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15 Minute Lemon, White Wine & Herb Sautéed Shrimp with Quinoa

May 31, 2019 by The Sunny Side Up Recipes Leave a Comment

Would you believe me if I said you could put this beautiful dish together in under 15 minutes? This recipe has everything you could want from a light summer meal–vibrant color, robust flavor, and, best of all, it requires minimal cooking time. The garlic and herbs pack in lots of flavor to season the shrimp, while the white wine helps to draw out the natural sweetness of the tomatoes and creates a beautiful sauce that you can pour over the dish at the end. Quick, simple, and delicious, this is sure to be a new favorite summer go-to.

First, rinse one pound of peeled,  deveined, medium shrimp  (tail on) in cold water, and separately, rinse cherry tomatoes and quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer or sieve. Rinsing removes quinoa’s natural coating, called saponin, which can make it taste bitter and gives it a nuttier flavor.  Although most quinoa sold in the grocery store is often pre-rinsed, it doesn’t hurt to give the seeds an extra rinse before cooking it.

Now, time for cooking! Add hot water to a medium-sized pot and add in quinoa once it hits its boiling point. Then, reduce to a simmer. Always make sure that you have a 2 to 1 ratio of water to quinoa– you’ll know that it’s done when the seeds have opened fully and the quinoa can be fluffed.

While the quinoa is cooking, sauté garlic, onions, butter, and olive oil at medium heat in a large saucepan. Once tender or golden (approximately 1-2 minutes), add white wine and tomatoes and let simmer for 2 minutes. Add in shrimp and cook for another 5 minutes, or until tomatoes are slightly reduced, and top with fresh parsley. Pour over quinoa, finishing off with the remaining white wine sauce.


Lemon, White Wine & Herb Sautéed Shrimp with Quinoa
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 pound medium shrimp, rinsed, peeled, and de-veined
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • ½ cup dry white wine (I recommend Chardonnay)
  • ¼ cup tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 lemon, juiced
Instructions
  1. Rinse shrimp in cold water and, separately tomatoes and quinoa. Set aside.
  2. In a small pot, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add in rinsed quinoa and bring down to a low simmer for 10 minutes until seeds begin to open.
  3. In a large saucepan, sautee onion and garlic in butter and olive oil on medium-high heat until fragrant and golden, approximately 1-2 minutes.
  4. Add rinsed shrimp and cook for 5 minutes, or until tomatoes have reduced. Garnish with parsley and serve over quinoa.
3.3.2998

 

 

Filed Under: Dinner, Lunch, Seafood, Uncategorized

Carrot Ginger Soup

October 14, 2018 by The Sunny Side Up Recipes Leave a Comment

As the weather is starting to get cooler on the East Coast I’ve started making more homemade soups and comforting dishes. This carrot ginger soup isn’t my own recipe, but rather is based off of a mix I buy at Whole Foods (which makes it even easier to make!). To make it, simply add carrots, broth, brown sugar, and coconut milk.

This soup is wonderfully creamy, but also incredibly flavorful with the addition of Thai and Indian spices. I also love that it uses red lentils, which make it a little bit heartier so you can have it as a light meal or with some fresh bread and salad.  It truly is the perfect way to wind down on a chilly fall day. Keep it in fridge to have throughout the week, or freeze it for another time. Enjoy!

Carrot Ginger Soup
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 Pacific Rim Gingered Carrot Soup Mix
  • 2 lb. whole carrots, scrubbed, not peeled
  • 4 cups broth, vegetable or chicken
  • 1T. brown sugar
  • 1 14oz. can coconut milk
Instructions
  1. Wash thoroughly and cut carrots into 1-inch chunks. Remove ends. In a 3 or 4 quart pot, bring broth and carrots to a simmer. Stir in contents of Pacific Rim Gingered Carrot Soup Mix and brown sugar. Raise heat to bring soup to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer on low for 30 minutes.
  2. Using a hand immersion blender in the soup pot, or in batches in a food processor, puree soup, leaving some little pieces for texture. Return soup to pot, add coconut milk, cook on low 5 minutes and serve.
3.3.2998

 

Filed Under: Lunch

Chimichurri Verde & Garlic Shrimp

February 17, 2018 by The Sunny Side Up Recipes Leave a Comment

Whenever I want to make a dish a bit more interesting I love using a homemade chimichurri sauce! Chimichurri is a sauce from Argentina that is packed with lots of fresh herbs, garlic, and olive oil, so it’s full of flavor and works well both as a side or as a marinade.  While it’s traditionally served in Argentina with grilled beef or steak, I love that it’s so versatile and can also be served with shrimp, or even with chicken, vegetables, or a light white fish.

