piece to sample. You’ll burn yourself. Don’t ask me how I know this. When that timer goes off, have a quick dance party to celebrate and dish yourself up a big lo’ plate. Devour it. Then get seconds.

Ready? HIKE!

Skinny Crockpot Chicken Caesar Sandwiches

April 14, 2014 by Christine Skari

The other day I was lamenting the fact that I was feeling so uninspired to create new recipe for the blog. You know, just drowning away my sorrow in a bowl of Kraft mac and cheese. I’m busy. Reeaaal busy. And when I get home from a long day of concentrating on aromatic five-membered ring heterocycles and the formation of glycosides (don’t ask me, I don’t even know), the last thing I want to do is spend a few hours in our teeny-tiny kitchen in our college apartment. I swear, that kitchen can only fit 1.279 people in it.

But then, an idea! Crockpots. I ordered a great and inexpensive one ($35!!) a few weeks ago. Yesss, that’ll do. Throw things into it before I leave at 7:45 a.m and come back to a delicious smelling house with the food already made and ready for its photo shoot. And let me tell ya, friends, these Skinny Crockpot Chicken Caesar Sandwiches didn’t disappoint!

Imagine this scenario: a tired girl with a mushy brain gets back home and trudges up the stairs to her apartment. She pauses at the door and fiddles with her key. The door opens. Her nosebuds open (tastebuds for your noes, duh) too. REJOICE! She rushes to put together a sandwich and bingo! A healthy and delicious lunch that makes up for the fact that she has replaced the gym with pie and Netflix. She’s in heaven and everything is right in the world. The end.

But let’s back up a bit and talk about how easy and yumeriffic these are. This quick and no-fuss recipe if perfect for those times when you really are just not in the mood/too busy to cook. You literally just throw things into the crockpot, turn it on, then go about your merry way for a few hours. A little while later, you use two forks to easily tear apart the meat and toss in the rest of the ingredients and serve. The pulled chicken has so much flavor and is wonderful on everything! We first tried it on whole wheat hamburger buns (yum), and the next night we served them on toasted baguette bread (yum x infinity). Also delicious? On a salad or, if you’re like me, straight out of the pot!

Not only is this recipe convenient, but it’s also waistline-friendly. Packed with protein and made with light dressing, it’s the perfect meal to add some tasty parmesan flavor to otherwise boring chicken breasts without all the fat and calories that normal burgers and sandwiches contain. And you know what that means, more room for pie!

Adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Disclaimer: this post contains an affiliate link to the Crockpot I use and love!

Honey Lime Shrimp and Avocado Salad

April 4, 2014 by Christine Skari

So I’ve been sitting here for the last 10 minutes trying to think of some catchy or fun way to start off this post. Maybe it’s the physics homework I did, or the fact that the pictures for this recipe are making the tum tum grumble, but I’m having a huge brain fart right now. And now I’m reconsidering if I want to use the word “fart” in a post that’s supposed to be about making you guys drool over a recipe. Eeeeek. Please still like me!

ANYWAYS. Going away from bodily noises and over to the food! You know me, I love smooth transitions.

What I love about this recipe (other than how delicious it is, of course), is how simple, fresh, and healthy it is. You got yo’ healthy fats from that creamy avocado, a tangy-sweet protein-punch from the shrimp, and those bites of juicy red tomato. Better yet? It’s done in less than 15 minutes and is perfect served hot or cold!

I’m a big fan of the salty-sweet combo and loved how the ingredients combined together! Each bite of shrimp is a mouthful of different flavors and the slight hotness of the red pepper flakes is cooled down by the avocado. It’s a super healthy alternative to other fried shrimp dishes (I’m looking at you, Panda Express, and your honey walnut shrimp), but will leave you feeling energized from a light and tasty meal rather than weighed-down by all that grease.

All in all, this recipe has 25 grams of protein, 4.8 grams of fiber, and only 300 calories per serving. Looking for a low carb recipe? This dish has only 12.5 grams of total carbs and will make your tastebuds dance!

Dig in!

Roasted Garlic Asparagus Chicken Spaghetti

March 26, 2014 by Christine Skari

I would truly appreciate it if you could help keep Apple of My Eye running and share this recipe on Pinterest!Getting photos for this dish was a hassle. For some reason, the sun has been refusing to come out, which left me frustrated when it came to getting good quality lighting. I swear, the clouds were being purposefully spiteful to mock me. Rude.

When I first cooked this beauty up, I had to wait three whole hours to get a bit of sunshine to peak through my window. When I saw it, it was GO GO GO time. Cue the mission impossible theme song, because this girl was on a mission.

And you know what? It was worth it. I completely believe that you eat with your eyes first, and running a food blog sortakindamaybe requires that my photography be up to par. And look! Sparkly parmesan! Juicy chicken! Woohoo! I win!

The beauty of this recipe comes with its simplicity. You take a bunch of fresh and healthy ingredients, throw them together, and you’re bound to end up with something good! Adding a small but tastebud-worthy twist comes with roasting the asparagus with garlic beforehand, giving the dish an extra flavor boost.

And I mean, seriously, could healthy comfort food get any better? Cheesy goodness blended with savory chicken and an extra crunch of texture from the garlic-y asparagus.

So go ahead! Toss that gorgeous emerald asparagus with some chicken, extra garlic (can you tell I <3 it?), cherry tomatoes, onions, and parmesan cheese and you’re in for a healthy meal done in no time at all!

All in all, one big ol’ serving of steamy hot pasta has less that 500 calories and 37 grams of protein! Be kind to your body and satisfy your pasta cravings with this healthy substitute instead of reaching for a calorie and saturated fat-laden alfredo from your nearby pasta joint.

So what are you waiting for? Let’s get eatin’!