Green Veggie Casserole

Happy Tuesday Coffee & Kahlua readers! 

Its been way too long since I posted a recipe. 

I've been in the home-buying process for months and between boxes, paperwork, a slip and fall at the old house (which makes me even less useful then i was) and trying to get this house unpacked and un-spidered/un-mosquitoed,  I have been completely overwhelmed. Thankfully my husband is just as motivated as he is handsome, so its coming along slowly but very much nicely. 

This recipe is my own creation but was largely inspired by my best friends spinach casserole that I have loved for years.  Like with every recipe i find that I love,  I always want to make it my own. And for me if I'm making a casserole with veggies instead of meat...I want LOTS of veggies & even more flavor of course.So I pulled out my veggie drawer and used almost all of what was in there.

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Cheddar Jack Cheese - 1/2 Cup

Parmesan Cheese - Just enough to sprinkle on top

Spinach - half a bag

Green Bell Pepper - 1 whole chopped

Yellow Onion - 1 whole sliced/chopped

Asparagus - Half a bunch cut in half or chopped

Mushrooms - 1 box of pre-washed sliced

Balsamic Vinegar - about 4 tbsp

Unagi Sushi Sauce - 2 tbsp

Butter or Margarine - for saute'

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter in medium frying pan and add chopped asparagus, onions, and bell peppers. Sautee' on medium low until asparagus is soft but not mushy.

Meanwhile start layering your half bag of spinach, mushrooms & cheese to a casserole dish of your choice. Keep in mind that spinach shrinks when its cooked, I used a smaller one. An 8x10 rectangle.

Add balsamic to sauteed veggie pan and let bubble 2 minutes.

Add Unagi sauce to pan and turn to medium heat for 1 min stirring constantly.

Add contents of pan to casserole dish and mix it up. Sprinkle Parmesan on top and bake for 30 minutes.

Let cool for about 20 minutes & Enjoy! 

Lemon Coconut Asparagus & Shrimp

Happy Sunday Everyone!

Hope the weather is improving where you are. Its been extremely warm here in California the last 3 days. Were talking Mid 80s! I personally dont like warm weather. I am a Rain & Clouds kinda girl. 

I miss the fall & winter when spring is even mentioned. 

Anywho. There are some upsides to warm weather. And that would be... seasonal VEGGIES! 

Case in point....Asparagus. 

There are a few different types of asparagus, (I just learned this , this spring) and I bet they're all delicious.

 I however stuck to what I know, which is the thick long asparagus.

I had  originally intended to make some coconut lime shrimp skewers from a recipe I found on Pinterest, since my husband was grilling tri-tip,  but when I got home from the store yesterday I realized id forgotten the lime & coconut milk. (Insert  Harry Nilsson song here) 

Then i re-read the recipe and it calls for at least an hour of marinading so I scratched it. 

Im glad i did though because I came up with this recipe in a matter of 5 minutes using what I had on hand . Now for this one i didnt measure anything out . It was mostly drizzles. Im not exactly what you would call a technical cook but what I lack in measurements ,i made up for in taste!   

  Hope you enjoy it as much my kids & I did! 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

I also toasted some coconut ahead of time and rolled them in it before it was served.
We really love our coconut

Ingredients

1 stalk of thick asparagus

Large Peeled & deveined shrimp ( About 20 of them)

Lemon Juice (drizzle to taste) 

Olive Oil (drizzle to taste) 

Pinch of Coarse Sea Salt

Honey (drizzle to taste) 

Balsamic Vinegar (drizzle to taste) 

Sweet Coconut Flakes (a handful)

Place asparagus on cookie sheet and separate.
Spread shrimp throughout

Drizzle liquid ingredients to your own taste

Spread coconut flakes as even as ya can across the asparagus

Bake on 400 for about 20 minutes or until Asparagus is tender but firm. 

Serve Immediately.