To prepare the shrimp, I recommend using my 15-minute shrimp recipe with white wine and garlic, available here, and serving the sauce on the side. If you have less time, or if you want to make skewers to serve the shrimp as a make-ahead appetizer (soo good), I recommend using Barefoot Contessa’s recipe here and roasting them quickly in the oven (also under 15 minutes)!

Chimichurri Verde
 
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Prep time
10 mins
Total time
10 mins
 
Ingredients
  • ½ cup good olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 5 cloves of garlic
  • 2 tablespoons red onion, diced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
  • 1 cup fresh flat-leafed parsley
  • ¼ - ½ cup fresh cilantro
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Add garlic and red onion to a food processor and pulse just a few time until fine. Add in parsley, oregano, and cilantro and pulse a few more times until mixture is fully incorporated. You'll want to make sure that the herbs are not completely pureed, just finely chopped.
  2. Transfer to a small bowl and add in olive oil and vinegar, and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve instantly or keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.
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Filed Under: Dinner, Lunch

10 Minute Butternut Squash Ravioli

February 7, 2018 by The Sunny Side Up Recipes Leave a Comment

This is such an easy and simple dinner recipe! While most of the recipes I post are all completely homemade, I’ve started making a few more semi-homemade dishes now that I’m balancing blogging with graduate school, and couldn’t wait to share this one with you all! It’s super simple and usually takes me about 10 minutes to make. And it’s especially wonderful when I’m looking for some comfort food after a long day of classes or when I want to cozy up on a snow day during the winter months.

For the base of the dish, I use the Trader Joe’s Butternut Squash Triangoli  below, which is available in the freezer section of any of their stores. After my ravioli is done cooking (it typically only needs about 5 minutes in boiling water), I drain the pasta water right away, and while still hot I cut in 2 tablespoons of butter. Then, I add 1/4 cup of freshly grated parmigiano reggiano, 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, and about 4 tablespoons of finely chopped walnuts, and serve it immediately.

While it’s a bit unconventional to put cinnamon on pasta, I find that it adds a wonderful contrast with the savory, salty taste of the parmesan, while the walnut adds just enough crunch to keep things interesting. If I have more time, I also add roasted, caramelized butternut squash (usually whatever I have leftover from earlier in the week!) and/or spinach or kale to make it a bit more balanced. Enjoy!

 

Filed Under: Dinner, Lunch, Uncategorized

Kale Caesar Salad

December 22, 2017 by The Sunny Side Up Recipes Leave a Comment

 

This is my go-to lunch and during the week one of my favorite recipes when I want a quick side dish or a lighter meal!

While it might sound strange, the key to any kale salad is actually to massage it, which adds flavor and helps get rid of that bitter, tough taste of kale so that it has a consistency more like a spinach or normal salad greens. It’s definitely a bit more work, and, again, a little weird, but it makes all the difference.

Typically, I make a big batch of salad along with some lemon herb chicken and homemade rosemary croutons on Sunday night and split everything up into tupperware for lunch each day of the week, topped off with Trader Joe’s Romano Caesar Dressing. Meal prep requires a lot of work on the front end, but it’s so wonderful to grab my meals for the day each morning and go without having to worry about stopping later in the day!

 

Kale Caesar Salad
 
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Ingredients
  • 2 bunches Tuscan or curly kale, tough stems removed, leaves roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons olilve oil
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half (I love using multicolored ones here)
  • 1 cucumber, sliced
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese, shaved
  • ½ cup croutons
  • ½ cup chicken, cooked and shredded
Instructions
  1. Rinse kale, dry, and tear into bite-size pieces. Add olive oil and lemon juice and "massage" into kale for 4 minutes, or until tender.
  2. Add in all other ingredients, toss lightly, and serve with lemon garnish.
3.3.2998

 

Filed Under: Lunch

Cure-All Chicken Soup

November 2, 2017 by The Sunny Side Up Recipes Leave a Comment

Whenever I was sick growing up, my mom would make us this homemade soup from scratch (just like my grandparents did for her) and fill dozens of tupperware containers with the leftovers so we could take it out the next time someone was sick. Even now as an adult, I find myself making it whenever I have a bad cold because it’s so much more flavorful and nutritious than your normal canned chicken noodle  soup–plus, it has that special “mom” touch to it, and I love knowing that it’s a recipe that has been passed down through the generations.

The next time you’re stuck inside on a chilly fall afternoon, make a big batch and save the rest for a rainy day when you need it most–you won’t be sorry. Thanks, Mom!

 

 

Mom's Homemade Chicken Soup
 
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Prep time
15 mins
Cook time
1 hour
Total time
1 hour 15 mins
 
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 chicken breasts (with bone and skin)
  • 1 cup yellow onion, finely diced
  • 1 cup celery, finely diced
  • 1 lb carrots, diagonally sliced
  • 3 heads of broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 lb yukon gold potatoes
  • 3. cups spinach
  • 4 tbs oregano
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Finely chop onion, garlic, and celery in a large pot. Sautee in olive oil and dry herbs until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
  2. Add chicken, potato, carrots, celery, and 5 cups of water. Once it hits a boiling point, turn down to a low simmer for 40 minutes.
  3. Add broccoli and spinach. Let simmer for 20 more minutes. Remove chicken and shred it, removing skin and bone. Add chicken back to the pot and cook until the potatoes are cooked through.
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Filed Under: Dinner, Lunch, Uncategorized

Sesame Soy Salmon

August 4, 2017 by The Sunny Side Up Recipes Leave a Comment

I recently made this Japanese-inspired salmon recipe from Jessica Sepel’s blog JS Health and am totally hooked! This is a great simple dish when you want a quick, nutritious dinner during the work week.  I love the sesame and soy flavors, while fresh ginger and a dash of spring onions add a kick of freshness. As you can see, I typically serve mine with sweet potatoes and asparagus for the perfect well-rounded meal on the run, or a a protein-rich dinner after a tough workout.

 

 

Filed Under: Dinner, Lunch

Salmon with Couscous

May 7, 2017 by The Sunny Side Up Recipes Leave a Comment

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This is the perfect light, summer dish when you want to cook something healthy for dinner but don’t want to be spend too much time in the kitchen!

First, I used this simple baked citrus salmon recipe  and added in some cherry tomatoes sprinkled with olive oil and thyme to roast them and draw out their flavor. For sides, I included couscous and a homemade tzatziki dip, which really makes the dish.  You can use really any brand of couscous you like– to be honest I just used a boxed kind from Near East–but I make it extra flavorful by adding a touch of white wine at the end.

For the tzatziki, I used Greek yogurt, cucumber, and lots of lemon juice and fresh herbs (see my recipe below). It’s traditionally made with plain yogurt and/or sour cream, but I find that Greek yogurt has just the right amount of thickness and tanginess (plus, it’s healthier!). Serve with a fresh mint garnish, and enjoy! 

 

Amy's (Healthier) Tzatziki Dip
 
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Recipe type: Side
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 medium cucumber, finely diced
  • 1 cup Fage 2% yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon flavorful extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Toss all ingredients together. Let sit in the refrigerator for 2 hours for flavors to blend.
3.3.2998

 

Filed Under: Dinner, Lunch, Recipe

Arugula Salad with Pomegranate and Apple

January 9, 2017 by The Sunny Side Up Recipes Leave a Comment

This gorgeous seasonal salad is the perfect compliment to heavier winter meals. The arugula gives a fresh, peppery flavor, the pomegranate adds tremendous color, and the fruit and walnuts add great texture and crunch. Best of all, the dressing seals the deal with a hint of sweetness. Enjoy! 

Arugula Salad with Pomegranate and Apple
 
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Prep time
15 mins
Total time
15 mins
 
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 6 cups baby arugula
  • 1 apple, thinly sliced (I recommend a crisp, sweet variety like Fiji or Honeycrisp)
  • ½ cup pomegranate seeds
  • ⅓ cup walnuts, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup parmigiano-reggiano, grated or shaved
  • 2 tbs apple cider vinegar (you can also use a flavor infused balsamic; I love to use a raspberry or pomegranate balsamic glaze for added sweetness)
  • 2 tbs raw honey
  • ½ lemon
  • 6 tbs olive oil
  • Salt and pepper as desired
Instructions
  1. Lightly toss arugula, pomegranate, apple slices, walnuts, and parmesan shavings in a large bowl.
  2. Whisk apple cider vinegar, honey, and juice of lemon in small bowl, slowly pouring in the olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  3. When ready to eat, toss in dressing and serve. If you're serving guests, I like to add extra pomegranate seeds for garnish to make each plate more colorful.
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Filed Under: Lunch, Snacks/Sides

Roasted Shrimp with Feta and Orzo

January 3, 2017 by The Sunny Side Up Recipes Leave a Comment

Do you ever feel like you’re in a recipe rut and eating the same dishes all the time? Last week I was in one of those moods (read: tired of making the chicken all the time) and came across this wonderful recipe from Barefoot Contessa. Light and refreshing, this Mediterranean-inspired shrimp and orzo dish is packed with lots of fresh herbs and is a perfect way to mix up weeknight dinners.

My tips? Add in some extra lemon juice and make sure you use a high quality feta cheese–my favorite is Bulgarian, which has a creamier texture and is less salty than Greek feta.  I also like to add in some ripe cherry tomatoes, but it would also be great if you added asparagus, olives, or other complementary flavors as desired!

Original recipe available here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-shrimp-and-orzo-recipe.html

 

 

Filed Under: Dinner, Lunch, Recipe, Seafood

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